July 20 - August 2, 2025
PREFACE is a summer experience hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for rising junior and senior high school students interested in pursuing a career in engineering or technology, who possess unique strengths, leadership skills and talents that will add to the vibrancy of the Rensselaer community.
Since 1978, PREFACE has provided a pre-college introduction to the different types of engineering, allowing students to understand what engineers do and what it takes to become an engineer. PREFACE students are exposed to today’s global challenges and learn to use engineering design and manufacturing processes to develop possible solutions.
This year's theme will explore the promises and challenges around nuclear energy. The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering (MANE), with the support of the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will lead students on a deep dive into the nuclear science and engineering, with an emphasis on nuclear reactor design, waste management, and social implications of nuclear reliance. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are exploring ways to meet an ever-growing demand for sustainable energy resources, including the possibility of meeting that demand with or without the contribution of nuclear energy.
As a PREFACE participant, you will learn with Rensselaer faculty and students through demonstrations, hands-on activities and experiments, and individual and team activities and challenges. You will be immersed in experiences such as designing radiation shielding, performing computer simulations of operating nuclear reactors, and building a radiation detector to gain an understanding of how — and why —nuclear energy works, how nuclear science and engineering intersects with and is important to diverse disciplines, and the world-changing potential of applied research.
In addition, this year's PREFACE program will feature a workshop composed of lectures and guided projects to introduce students to key topics in computer system engineering, with a focus on computer hardware design and its connection to AI computing. Participants will explore how modern computer systems power AI and Machine Learning advancements and gain foundational knowledge in processor design, learning how processors are built and optimized for AI-driven applications. Through hands-on projects and guided instruction, students will engage in practical exercises that highlight the role of advanced computing technology in real-world problem solving.