Island Energy Super Heroes: How one Jamaican PhD Student is Transforming Energy Literacy

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When's the last time you walked
into a bookstore?

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Specifically a children's
bookstore, or maybe even the

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children's section.
Let's say you're looking for a

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book about clean energy in the
Caribbean.

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Solar, wind, geothermal, hydro,
maybe even nuclear.

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A book that reflects the
islands, the culture of the

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people.
A book where the heroes look

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like the kids reading it.
Now imagine having that

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realization that that book
doesn't exist, and instead of

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walking away, you decide.
I guess I'll write it.

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I used to love Captain Planet so
much as a child growing up

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trying to save the planet with
the powers combined.

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Imagine if we have all these
clean and resources working

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together.
We need to be very

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representational of the
Caribbean culture, spirit and

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people.
Today's guest did exactly that.

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Me Zola Hein, a Jamaican born.
Computer scientist turned.

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Nuclear engineering PhD
researcher at Bangor University

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and the author of Island Energy
Superhero, A kids Guide to

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energies in the Caribbean, a
book that's already landing at

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schools, bookstores and even in
the airport in Kingston.

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This episode is about
representation, science

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communication, failing forward
and building an energy literate

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Caribbean one child at a time.
So let's get.

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Started how did.
The vision for this book come

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about.
The history or the vision behind

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the Island Energy book came
across when I just started my

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PhD in my first year.
I was very curious as to nuclear

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energy being used in the
Caribbean, if any.

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I was also trying to find out
different sources just to

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understand the material to do
the research, something that's

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very simplified.
And I notice that yes, we do use

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nuclear in the Caribbean.
There's actually the island slab

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in Jamaica out by the Imona
campus, and they use it for

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medicinal purposes also in the
agricultural sector for nuclear

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forensics using neutrons.
However, we haven't been able to

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use nuclear energy in the
Caribbean.

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And I don't know if you've seen
in the news a big thrust of

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Rolls Royce and the SMRS.
And so now persons are looking

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to energy all across the world.
Recently, Jamaica even signed a

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memorandum of understanding with
Canada to look into setting up

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nuclear power generation in the
Caribbean.

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My interest in starting the book
was thinking about how will

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parents be able to explain this
new concept, this new source

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that's been added to or could be
added to our energy grid?

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How will they be able to explain
it to their children children,

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and will they even understand it
themselves?

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So I was there having this idea
in mind, and I reached out to a

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publisher and we were basically
looking around, doing some

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research, seeing if there are
other books that covered energy

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in the Caribbean or looked at
clean energy overall.

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And to our surprise, there
wasn't anything like this

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available.
So the idea was, let's try to

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create a book that introduced
all these concepts in a very

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simple way of what is clean
energy, the different types that

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are currently being used and
also nuclear energy as an energy

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source that will be introduced
to the future.

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So this book, the Island energy
book, the superhero energies

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that for the Caribbean is now
available for children and

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parents to learn more about
different kinds of clean energy

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sources.
This is currently being used in

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the Caribbean, such as solar,
geothermal, wind, hydroelectric

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energy and the introduction of
nuclear.

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When Zola began her PhD, she
searched for simple explanations

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about nuclear and clean energy
in the Caribbean, something

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parents could use to explain a
rapidly changing energy

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landscape to their kids.
She found Advanced Research

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papers, technical reports,
scattered examples of nuclear

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applications in agriculture and
medicine.

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But there were no children's
books, nothing that represented

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Caribbean identity, Caribbean
imagery.

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So she reached out to.
A publisher.

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Together they.
Realized they had something, a

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vibrant, superhero driven way to
explain energy systems to kids

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to the adults who raised them.
So think back to your own

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childhood.
When did you first learn what

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energy was?
Did anybody ever show you

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diagrams of solar farms, or talk
about nuclear medicine, or

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explain why electricity bills
rise and fall?

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Most of us didn't get that
education until adulthood.

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If ever.
Zola's book wasn't just about

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clean energy.
It was deeply tied to her

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journey, one that didn't start
in nuclear.

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At all.
So how does someone go from

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computer science and data
visualization to simulating

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nuclear fuel behavior?
Well, I'd like to say that

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nuclear engineering shows me
because I really love computer

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science.
I love working with computers.

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I also really love doing
visualizations.

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A big part of my master's
dissertation was visualizing

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data sets, and the opportunity
presented itself for me to

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visualize nuclear data in a way
that's never been done before.

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I didn't really have a nuclear
background, but I thoroughly

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enjoyed physics, you know,
thanks to my teacher, Mr.

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Goodnight, Glenmere High School,
you know, really fell in love

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with physics and you know, it
would be a great opportunity to

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continue with that.
So I took the leap.

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My master's dissertation was
looking at how different

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research papers use colors in
visualization charts and bars.

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That was pretty cool.
Analyzing from medical journals

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or engineering journals and
creating a how to guide for

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persons in the research field
what colors are recommended

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based on historical data.
So that's one way in which I've

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used data and I found that
really awesome.

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It was great to work with that
data set now in nuclear, using

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experimental data to predict the
behavior of the fuel in the

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reactor.
Propel Research and innovation.

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I was at the end of completing
the masters and literally there

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was just a blast e-mail saying
that I didn't even know my

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university had a nuclear
institute.

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They were congratulating someone
and saying that they have

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opportunities.
I thought I'm looking for

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opportunities.
So I reached out to the director

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and went in and had a lovely
chat.

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Went around and saw the labs and
it just carried me back to high

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school.
Some of the things we were

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talking about that I learned in
physics, hearing about different

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concepts from chemistry.
I've, I've been doing so many

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things in computer science.
I was just like, this would be

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great to broaden my scope and
try and see how it goes because

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it sounds like a mammoth task.
But if he thinks I have the

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capability and the skills to do
this, then who am I to say no in

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that way?
I, I say nuclear chose me and

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I've had really good support,
even though sometimes when I

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speak, I'm very surprised by
myself.

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You know, I'm saying, Oh my
gosh, actually know this thing.

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It's been interesting.
It's been a true growth

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opportunity.
I can say when I told my friends

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and family, they were not
surprised.

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It wasn't a question of can I do
it?

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It's like she's going to do it.
They know I'm always up to

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something, to be honest, always
putting myself out there, trying

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new things, trying to live life
fully.

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I had tremendous support from
friends and family back home and

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even here in the UK.
It's been so good in terms of

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support within the university
from my supervisors, from my

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industry partners sending me on
trainings, making sure that I,

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you know, have to have access to
any resource and every resource

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that would help me improve and
make progress throughout the

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research.
Zola didn't plan on nuclear

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engineering.
She loved computer science,

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visualization, and the challenge
of turning messy data into

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meaningful insights.
But an unexpected e-mail from

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her university celebrating a
nuclear institute she didn't

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even know existed sparked
something new.

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She met with the director, the
labs, and suddenly the physics

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she loved in high school came
rushing back.

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And she kept showing up.
Somewhere along the way she

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surprised herself.
And that got me thinking, when's

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the last time you were pulled in
the direction of your curiosity?

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Somewhere you didn't expect to
go?

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Because what Zola did next,
bringing her love of

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visualization into nuclear fuel
modeling, is a perfect example

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of how non traditional
backgrounds strengthen the

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nuclear field.
So I would say that my research

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mostly looks at a novel method.
Traditionally to visualize the

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performance of the fuel in the
reactor, we use mesh based

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techniques.
My research currently is a more

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meshless technique and it's
actually coming from astronomy,

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so it's never been used in
nuclear industry before.

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And so even that's within
itself, trying to verify the

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method, try to validate the
method and making sure that it

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is at the correct standards and
the acceptable standards for

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academia so that you know this
is reliable.

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So you know that you know, we
can trust this information and

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how it is presented, the
standards and seeing how best I

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can get the good quality
information from very reliable

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sources.
It does take its time, but it's

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been so great, especially
working with persons and

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speaking to persons who do more
experimental work and trying to

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see how best I can properly
understand the information that

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they give and that I read an
extract from other research

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papers so that I can properly
fit my model and get it to

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simulate the behaviors that are
needed to predict something

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novel.
The best way to explain it is

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how my supervisor really
reiterates a lot.

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We are on the beach, on the
sand, looking out into the sea

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and we don't really have an idea
of what's out there, so we just

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have to take it a step at a
time.

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Sometimes you think innovation
is changing a lot of things and

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seeing how it happens, but
sometimes it can just be

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tweaking 1 parameter or one
aspect and just seeing how that

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affects the whole.
Doing some in depth analysis,

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sensitivity analysis to see what
variables, how it affects it,

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what can be changed, how just a
little thing can make such a big

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impact.
And for me that is the

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scientific research, doing
little tweaks and seeing the

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impact.
Sometimes it is colossal,

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sometimes it is minute, but you
have to start from what you know

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or what is known and then slowly
venturing to the unknown.

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And, you know, sometimes there
are persons who have gone ahead

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and done something similar to
you.

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So it's always good to try to do
as much research as possible to

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see what's already been done.
Try to understand your method,

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try to understand the mistakes
and the limitations of what's

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been done before so that you can
say, OK, maybe I could try to

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tweak this instead, or I'll
tweak this in a different way

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and see what the result is.
That is the innovation, I think,

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that is applied in scientific
research.

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Most of us think visualizing
data means bar charts or line

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graphs.
But Zola's work goes deeper,

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much deeper, Using methods
barred from astronomy to

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visualize nuclear fuel behaviors
in ways the industry has never

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tried before.
She studies how to validate

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novel mesh free visualization
techniques.

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She analyzes experimental data.
She runs simulations that help

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us understand what the fuel is
doing inside a reactor,

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information that influences
safety, performance, and design.

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Her background in color theory,
visual communication, and even

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the psychology of how humans
interpret shapes and gradients

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give her a unique perspective on
nuclear data, one the field

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desperately needs.
So with this scientific

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foundation, how do you turn
energy into a story, one that

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Caribbean children can see
themselves inside?

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Having sat down and I spoke with
Cabrina, the manager and

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director of Eva Michelle
Publishing, responsible for

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publishing the book.
We sat and we were literally on

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the same page.
Both Jamaicans are just like,

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OK, this book needs to represent
the Caribbean, so we need to

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make the graphics visually
capture in the Caribbean

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essence, spirit and culture.
I was like, for sure, we have to

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make it be that true
representation of the melting

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pot that we are.
So the characters need to be

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very representative of the
diversity in the Caribbean.

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And then we both agreed we love
Justice League and Captain

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Planet.
I used to love Captain Planet so

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much as a child growing up
trying to save the planet with

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the powers combined.
And I think it's the same

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strategy here with the Island
Energy book.

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Imagine if we have all these
clean energy sources working

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together, how valuable it would
be to the Reach on how

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00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:52,360
sustainably it would be as well.
So the concept behind it was OK,

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00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,320
We need to be very
representational of the

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00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,480
Caribbean culture, spirit and
people.

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00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:03,280
And also we need to make it fun.
And what's more fun than having

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00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,680
superheroes?
So recently I was able to get

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00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,400
the book brailled and I did a
book reading at the Salvation

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00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,000
Army School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired.

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00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,640
So that was good.
I had a regular coffee of the

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00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:21,280
book, had it in large print and
also had it Braille and everyone

241
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,280
could be a part of the
conversation.

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00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:28,040
No one was missing out.
So things like those mean

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00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:34,720
inclusive, you know.
Each superhero embodies a clean

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00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:39,440
energy source, solar, hydro,
wind, geothermal and nuclear,

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00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,440
combining forces to protect the
islands.

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00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,920
Kids immediately recognize
themselves in the characters.

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00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,600
Teachers loved it.
Parents learned things they've

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00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,120
never been taught.
In one of the most touching

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00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,200
moments, Zola had the book
printed in Braille so visually

250
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,720
impaired students could join the
conversation, too.

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00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:02,600
Representation isn't a buzzword.
It shapes who we believe we can

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00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,760
become.
Imagine being 8 years old,

253
00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:11,120
living through a Category 5
hurricane to hit your island and

254
00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,480
learning that you can be a part
of the energy solution.

255
00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,320
This story is much bigger than a
book.

256
00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:22,720
It ties into real energy
challenges and opportunities in

257
00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,440
the Caribbean.
Growing up in Jamaica, one of

258
00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:30,520
the most expensive bills that my
mom had to cover for us was the

259
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,560
energy bill.
You know, many people always on

260
00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,480
the news saying, you know, even
persons from the manufacturing

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00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,880
sector, you know, they wish they
could do more, but the energy

262
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,360
bill is so high.
So persons turn to doing

263
00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,120
different things, whether it's
like using more smart devices so

264
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,680
that they can lower energy
consumption, just adopting as

265
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,440
many different principles and
techniques to try to lower the

266
00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,440
bill.
If we can personally try to

267
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,880
invest in clean energy sources
and utilize solar because we are

268
00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,079
so blessed in the Caribbean with
sunshine.

269
00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:10,440
Even after the hurricane, the
sun came out and that was a

270
00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,480
blessing to help persons
rebuild.

271
00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:17,480
The resources are there and
naturally available in the

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00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,560
Caribbean.
Again, very blessed where we are

273
00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:25,079
in the region to access
geothermal energy, the sun,

274
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:29,920
water, wind and in the future
nuclear as well.

275
00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:35,480
I've been doing a few in person
and virtual book readings.

276
00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,880
It's a surprising especially
when I see that children have

277
00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,480
covered the topic of energy
previously in class, but they

278
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,040
probably didn't go in depth
looking at the different kinds

279
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,040
of energy.
It's always so, you know,

280
00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,440
they're very animated.
They are saying, Oh my gosh,

281
00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,520
this superhero looks like me.
No, it looks like Chantelle.

282
00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,840
No, it looks like Mark and which
superhero they want to be

283
00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:05,800
because they want that power.
And you'd be reading and just

284
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,440
see how engaged the teachers are
as well.

285
00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,240
And also you can see as well,
parents who bought the book, the

286
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,080
feedback is they read it.
They enjoyed it too because they

287
00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,320
didn't know any of this
information themselves.

288
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,080
I love that.
It's such a great learning

289
00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,640
opportunity, opportunity for not
just children, but adults as

290
00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,800
well.
The book has been available in

291
00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:33,200
the Cosy Kids Bookstore in
Kingston and they also have a

292
00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,480
branch in Falmouth in Jamaica.
It's available online on Amazon.

293
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,600
You can order from Walmart,
Barnes and Nobles as well.

294
00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,800
It is available at the Norman
Manley Airport in Kingston.

295
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,240
Passing through, there's a
things Jamaica also at the Devon

296
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,200
House Ice cream stop if
everybody loves to get ice cream

297
00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,400
and you know where it is in
Kingston to get your copy of the

298
00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,640
Island Energy book.
The reception has been great and

299
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,520
the support and the love and
just the appreciation for a book

300
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:10,000
like this has been overwhelming.
I think my aspiration would be

301
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,840
to see more collaboration.
If we truly come together within

302
00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:20,040
the region and try to utilize
the resources collectively, it

303
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:24,800
would be beneficial for all in
terms of applying for climate

304
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:30,080
grants or trying to whether it's
from like commercial residents

305
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:35,040
or for industry.
I think working together is

306
00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,040
always best and we can achieve
even more.

307
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,920
It would be great to see all the
nations within the Caribbean

308
00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:46,560
coming together accessing grants
or putting in proposals and

309
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,040
actually building out the
infrastructure needed to support

310
00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:55,720
different clean energy sources
because we are naturally blessed

311
00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,080
and we are under utilizing the
resources and it's a pain.

312
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,600
It's very sad to see and persons
are at the end of the day

313
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,320
suffering for it.
You don't have access to energy

314
00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,320
and everyone needs energy.
It's all around us and we need

315
00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:16,160
it everyday in daily life.
Growing up in Jamaica, Zola saw

316
00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:21,080
first hand how high energy bills
shaped daily life and how storms

317
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,880
expose the fragility of island
infrastructure.

318
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,760
The Caribbean is blessed with
natural resources, sun, wind,

319
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:32,840
heat, water and now potentially
nuclear energy.

320
00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,080
But these resources are
underutilized.

321
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,560
Infrastructure is aging, and
resilience, especially after

322
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:45,160
hurricanes, is critical.
Zola's hope?

323
00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,160
Greater regional collaboration,
shared infrastructure,

324
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,720
collective climate grants,
unified energy strategies, and

325
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,040
an approach to clean energy that
gives everyone from

326
00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,520
manufacturing to agriculture to
families rebuilding after a

327
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,000
storm.
So what does energy justice mean

328
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,240
in your hometown, your region,
or your community?

329
00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,560
Who gets left behind when these
systems fail, and who gets

330
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:13,520
prioritized when they need to
recover?

331
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:18,480
Because Zola's commitment to
inclusion and resilience doesn't

332
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,120
stop with her research, it
shapes how she approaches

333
00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,600
learning itself.
I'll definitely be working in

334
00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:32,000
the energy space, advocating for
accessibility and inclusion in

335
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,600
the discussion of energy and
climate in climate change,

336
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:40,360
climate resilience.
This is something that I am very

337
00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:43,320
passionate about.
I have to say, shout out to

338
00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:47,160
Girls Care, which is an
organization that kind of helped

339
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:51,360
me start this journey of making
the Caribbean more climate

340
00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:57,000
resilient and sustainable.
So that for me is just a

341
00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:01,240
continuing what I've started
building on this and trying to

342
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:05,280
see how much more of an impact
and change I can make.

343
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,680
And for our audience, I wanted
to ask solo.

344
00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,320
What advice does Zola have to
help out when you might need a

345
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,400
little?
Push or encouragement?

346
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,920
I would say definitely lean on
your support system.

347
00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:21,760
Don't be afraid to tap into
that.

348
00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,720
I would also say don't be afraid
to ask questions.

349
00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,920
If you don't understand and you
really want to do something,

350
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,840
just put yourself out there.
If you are trying to help

351
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,880
yourself and others see you
trying to make an effort then

352
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,840
they will help you too.
That's literally what's helped

353
00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,680
me so far.
It's OK with being an

354
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,600
impossible, you don't know
everything and that is fine.

355
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,280
Be very comfortable sometimes
with not being the smartest

356
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:56,200
person in the room because that
gives you an opportunity to grow

357
00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,240
and learn.
It's really just an amazing

358
00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:01,600
thing because you get to learn
so much.

359
00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:03,680
That would be my.
Advice.

360
00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:08,120
Many times, and it could be
whether you are brave enough to

361
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:12,440
ask the question in front of
others or you reach out to your

362
00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:16,000
teacher or lecture and say can I
have 5 minutes at the time that

363
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,000
is convenient to you just to get
some clarification on things I

364
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,440
did not understand.
I've done that so many times.

365
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,040
I'm so comfortable now with just
asking.

366
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:31,280
I know that persons will be more
happy to help.

367
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,720
So yeah, just ask.
So yeah, just ask.

368
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,920
Don't be afraid to ask or lean
on your fellow students or

369
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,720
classmates, those who know a
little bit more than you

370
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,960
understand the topic better.
Just go and ask and more than

371
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,520
likely people will assist.
Zola's philosophy is simple.

372
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,360
Fail forward, ask questions,
lean on your support system,

373
00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,360
don't pretend to know something
you don't, and don't fear being

374
00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,880
the least knowledgeable person
in the room because that's where

375
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,440
growth happens.
Her advice is crying it out,

376
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:09,720
venting, regrouping and trying
again.

377
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,440
Asking for 5 minutes with a
lecturer.

378
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,360
Reaching out to classmates with
more experience.

379
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,000
Building resilience, one
question at a time.

380
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,880
Because if kids can't see
themselves as these resilient

381
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:28,040
students who become energy
superheroes, what happens to

382
00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,080
them when they grow up?
And now it's time for our rapid

383
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,280
fire questions.
So the first one is, do you have

384
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,280
any hobbies?
I love going out to the beach.

385
00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:44,200
I love eating, going to a nice
restaurant.

386
00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,920
Those would be my tops.
I love listening to music

387
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,520
dancing.
Your hobbies feel very Jamaican

388
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,560
because I love all of those
things as well.

389
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,840
I was like beach food and
dancing.

390
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,480
Yeah, sign me up.
If you had to give a Ted talk or

391
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,360
a speech, that's not nuclear or
computer.

392
00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:04,240
Science related.
What would?

393
00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,240
You give it on.
I think it would be failing

394
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,960
forward.
Many things I am no expert in,

395
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:16,200
but I try and I fail so that
that would be my.

396
00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,640
That's great, I guess.
When you do.

397
00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,000
Fail.
Or like when anybody fails, how

398
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,120
do you emotionally recover from
that?

399
00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:25,800
Because I think that maybe is
one of the reasons why people

400
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,360
just stop after they fail.
How do you build that resilience

401
00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,560
muscle?
You have to process it the best

402
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,800
way you can.
If it means you have to stop and

403
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,600
cry, then you go again.
In there.

404
00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,760
Reach out to someone to vent,
share your frustration, try to

405
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,720
journal and look at the
positives that happened during

406
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,160
that event.
Do whatever works for you, but

407
00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,240
try again.
I love that.

408
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,080
So yeah, make sure you get it
all out emotionally.

409
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,160
Dust yourself off and get back
out there.

410
00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,160
If there is one place you think
everybody should visit, whether

411
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,480
it's a beach, a restaurant, a
dance, like where?

412
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,520
Where should people go?
I think everyone should go to

413
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,800
Jamaica.
It's amazing.

414
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,640
I am very proud of my country.
There's so many amazing things

415
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,800
from the beaches, the food, the
people, the events.

416
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,280
There's something there for
everyone to enjoy.

417
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,680
Jamaica is amazing if you
haven't been used to go.

418
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,280
Yeah, I definitely got to go
back.

419
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,920
Do you have a?
Favorite Jamaican food that you

420
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,280
absolutely love?
The hard one because I had to

421
00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,200
think about this for a while
myself.

422
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,600
There's so many.
I do love a good sweet potato

423
00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:43,600
pudding Christmas time and the
Christmas cake.

424
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,200
You know, mango season, the
jewelry, mango the fruits, the

425
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:52,000
vegetables, the Curry, the
party.

426
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,040
So.
The answer is there is no

427
00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:56,400
answer.
There is no favorite.

428
00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,840
I think by quantity it's a toss
up between beef patties.

429
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,040
Like if you sat me down in front
of a. 100 of them.

430
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:09,040
I could handle them just like a
fresh mango like could also just

431
00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,480
so many of them.
Last question, if you had to

432
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:19,400
build and design the city of the
future, what would that look

433
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,120
like to you?
Well, first of all, it would be

434
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:28,040
a city filled with diverse clean
energy sources like in the

435
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:33,080
Island Energy book, for sure.
My future city would definitely

436
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,440
be a space that is very
innovative.

437
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:44,160
It would be very inclusive, you
know, and it would just be a

438
00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,480
city that there's collaboration
in every way, so no one gets

439
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,360
left behind, no one is excluded,
and everyone benefits.

440
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:55,800
And I think that's what the city
should be like.

441
00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:01,320
Everyone should be positively
impacted and positively

442
00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,000
contributing.
Amazing.

443
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,240
If you're ever running for
office, let me know.

444
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,560
I'll be on your campaign.
Just tell me where to sign up.

445
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,840
OK.
So we talked about the places

446
00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:14,720
that we can find the island
energy.

447
00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,200
Superhero book, we said.
Amazon if we're.

448
00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,120
Out in Jamaica, it's in the.
Airport as well.

449
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,400
Do you guys have a website?
The Island Energy website is

450
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:31,400
also available, so it's the
Island Energy book dot my dot

451
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:36,200
Canva dot site to it gives all
the resources.

452
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,600
You can see interviews, articles
as well.

453
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:43,400
And in the future, hopefully,
maybe there are some fun games

454
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,800
to come and activities that you
can access.

455
00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,640
After her PhD, Zola plans to
stay in the energy sector,

456
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,640
advocating for accessibility,
climate resilience, and regional

457
00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,440
collaboration.
She's shaping future policy

458
00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,680
leaders, researchers, engineers
and curious young minds.

459
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,480
Outreach are all a part of the
bigger mission to make sure no

460
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,680
one gets left behind in the
energy transition.

461
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:15,720
My final message would be find
something that you love and work

462
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:19,680
towards it.
Do the best that you can to make

463
00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,400
a valuable contribution.
So at the end of the day, you

464
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,520
can look back and have no
regrets.

465
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:29,760
You can say, you know, I
contributed to this and it

466
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,960
positively impacts someone's
life.

467
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,400
Maybe you won't know in what
way, but in all things just do

468
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,320
the best that you can.
My mom always said if you are

469
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:43,280
going to be a street sweeper, be
the best St. sweeper.

470
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:48,320
Just give the best effort that
you can and it will be

471
00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,920
reflected.
Zola, we want to thank you for

472
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:56,360
creating a book that didn't
exist until you imagined it, for

473
00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:00,080
showing kids the future of
energy belongs to them, and for

474
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,480
reminding all of us that
curiosity paired with courage is

475
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,840
a superpower.
You can find Island Energy Super

476
00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,160
Hero on Amazon, Walmart, Barnes
and Noble, in Jamaican

477
00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,480
bookstores, and at the Kingston
Airport.

478
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:15,880
We'll have the links in the show
notes.

479
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,280
If you enjoyed this episode,
share it with someone who needs

480
00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:22,560
a reminder that they're capable
of more than they think.

481
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:26,800
And I wanted to thank you so
much for listening to Season 2

482
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,680
of Naked Nuclear.
And I just wanted to say this

483
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,280
season was super exciting for me
to create.

484
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,160
Because we looked at.
Where people first got.

485
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:42,320
Curious about nuclear?
Sometimes it was a class, a

486
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:47,520
podcast, a headline, a teacher.
Season 2 has been about the

487
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:51,160
moment someone decides to take
the step forward.

488
00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,040
Not about megawatts or
containment domes, but about

489
00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:58,520
people pathways.
About the very real.

490
00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:02,160
Human journey into one of the
most powerful industries on

491
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,720
earth and.
What we discovered.

492
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,800
Is this there isn't one way into
nuclear?

493
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:12,120
There are dozens.
We highlighted Marcellus Boykin

494
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,960
at the Georgia Institute of
Technology, a football player

495
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:20,440
and math major, turd mechanical
engineer, then nuclear PhD

496
00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,120
student.
He openly talked about his

497
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,120
imposter syndrome walking into
Idaho National Laboratory

498
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:31,120
wondering if he belonged.
But he did the thing anyway,

499
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,520
showed up, asked questions,
built relationships, and that's

500
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,400
how careers in nuclear begin.
We got to chat with Doctor Fiona

501
00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:43,680
Raymond, who gave us a Longview
perspective on leadership,

502
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,120
diversity, responsibility, and
why culture inside of this

503
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,880
industry matters as much as the
technology.

504
00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,840
We stopped by BWXT and chatted
with Bob Duffy, who showed us

505
00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:58,520
the world of advanced
manufacturing and welding.

506
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,480
What it takes?
To build precision instruments

507
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,280
and when there was a shortage of
welders.

508
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,600
Decided that BWXT was.
Going to take the reins and

509
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:13,880
create a program to train more.
And getting into nuclear doesn't

510
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:18,720
necessarily mean a PhD.
When we chatted with Kelly Davis

511
00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,520
at Cape Fear Community College,
we explored something incredibly

512
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:24,840
important.
Two year programs,

513
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,280
certifications and technical
pathways.

514
00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:31,080
There are numerous ways for
students to become operators,

515
00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:34,320
maintenance technicians,
instrumentation specialist.

516
00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,480
These are high skilled, high
impact careers and they are

517
00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:42,400
absolutely essential.
Meeting with Doctor Arturo

518
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:46,360
Dominguez at Princeton Plasma
Physics Lab, we sat down and

519
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:50,360
zoomed in on fusion, plasma
physics, diagnostics, the

520
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,920
frontier of science, different
technology, but same curiosity.

521
00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:59,280
Education is just the starting
point for the number one

522
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,560
University of Nuclear
Engineering, University of

523
00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:05,160
Michigan.
We spoke with Doctor Todd Allen

524
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:08,320
about how universities are
preparing students not just to

525
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,960
understand reactors, but the big
picture for them.

526
00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,600
Not just to focus on math, but
be holistic students

527
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,160
understanding why art is just as
important.

528
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:24,160
We heard from PhD candidates
Ryan Zerpa and Sarah Cole about

529
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,880
how to earn scholarships as well
as follow your curiosities and

530
00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:30,760
passions.
We got to.

531
00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:34,520
Explore maritime Nuclear with
Doctor Rory Megginson and Toby

532
00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:38,200
Menzies at Core Power.
Floating nuclear power plants,

533
00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,600
nuclear powered shipping, new
workforce pipelines.

534
00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:45,040
They're not just building the
technology, they're building the

535
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,120
training programs, academic
partnerships, and industry

536
00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,360
networks.
We learned that just because

537
00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:56,040
you're quote UN quote, not good
at math doesn't mean you can't

538
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,960
be an engineer.
We sat down with Veronica Anila,

539
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:04,400
who started the nuclear advocacy
resource organization Narrow at

540
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,600
Texas A&M University.
Veronica reminds us that

541
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,920
education isn't confined to
classrooms.

542
00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:14,920
It's advocacy communication,
making nuclear understandable to

543
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:18,280
communities who may have never
stepped inside a reactive

544
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,639
building.
And here's what I love most

545
00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,719
about this season.
Every guest said some.

546
00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,440
Version of the same thing.
Reach out, send the e-mail,

547
00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:30,280
apply for the internship, show
up to office hours.

548
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,679
Ask the question.
Connect on LinkedIn The nuclear

549
00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:38,280
industry is relationship driven,
and the barrier to entry is much

550
00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,560
smaller than you think.
If you're listening and

551
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,239
wondering whether you belong in
nuclear, you do.

552
00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,080
If you're thinking about
pivoting, you can and if.

553
00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:48,800
You're already a.
Seasoned veteran?

554
00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:53,760
Bring someone else with you.
Consider being a mentor because

555
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,080
that's how industries grow.
Season 2 has been about entry

556
00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:02,680
points, but now we zoom out
because education is the

557
00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:06,120
foundation.
But the next question is how do

558
00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,920
we even build the thing?
Next season?

559
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:13,200
We're following the entire arc
of construction from idea to

560
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,240
operation.
We're sitting down with Bechtel,

561
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:21,560
GE, Verdova, Rano, Paragon and
more companies across the supply

562
00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,360
chain.
We'll be exploring licensing and

563
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:28,480
site selection, manufacturing
and fuel fabrication, workforce

564
00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:32,960
coordination and operation.
What it really takes to bring

565
00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:35,800
gigawatts online.
So.

566
00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,400
We want to say thank you to
every student who share their

567
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,280
journey, to every professor who
opened their lab, to every

568
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,600
professional who answered
questions generously.

569
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,360
Thank you for making Nuclear
feel a little more human.

570
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,600
And if something sparked your
curiosity this season, act on

571
00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:55,680
it.
Reach out to someone, have the

572
00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,360
conversation.
The industry is growing and the

573
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,280
space is here.
Thank you so much for listening

574
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:06,200
to Season 2 of Naked Nuclear.
It was all about learning, but

575
00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,800
Season 3 is about building, and
we're just getting started.

576
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:12,800
Until next time, stay curious.