Ethan Ayotte

As a chemical engineering major with a nuclear engineering concentration, Ethan Ayotte wants more than a career in nuclear energy and security. He wants to lead.

“I've always seen myself going further than being the engineer doing calculations at a desk. I’ve always wanted to be in leadership roles,” he says.

Ayotte is no stranger to nuclear energy. He grew up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about 20 minutes from the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. His father worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, overseeing major overhauls of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines.

As a student in the Francis College of Engineering, Ayotte has been able to combine technical training with leadership development and real-world experience.

Ayotte serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the Integrated Nuclear Safeguards and Securities Laboratory under Professor Sukesh Aghara, associate dean of graduate studies and research. In his work there, Ayotte uses computer modeling to analyze International Atomic Energy Agency inspection planning. The work is conducted in partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency, giving Ayotte exposure to global nuclear security efforts.  

As president of UMass Lowell’s student section of the American Nuclear Society, Ayotte helps to connect his peers with industry leaders and gives tours of UMass Lowell’s nuclear reactor. He is also a member of the Chemical Engineering Student Advisory Council, where he works with faculty and department leaders to provide student perspectives and improve the program. 

In the summer before his senior year, Ayotte completed an internship with the U.S. Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. He was assigned a project analyzing a major plutonium processing anomaly and went on to identify the root cause as well as additional issues from previous years. At the conclusion of the internship, he presented his findings to more than 100 engineers and later saw his work included in a report sent to Washington.

“If there's one thing that I find difficult, it's presenting a subject to people who are way more knowledgeable about it than me,” he says. “But I absolutely nailed it. It was one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.”

Ayotte credits his preparation to his membership in the Shah Academy of Innovation and Leadership, which provides UMass Lowell engineering students with professional mentorship and skill-building resources to help accelerate their growth as future industry leaders. Ayotte has been mentored by nuclear engineering alum Joe Donahue ’77, retired vice president of Duke Energy Corp.

“Joe has helped me understand just how important leadership is from his own experiences throughout his career. Without proper leadership, we've seen accidents with devastating effects such as Chernobyl and Fukushima,” Ayotte says. “Leadership in nuclear engineering isn’t optional. It’s essential.”