Published on Show Me Mizzou Sept. 5, 2023
It’s that time of year when rankings become part of college fans’ weekly discussions. Although we all want to see our Tigers climb the rankings this fall, a very different ranking caught my eye recently on social media. I noticed a graphic that included power rankings for university nuclear reactors — and guess who is easily No. 1?
At 10 megawatts, the MU Research Reactor (MURR) is the most powerful in the country and holds another important distinction: It’s currently the only producer in the U.S. of certain medical isotopes used to treat liver, thyroid, pancreatic and prostate cancers. In fact, more than 1.6 million patients a year are diagnosed or treated using radioisotopes that MURR produces. Now that’s worldwide impact straight from the heart of Missouri!
In the spring, Mizzou announced plans to double down on its ranking by building a second research reactor in the next eight to 10 years. In addition to increasing the capacity to create more cancer-fighting isotopes, the reactor, called NextGen MURR, may be an opportunity for the state of Missouri and Mizzou to become the country’s epicenter for nuclear medicine.
No. 1 rankings are cherished and rare. In this case, it’s vastly underpublicized. As you enjoy watching our Tigers play this fall, savor this pride point from your alma mater.
Todd McCubbin, M Ed ’95
Executive Director, Mizzou Alumni Association
Email: mccubbint@missouri.edu
Twitter: @MizzouTodd
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