Rice University’s Midshipman 1st Class Matthew Deverell, a mechanical engineering major and Will Rice College senior, has been selected by the U.S. Navy for one of only eight nuclear engineering officer positions available nationwide each year.
Deverell, originally from San Diego, serves as the midshipman executive officer of Rice’s Naval ROTC unit and will graduate this spring before commissioning as an ensign in the Navy. He will then report to Naval Reactors Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he will help oversee the Navy’s entire nuclear propulsion program.
“I’ve been interested in nuclear engineering since elementary school,” Deverell said. “By the time I was applying to colleges, I knew it was a career path I would be happy in. NROTC was a great way to get started in that field and provides incredible opportunities for training and professional development.”
Deverell said his path to becoming a naval reactors engineer — a specialized position within the Navy’s nuclear community — began early in his time at Rice, when he first learned about the role’s focus on the entire life cycle of every naval nuclear reactor.
“As an NR engineer, I’ll get to use my engineering expertise to help develop and maintain the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program,” he said. “The Navy’s nuclear power program has a long and successful history of safe reactor operation, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition of engineering excellence.”
His selection came after an intensive, multistage interview process at Naval Reactors Headquarters, culminating in a final interview with Adm. William Houston, the director of naval reactors.
“It’s a great honor to be selected for such a prestigious program,” Deverell said. “Rice University has been very important in my journey — the courses I’ve taken here have been essential to my success.”
Capt. Mike Kinter, commanding officer of Rice’s Naval ROTC unit, said Deverell’s selection represents both an extraordinary individual achievement and a point of pride for Rice.
“From my interactions with him, I’m very impressed,” Kinter said. “He’s definitely ready to enter the Navy as an officer. He’s wicked smart — an engineering type through and through — and I think his leadership skills will continue to grow with time.”
“It just speaks to the quality of education the students are getting here, especially in engineering,” Kinter added. “The Navy values institutions like Rice because of that strong foundation in math, physics and chemistry. The fact that one of only eight slots in the country went to a Rice student is something the university can absolutely take pride in.”