AshleyFurmanUNT

I am Ashley Furman and I’m remotely attending the University of North Texas!

I am currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Technical Writing through their Technical Communication program. I graduated in 2019 with my B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University (Go Pack), and I’ve been working in the nuclear waste and environmental remediation industry for the past 5 years.

[Image of me and colleagues standing above the Magnox spent fuel pool at the Sellafield Ltd site in the U.K. (2023).]

I’m pursuing Technical Writing to improve my skills and make me a more valuable asset to my current and future employers. Technical writing is pervasive in the nuclear industry, as expected, and it is a critical skill to have. I have learned so much through my various job roles about how differently people can read, interpret, and implement a set of regulations, guidelines, or instructions, especially in my role as a nuclear quality (NQA-1) auditor, and I find it fascinating. I find myself always trying to problem solve how to make a process more understandable or efficient.

[Image of me and colleagues standing by Interim Storage Containers for nuclear waste at the Sellafield Ltd site in the U.K. (2023).]

As I move into the future, I’m hoping to continue to learn and grow both professionally and personally in my career. I love to find problems and fix them, much to my friends’ dismay when they are venting to me, and I want to keep being challenged throughout my career. I have been in the position of not being challenged enough…and it was terrible. Wherever my career takes me from here, I simply want to enjoy the work that I’m given and feel like I’m using my brain to improve something.

My goal of this project with iFixit is to make me more familiar with writing instructions and procedures. Professionally, it will help develop my technical writing skillset, and personally, it will teach me how to fix something new!

• Project Management
• Nuclear Quality Auditing and Assessing (NQA-1)
• Microsoft Suite
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Team collaboration
• International practices with nuclear waste

I’ve had a lot of projects and accomplishments that I take pride in, but I’ll name two –  one personal and one professional.

I’m currently working on a set of handmade recipe books based on my Dungeons & Dragons group’s characters. This is my first foray into printmaking, and I’ve carved in rubber each of our D&D characters to include in the books. I’m proud of the progress so far!

Another accomplishment that I am proud of is a panel that I organize and run each year at the Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix, AZ. It’s a panel that showcases various international collaboration activities and lessons learned, primarily involving the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Being able to work on it every year brings me joy.

I have fixed the occasional household appliance when needed, but I tend to fix problems that arise in a work setting, rather than those that arise with electronics. Despite being an engineer, I’ve never been one to explore fixing as a hobby, but I’ve always been curious about it and enjoy watching others show their expertise. I would like to learn how to fix general household electronics or mechanical items, since those are what tend to need attention more often in my life.

• My company's Distinguished Service Award, 2022
• My company's Good Catch Award, 2020
• Undergraduate Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship, WM Symposia, 2019
• Best in Category: Reactor Physics, ANS Student Conference, 2019

[Image of me and one of my team members with our award for Best in Category: Reactor Physics at the ANS Student Conference (2019).]

• American Nuclear Society
• Women in Nuclear
• North American Young Generation in Nuclear

• Dungeons & Dragons
• Videogames
• Hiking and camping
• Kickboxing
• Reading/Listening to audiobooks
• Cooking
• Making art

[Image of me and my husband on a hike in Olympic National Park, WA (2024).]

• I have a nearly 2-year-old cat named Juniper. She is a tortoiseshell, and she is a menace to society.
• My favorite breakfast for a while now is Gyeran Bap, a Korean dish.
• Horror and Sci-Fi are my favorite genres.
• My most-seen music artist is Young the Giant.
• I love entomology and collect bug specimens.

[Image of the beast herself, Juniper P. Berry (2024).]