Marjo Mustonen awarded Honorary Doctorate by LUT University

The title of Honorary Doctor is the highest recognition awarded by universities to a private person. It is conferred to a person who has made a significant contribution to science, the university or an issue of high social importance. The ceremony is not arranged every year. In Lappeenranta, the University arranges similar Doctoral Conferment Ceremonies every four years. This ceremony is only the eighth in the history of LUT University.

For Ms. Mustonen, the news about the title came as a complete surprise.

– I really did not see it coming. I was truly surprised when I received the phone call, Mustonen says.

Although the title of Honorary Doctor is conferred to Mustonen personally, she emphasises that she also sees the recognition as an accomplishment shared by everybody in Olkiluoto.

– The way I see it, although this is a personal recognition, electricity production is always the joint effort of a large number of people. I strongly feel that this recognition is shared by the entire Olkiluoto team.

Arguments for honorary doctorate nomination

Juhani Hyvärinen, Professor of Nuclear Power Technology at LUT University, admits he played a role in the nomination of Mustonen and clarifies the process a little.

– The entire faculty of professors at the University are asked for nominations for honorary doctorate when preparations are made for the doctoral ceremony, including names as well as arguments for the nomination. The Board of the University then selects the persons to be awarded the honorary doctorate. As a professor of nuclear power technology, it comes as no surprise that I have always proposed persons from the nuclear community, Hyvärinen explains the background.

According to professor Hyvärinen, there are several arguments supporting the nomination of Marjo Mustonen.

– To be conferred the title of Honorary Doctor demonstrates that the person has accomplished something remarkable in their own field, and this is true for Marjo. She has worked extremely successfully in the field of both nuclear safety and production, Hyvärinen points out.

She considers Mustonen a good role model also for future nuclear power professionals.

– In my opinion, Marjo is an inspirational example for the whole sector. She has boldly built her own career and in a traditionally male industry. Marjo has never sung her own praises but rather conducted herself in a very demure manner; yet, the outcome speaks for itself, Hyvärinen continues.

If it was up to the Professor, nuclear power professionals would be awarded recognitions more often.
– Absolutely, because the role of the nuclear power sector in securing the climate goals and energy supply in Finland is much greater than one would think based on what the media says, he remarks.

From alma mater to long professional career

Lappeenranta and the LUT University there are familiar to Mustonen from many decades ago. She started her studies there in 1987.

– I originally applied to study industrial engineering and management. However, during my first year I felt that it was not really my thing and so I transferred to energy technology. Energy immediately felt right for me. I thought already at that time that energy will always be needed – the field appeared both rational and interesting.

During her studies, Mustonen was interested in both thermal and nuclear technology. In the end, nuclear power became her chosen direction.

– Lappeenranta was already in those days the knowledge hub of nuclear power technology in Finland. I have come across many of my former fellow students later in working life, in different roles in the Finnish nuclear sector. The nuclear power technology education provided by LUT has been very important to the Finnish nuclear sector and Olkiluoto has also over the years benefited from the competence of several young experts via LUT, Mustonen reminds.

As a female student of nuclear power technology in the 1980s, Mustonen was clearly in the minority.

– When I started my studies, there were five women in our year class of 54 students. The world has changed a lot since then.

Marjo Mu­s­to­nen has had a long ca­reer at Olk­ilu­oto. She first came to the is­land as a sum­mer em­ployee bacin 1990.

Career in Olkiluoto started as summer job

Mustonen, who is currently the Senior Vice President, Electricity Production, started her career as a summer job, which is very typical of Olkiluoto careers. The year was 1990.

– I worked as an assistant radiation protection staff member, Mustonen recalls.

Mustonen’s first job in Olkiluoto outside the summer season was in 1993 when Finland was going through what was probably the darkest phase of recession. Just getting a job was a lucky break. Back then, Mustonen certainly could not foresee her career as it is today.

– At the time, the number one goal was just to get a permanent job. I started in fixed-term jobs that kept being extended.

Later, Mustonen worked for a long time as a reactor safety engineer and considers this a significant phase in her own career.

– Working with the safety side of things built a really strong foundation for subsequent management tasks. In the nuclear business, safety is in the core of all work.

Today, Mustonen’s role as Senior Vice President, Electricity Production, means that her area of responsibility covers all three plant units. Each of them had become familiar to her already previously during her career. She was also involved in the preparatory and development stage of the Olkiluoto 3 project since the very beginning.

– The OL3 project combined newbuilding with the safe operation of the existing plant units. It was also an opportunity to take advantage of the knowledge and experience gained over the decades. It has had a powerful influence also on my own leadership philosophy, Mustonen tells.

In addition to her technical education, Mustonen completed the MBA Degree at the University of Tampere while working at the same time.

Long cooperation with LUT University

According to Mustonen, cooperation between LUT University and TVO has been close over the years.

– We have conducted many different studies, research projects and experiments with the University. The significance of LUT University to the development of Finnish knowledge on nuclear power technology has been huge and close cooperation with universities is extremely important to the nuclear sector as a whole.
Mustonen hopes that the Honorary Doctorate will also highlight the sustained work and expertise of the Finnish nuclear sector.

– I hope that this will also showcase the operation of Olkiluoto plant and the work we carry out here to advance safe electricity production. It is great that an external and prestigious entity recognises the significance of this work.

Text: Ville Kulmala
Photos: Teemu Leinonen/LUT University, TVO