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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Jul 2024
Jan 2024
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
ARPA-E announces $40 million to develop transmutation technologies for UNF
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced $40 million in funding to develop cutting-edge technologies to enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel into less-radioactive substances. According to ARPA-E, the new initiative addresses one of the agency’s core goals as outlined by Congress: to provide transformative solutions to improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Dr. E. Gail de Planque made many contributions to the nuclear industry and was a pioneer for women in the nuclear professional. She joined ANS in 1971 and was the first female ANS President. As an internationally renowned expert in environmental radiation, she was also the first woman to serve as a commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dr. de Planque was born on January 15, 1945. In 1967, she joined the Department of Energy’s Environmental Measurements Laboratory as a physicist in the radiation Physics Division. She served as deputy director of the laboratory from 1982 to 1987 and then as director until 1991, when President George H.W. Bush appointed her as NRC Commissioner, a position she held until 1995.
Positions that she held later in her career included director at the Energy Strategists Consultancy and president of the consulting firm Strategy Matters from 2000 to 2010. She also served as a director on the boards of several corporations including Northeast Utilities, Energy Solutions, and British Nuclear Fuels. Dr. de Planque was also an advisor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In addition she was a past president of the Pacific Nuclear Council and the International Nuclear Societies Council, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
Dr. de Planque earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Immaculata College in 1967, a master’s degree in physics from Newark College of Engineering in 1973, and a doctorate in environmental health sciences from New York University in 1983.
She was honored with several awards for her varied contributions, including writing more than 70 scientific publications, giving numerous international lectures on science and policy issues, and her leadership in the development of international standards related to thermoluminescent dosimeter. Some of the awards include the 2003 Henry E. DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award, presented by ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) in recognitions for her distinguished service in multiple sectors of the nuclear enterprise. She was also an ANS Fellow.
Dr. Gail de Planque passed away on September 8, 2010.
Read Nuclear News from July 2001 for more on Gail.
Last modified November 24, 2020, 11:21am CST