ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jan 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
A series of firsts delivers new Plant Vogtle units
Southern Nuclear was first when no one wanted to be.
The nuclear subsidiary of the century-old utility Southern Company, based in Atlanta, Ga., joined a pack of nuclear companies in the early 2000s—during what was then dubbed a “nuclear renaissance”—bullish on plans for new large nuclear facilities and adding thousands of new carbon-free megawatts to the grid.
In 2008, Southern Nuclear applied for a combined construction and operating license (COL), positioning the company to receive the first such license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2012. Also in 2008, Southern became the first U.S. company to sign an engineering, procurement, and construction contract for a Generation III+ reactor. Southern chose Westinghouse’s AP1000 pressurized water reactor, which was certified by the NRC in December 2011.
Fast forward a dozen years—which saw dozens of setbacks and hundreds of successes—and Southern Nuclear and its stakeholders celebrated the completion of Vogtle Units 3 and 4: the first new commercial nuclear power construction project completed in the U.S. in more than 30 years.
Dr. Michaele (Mikey) Brady Raap has been an active member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) since 1985. In that time, she has held many ANS leadership positions, including the chairmanship of the Reactor Physics and the Nuclear Criticality Safety Divisions, and serving on the Special Committee on Government Relations, and the Operations and Power Division.
She has more than 25 years of experience in nuclear and criticality safety for plutonium processing and spent fuel systems, including the design and review of benchmark experiments, safety assessments at operating facilities, and integrating safety-in-design.
Dr. Brady Raap has had extensive involvement with international and U.S. nuclear organizations. She is the Chair of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency, and the Expert Group on Burnup Credit Criticality, an active member of multiple industry standards development groups for the American National Standards Institute/American Nuclear Society, and the International Standards Organization. Currently, she serves as chairman of the OECD/NEA Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety and is a member of the Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Support Group
Prior to joining Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 1999, she was with Duke Engineering Services Incorporated, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. She performed her dissertation research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and received her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Dr. Brady Raap received a Special Recognition Award in 2011 involving Fukushima Media for her service during the accident.
Read Nuclear News from July 2014 for more on Dr. Brady Raap.
Last modified November 7, 2018, 2:05pm CST
