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Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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
Mar 2025
Jan 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2025
Nuclear Technology
April 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
El Salvador: Looking to nuclear
In 2022, El Salvador’s leadership decided to expand its modest, mostly hydro- and geothermal-based electricity system, which is supported by expensive imported natural gas and diesel generation. They chose to use advanced nuclear reactors, preferably fueled by thorium-based fuels, to power their civilian efforts. The choice of thorium was made to inform the world that the reactor program was for civilian purposes only, and so they chose a fuel that was plentiful, easy to source and work with, and not a proliferation risk.
2021 ANS Annual Meeting Plenary Session Speaker
Chris Levesque, president and chief executive officer of TerraPower, has overall responsibility for operations and corporate administration. Levesque brings executive leadership to further TerraPower’s growth and pursue the development of its flagship technology, the traveling wave reactor. His proven track record in scoping, planning and implementing projects to meet the highest standards began with his service in the U.S. Nuclear Navy and features more than 25 years of experience in the nuclear power business, most recently leading major nuclear engineering, procurement and construction projects.
Prior to joining TerraPower, Levesque was a vice president at Westinghouse Electric Company and overall consortium project director for the Virgil C. Summer nuclear project, one of the first new reactor construction efforts in the U.S. in several decades. Previously, Levesque was the AREVA deputy project director at Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear project, the largest-ever industrial project in northern Europe. Before his assignment in Finland, he led the formation of AREVA’s joint venture with Newport News Shipbuilding, AREVA Newport News, for which he served as Chairman of the Board and president.
Levesque has extensive experience with the nuclear industrial base and nuclear component manufacturing. Earlier in his career, Levesque served as the manager of engineering and manufacturing at Westinghouse’s Newington, N.H., component manufacturing facility, and he has served in multiple management positions at two nuclear-capable shipyards. Levesque began his career as a nuclear submarine officer and qualified as chief engineer on the USS Boise (SSN 764).
Levesque holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and naval engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last modified February 8, 2021, 9:15am EST
