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Division Spotlight
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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!
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Feb 2025
Jul 2024
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
February 2025
Latest News
Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Wednesday, October 9, 2024|5:00–10:30PM MDT
Keynote Presentation
Keynote Speaker:
Billy Mills (Born June 30, 1938) is a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribal Nation and is also known by his Lakota name is: TAMAKOCE TE’HILA, translating to “Loves His Country” or more traditionally “Respects the Earth”.
He is an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 10,000 meter run a the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. His Olympic victory is considered on of the greatest sports moments of all time. He remains the only athlete from the western hemisphere to ever win the Olympic 10,000 meter race.
Billy was orphaned at an early age, his mother joining their ancestors when Billy was 8 years of age and his father when Billy was 12 years of age.
Before his father passed he told Billy, “ You have broken wings son and it takes a dream to heal. Find your dream and it will take you down a path introducing you to your passions in life. Find your passion, develop your skills to equal your passion and magic can happen! One or more of the magical things you do in life just may be looked upon as a miracle son.”
Due to his fathers teachings, Billy’s life is based upon dreams and the resilience of his ancestors. His great grandmother, BB Mills, an Englishman, was requested by Chief Red Cloud to become the 1st Indian agent at the Red Cloud agency, which is today the Oglala Lakota Tribal Nations headquarters. The US Government refused this request, saying that BB Mills spoke fluent Lakota, is married to a Lakota woman and had 5 Lakota children, hence it would be hard to strip the children of everything Lakota to save the child. Shortly afterwards BB Mills died.
When Crazy Horse surrendered in 1875, riding into Fort Robinson with him were his warriors, the elderly men, women and children followed by their supply train. Walking with them was Sally Bush Mills, Billy’s great grand mother and her 5 children. One of those children was Ben Mills, Billy’s grand father.
Their resilience and their foot prints are present in Billy’s journey today as National Spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth, which Billy co-founded in 1986.
