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Division Spotlight
Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
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
Feb 2025
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
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.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIR
Jonathan is a 4th year Ph.D. Candidate in Nuclear Engineering and Rickover Fellow performing research under Dr. Arthur Motta. He graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering with a minor in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State University in 2019. He has interned with the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Westinghouse Electric Corporation (WEC). Jonathan has been involved in ANS since starting at PSU in January 2016, holding the positions of Conference Chair, Treasurer, and Historian/Governor of the PSU ANS Student Chapter. In addition, he served as the Student Program Co-Chair for the 2022 ANS Annual Meeting and co-led the successful ANS Student Conference Bid. Jonathan is interested in materials science, additive manufacturing, and nuclear security. Outside the classroom, he is an avid gardener, serving as the President of the PSU Community Garden, and loves supporting Penn State Soccer and Lacrosse!
GENERAL CHAIR
Sean is a 1st year M.S. student in Nuclear Engineering performing research under Dr. Elia Merzari. He received his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering from Penn State in 2023. This past summer, he interned with Constellation in the Nuclear Fuels department. Sean has been an active member of the ANS-PSU chapter, holding the positions of Technical Director, President, and Historian/Govenour. In addition to the ANS-PSU chapter, Sean has been an active member and has held leadership positions in the Alpha Nu Sigma, WIN, and INMM PSU chapters, along with national memberships of WIN and INMM. Sean’s research focuses on computational thermal hydraulics.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Carolina is a Ph.D. Candidate in Nuclear Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Under the supervision of Dr. Elia Merzari, her research focuses on modeling nuclear reactors using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Carolina graduated in 2020 with a B.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Carolina has completed internships at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL). She plans to return to INL as an intern again this summer. Since 2018, she has been an active member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), previously serving as the co-president and academic director of the ANS Student Section at her university in Brazil. At Penn State, Carolina holds leadership positions as the President of WIN and the events planner for Alpha Nu Sigma. Outside of academics, she enjoys traveling, hiking outdoors, and going to the beach.
LOGISTICS DIRECTOR
Alex Nellis is a 1st year PhD student in Nuclear Engineering. He received his B.S. in Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering from Penn State in 2023. Additionally, Alex is an NRC-licensed Reactor Operator at the PSU RSEC and has worked there since the start of 2022. An active member of ANS-PSU, he has been a member since his first year in 2019. Along with ANS-PSU, Alex is a member of the PSU WIN chapter and Vice President of the Alpha Nu Sigma chapter at Penn State.
DEI DIRECTOR
Brandon is a 3rd year Majoring in Nuclear Engineering. He has been involved in ANS as an outreach director and is the current ANS Penn State Student Section president. Brandon is also an active member of WIN and INMM. Brandon is an undergraduate researcher under Dr. Nieto Perez, experimenting with using liquid metals for fusion applications. This summer, he will intern with Constellation.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Joseph is a 4th year Majoring in Nuclear Engineering. He is an active member of ANS and INMM. Joseph is an undergraduate researcher under Dr. Scurti, experimenting with the use of fiber optics under radiation environments. This past summer, he interned at Idaho National Laboratory, working on thermal-hydraulic simulations using Pronghorn.
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Casimir is a 2nd year student studying Nuclear Engineering. He has been involved in ANS as the vice president of the Penn State Student Section and is currently an active member of ANS. Casimir will intern with Constellation in fuel reliability and vendor oversight this summer.
ANS24STUCON@PSU.EDU
Last modified February 27, 2024, 4:00pm EST
