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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!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2025
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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.
Educational Session|Panel|Sponsored by Cost Reduction Opportunities
Tuesday, August 10, 2021|10:30AM–5:00PM EDT |Calusa 8-9
Track Organizers:
Ray Herb (Southern Company)
Ken Lowery (Southern Company)
Tim Schlimpert (MCR Group)
Maria Hernandez (Duke Energy)
Knowledge Manager:
Saieed Ahmed (Exelon)
Student Intern:
Edward Chen (NC State Univ.)
The utility industry is undergoing dramatic changes as low fuel costs and new technologies, such as solar and batteries, threaten to disrupt the traditional utility generation model; potentially having dramatic impacts on revenues. For nuclear, subsidized renewables and cheap natural gas are formidable low-cost energy competitors in a reduced electricity demand environment. At the same time, costs are increasing as workforces and assets age, interest rates rise, and customer expectations drive the need to support new channels for information and transactions. Combined, these trends are placing significant pressure on earnings. Macro trends will continue to drive business priorities, but enterprise-wide control of cost allows utilities to determine their own destinies. These Cost Optimization sessions will analyze the past 6 years of cost and staffing trends. We will identify key circumstances representing improvements and hear from utilities which have successfully implemented cost saving initiatives. We will discuss measures utilities have already taken, or plan to implement, with an eye on cost reductions. With the premature shutdown of nuclear power plants a reality, reducing cost while maintaining safety and reliability is of utmost importance.
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