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
Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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!
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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.
020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting Plenary Special Session Speaker
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Paul Locke, an environmental health scientist and attorney, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. He holds an MPH from Yale University School of Medicine, a DrPH from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and a JD degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Dr. Locke is an international expert on radiation risk communication, policy and science. His research and practice examine what happens when science and law are brought together for decision-making. His research portfolio extends from studies of indoor radon and radon-resistant new construction to personalized risk assessments for space radiation exposure to best practices for radiation risk communication. He has published widely in law reviews and scientific journals. Dr. Locke co-directs the School’s Doctor of Public Health program concentration in Environmental Health Sciences.
Dr. Locke was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board from 2003 to 2009, and has served on nine National Academy committees including the Committee on Uranium Mining in Virginia (which he chaired) and the Committee on Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving the Safety of U.S. Nuclear Plants. He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) from 2008 to 2013 and was the founding chair of NCRP’s program area committee (PAC) on radiation education, risk communication and outreach. He was planning chair of the NCRP’s 2010 annual meeting, entitled “Communication of Radiation Benefits and Risks in Decision Making.” He is admitted to practice law in the state of New York and the District of Columbia, the Southern District Court of New York and is a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court.
Last modified October 15, 2020, 4:08pm EDT
