Nuclear News 40 Under 40 discuss the future of nuclear

Transformation: According to the American Nuclear Society’s Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy, who hosted the “Perspectives from Nuclear’s Rising Stars” roundtable, nuclear energy at large and ANS in particular “are in the midst of the most significant demographic transformation” that the field has ever seen. For the first time, he said, the ANSy has more members under 40 years of age than over 65.

This demographic shift was the impetus for the creation of the 40 Under 40 list, which shines a light on young ANS members who have been professionally successful while also acting as leaders who work to shape the future of nuclear energy by influencing policy, engaging with the public, and pushing the field forward.

Looking ahead: When asked what one fact they wished every American knew about nuclear, the panelists gave a wide variety of perspectives reflective of their experiences in research, engineering, health, and policy.

Lauren Lathem, advanced nuclear program manager for Southern Company, spoke to the public’s misperception that nuclear is a far-off answer to immediate problems. “Nuclear is a now solution; it’s not a future solution. We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas pedal to make sure that these technologies and deployments come to fruition in a timeframe that matters,” she said.

Of the public’s narrow perception of the nuclear field, Erik Nygaard, director of product development at BWXT Advanced Technologies, spoke to the oft-overlooked diversity of applications for nuclear science. As he put it, “People associate nuclear power as what we do, but it’s more than that. It’s nuclear medicine, it’s food sterilization, it’s the X-ray scanner at the airport. Nuclear is what powers modern society and makes it great.”

Shifting tides: The work of changing public perception is already well underway, according to other panelists. Grace Stanke, a nuclear fuels engineer and clean energy advocate for Constellation, discussed the important strides that have taken place in recent years in gaining social licensing and establishing positive public perception for nuclear energy. “I used to go to schools and ask kids, ‘What do you think when I say nuclear?’ and 80 percent of the kids would say ‘bombs.’ Whereas now, 80–90 percent are talking about energy and electricity. These challenges are not impossible to overcome.”

The event also included the perspectives of Abdalla Abou-Jaoude of Idaho National Laboratory, Emily Caffrey of the University of Alabama–Birmingham, Kallie Metzger of Westinghouse, and Benjamin Reinke of X-energy.