Introducing ANS Young Members Group Chair Gale Hauck
Gale Hauck, engineering project manager at Westinghouse Electric Company, is the new chair of the American Nuclear Society's Young Members Group (YMG). YMG Secretary Elia Merzari caught up with her and asked her to introduce herself, as well as her plans for the YMG.
Elia: Hi Gale. We are excited to have this opportunity to know you better. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you get involved with ANS and YMG?
Gale: I got involved with the American Nuclear Society during my undergrad work at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute because I heard they had free pizza at their meetings! But I kept going because I discovered that I really enjoyed working with others that were as interested and passionate about nuclear science and technology as I was. Once I started attending national meetings regularly, it snowballed from there.
Elia: What are your priorities as YMG chair?
Gale: I want to continue the great focus YMG has had on integrating new members into ANS, and making the transition from student to professional member as straightforward as possible. We are currently updating the strategic plan, and I will be focusing on what we can do to best serve our membership.
Elia: You have become YMG chair while ANS is undergoing some dramatic changes. What are your thoughts on how young members should approach their membership at ANS ?
Gale: These are exciting times! My best advice for young members is: Remember that your opinion is important to ANS. Don't be afraid to speak up and let others know what you think. ANS isn't a "good ol' boys" club-that sort of model is not sustainable. ANS realizes that meeting the needs of young members is extremely important for future growth of the organization-let people know what your needs are.
Elia: Do you have any message for our Young Member readers?
Gale: It is such a blessing to be a young member in ANS at this time; we have so many experienced members that would be thrilled to share their knowledge with you. Don't squander your opportunity to learn from these folks. Take the first step-reach out, ask questions, and discover something new. You'll be happy you did.
Hauck
Gale Hauck is chair of the ANS Young Members Group. She is an engineering project manager at Westinghouse Electric Company. She is chair of the Pittsburgh Local Section of ANS and has been an ANS member since 2004.
Merzari
Elia Merzari is the secretary of the Young Members Group. He works as a nuclear engineer at Argonne National Laboratory, where his research interests include nuclear thermal-hydraulics, modeling and simulation of nuclear reactors, and accelerator driven systems.
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