Nuclear News announces the 40 Under 40
As the American Nuclear Society’s 2024 Winter Meeting and Expo kicks off in Orlando, Fla., the nuclear industry’s eyes are turned toward the future—advanced technologies, updated regulations, a new administration, and importantly, the future of the workforce.
70 years young: ANS Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer Craig Piercy remarked to conference goers earlier today during the opening plenary that 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of ANS, but he was quick to point out, “If you think ANS is old, you need to think again. . . . For the first time in modern history, this year we have more members under the age of 40 than we do over 60.”
Of the younger demographic in the industry in the U.S., they have only seen two new reactors commissioned and built during their lifetimes. “But unlike the ‘keep your head low and electrons flowing’ ethos of their forebears,” he said, “this new generation is perfectly comfortable telling the world why nuclear is a wonderful and ultimately necessary technology.”
To recognize that up-and-coming generation, Nuclear News launched this year its 40 Under 40 as a celebration of the talented young professionals who are making great strides in every sector of the industry.
Making the list: In a field so full of qualified candidates backed by enthusiastic nominators, narrowing it down to just 40 names was a difficult undertaking for the NN staff.
The impact of this year’s 40 individuals can be seen in fields as varied as advanced reactor technology research and deployment, radioisotope systems, nuclear policy, waste management, machine learning and artificial intelligence, fusion technology, fuel supply chain development, advanced fuel research, nonproliferation and national security applications, aging management, and many more.
But it’s about more than measurable professional achievement. The 40 Under 40 should also be lauded for the meaningful ways in which they continue to engage the public, influencing policy and shaping nuclear’s future through mentorship, collaboration, and spreading the positive message of nuclear (while combating ever-present misinformation). The honorees’ leadership is an inspiration to colleagues and strengthens the foundations of the nuclear field.
Thank you to all who participated in this year’s inaugural list. Nuclear News is proud to celebrate these young professionals.
The 2024 40 Under 40:
- Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, 33—Idaho National Laboratory
- Assel Aitkaliyeva, 39—University of Florida
- JungHyun Bae, 34—Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Nicholas Brown, 38–University of Tennessee—Knoxville
- Emily Caffrey, 36—University of Alabama—Birmingham
- Danielle Castley, 35—Becq; Container Technologies Industries
- Adam Deatherage, 29—AMS Corporation
- Harsh Desai, 37—Zeno Power
- Kevin Field, 39—University of Michigan
- Sarah Finkeldei, 39—University of California—Irvine
- Carlo Fiorina, 39—Texas A&M University
- Shannon Fitzgerald, 38—UniTech
- Bradley Fox, 37—Nuclearn.ai
- Joseph Garguilo, 36—Paragon Energy Solutions
- Dave Grabaskas, 39—Argonne National Laboratory
- Karen Koop Hogue, 39—Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Benjamin Holtzman, 38—Nuclear Energy Institute
- Kathryn Huff, 38—University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Bret Kugelmass, 38—Last Energy
- Florian Laggner, 36—North Carolina State University
- Lauren Lathem, 34—Southern Company
- Erica Libra-Sharkey, 39—Structural Integrity Associates Inc.
- Jessie Lilya, 34—Curtiss-Wright
- Ben Lindley, 35—University of Wisconsin—Madison
- Kevin Lyon, 38—Idaho National Laboratory
- Matthew Marzano, 38—Idaho National Laboratory
- Kallie Metzger, 37—Westinghouse
- Tommy Morgan, 37—United Cleanup Oak Ridge LLC
- Kristi Nichols, 37—Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
- April Novak, 31—University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Erik Nygaard, 37—BWX Technologies
- Brett Rampal, 39—Veriten
- Benjamin Reinke, 36—X-energy
- Paul Romano, 38—Argonne National Laboratory
- Koroush Shirvan, 37—Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Grace Stanke, 22—Constellation
- Sarah Stevenson, 29—U.S. Air Force
- Kurt Terrani, 39—Ultra Safe Nuclear
- Aditi Verma, 34—University of Michigan
- Lizzy Yates, 37—Southern Nuclear
Looking ahead: In an industry with so much energy, ambition, and talent, NN is already looking forward to next year, when we will be celebrating another 40 deserving young professionals. Keep a look out for more information on how to submit nominations for the 2025 list.
