ANS News


ANS members approve amendment adding YMG rep to board of directors

September 18, 2020, 3:00PMANS News

The American Nuclear Society will include a representative from the Young Members Group on its Board of Directors after ANS members voted this week overwhelmingly in favor of amending Article B6 of the ANS bylaws. The change was mandated by Objective Outcome 5 of the ANS Change Plan 2020.

To keep the number of directors at 16, the approved amendment decreased the number of non–U.S. resident directors from three to two.

Black racial justice webinar kicks off DIA series

September 16, 2020, 7:02AMANS News

The Diversity and Inclusion in the American Nuclear Society (DIA) Committee opened its new series of webinars on September 2 with a panel discussion, “Black Racial Justice in the Nuclear Community.”

During the webinar, which was viewed by more than 200 people, five panelists discussed racial justice issues and their own experiences throughout their lives. Included on the panel were Warren “Pete” Miller, former Department of Energy assistant secretary for nuclear energy; Michelle Scott, DOE senior advisor; Charlyne Smith, PhD candidate at the University of Florida; Ira Strong, legacy engineer at the Palo Verde plant in Arizona and a student at the University of New Mexico; and Sola Talabi, senior consultant at Pittsburgh Technical.

ANS’s Bilbao y León picked to lead World Nuclear Association

September 15, 2020, 3:45PMANS News

Bilbao y León

ANS member Sama Bilbao y León, currently head of the Division of Nuclear Technology Development and Economics at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, will succeed Agneta Rising as the World Nuclear Association’s director general, the WNA announced this morning.

Rising, who took the reins of the WNA in January 2013, is the former vice president, environment, at Vattenfall AB; cofounder and former president of Women in Nuclear; and former president of both the European Nuclear Society and Swedish Nuclear Society. The WNA said that she is stepping down at the end of October “to move to new endeavors.” Rising will continue as director general until the end of October, with Bilbao y León serving as “director general in waiting” beginning October 5.

ANS distinguished service award renamed to honor Levenson

September 15, 2020, 9:30AMANS News

Levenson

Thanks to a generous donation from Margaret S. Y. Chu, a member of the American Nuclear Society since 2000, the ANS Distinguished Service Award will now honor Milton Levenson, ANS past president (1983–1984) and Fellow who died in 2018. Chu’s career path intersected with Levenson many times over a 13-year span through their work as consultants. Following his death, Chu wanted a way to honor the man she described as “an extraordinary scientist who dedicated over 70 years of his life to nuclear energy.”

ANS designates TFTR and FCF for landmark status

September 14, 2020, 12:09PMANS News

A look inside the TFTR plasma vessel. Photo: DOE

The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) at Princeton University and the Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF) (now known as the Fuel Conditioning Facility) at Idaho National Laboratory have been designated as ANS Nuclear Historic Landmarks. The official awarding of the honors will occur during the 2020 ANS Virtual Winter Meeting, which begins November 16.

The TFTR received the award for demonstrating significant fusion energy production and tritium technologies for future nuclear fusion power plants and for the first detailed exploration of magnetically confined deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion plasmas.

INL’s FCF and its Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) were honored for demonstrating on-site recycling of used nuclear fuel back into a nuclear reactor.

ANS members to vote on bylaws amendment

September 10, 2020, 12:42PMANS News

As mandated by the ANS Change Plan 2020, ANS has submitted proposed changes to Article B6 of the ANS bylaws to the membership for a vote. The proposed changes were approved unanimously by the Board of Directors and, if approved by the membership, will fulfill Objective Outcome 5 of the change plan.

Safety: It comes down to perception

September 10, 2020, 9:30AMANS NewsMary Lou Dunzik-Gougar

Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar

Last month I asked if you’ve ever wondered why nuclear isn’t commonly considered the choice for clean power production. I also provided what I hope will be useful information as you make the case for nuclear in discussions about clean energy. In addition to being the cleanest form of energy today, nuclear is also safe, reliable, and scalable. This month, let’s talk safety.

Like the term “clean,” “safety” can mean something different to everyone. As measured by the number of deaths per unit of electricity produced, nuclear is on the same order of magnitude as “renewables” and other low-carbon sources of energy.

Low-dose radiation has found its analogue

September 9, 2020, 7:58AMANS NewsCraig Piercy

Craig Piercy

Originally published in the September 2020 issue of Nuclear News.

This issue of Nuclear News is dedicated to highlighting advancements in health physics and radiation protection as well as the contributions of the men and women who serve in these fields. It comes at a time when COVID-19 is providing the entire world with an immersive primer on the science of epidemiology and the importance of risk-informed, performance-based behavior to contain an invisible—yet deadly—antagonist.

Key federal nuclear policy post opens to applicants

September 1, 2020, 11:59AMANS News

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within the Executive Office of the President is charged with reviewing and approving the annual budget requests of federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Energy. “In many ways, the OMB is the final authority on government spending,” explained ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy.

A window has just opened for applicants to serve as a nuclear program examiner for the OMB, with responsibility for analyzing nuclear policy issues and developing recommendations.

Sign up for the first ANS Virtual Career Fair

August 31, 2020, 12:03PMANS News

Registration is open for the American Nuclear Society’s first Virtual Career Fair, to be held September 22-23. The online event will provide early career professionals and students in the nuclear science, engineering, and technology fields an opportunity to meet with representatives from utilities, vendors, suppliers, national laboratories, government agencies, consulting firms, and universities. Attendees will learn about co-ops, internships, and full-time employment opportunities in a one-stop shop, online setting.

For more information, visit here or contact Catherine Prat, chair of the ANS Young Members Group.

ANS webinar: Diversity, equity, and inclusion roundtable series

August 27, 2020, 1:19PMANS News

The American Nuclear Society is offering a members-only webinar on Wednesday, September 2, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) on the topic of “Black Racial Justice in the Nuclear Community.”

A panel of ANS members will discuss racial justice and share experiences through their personal and professional roles.

The webinar will be the first of a series of actions organized by the Diversity and Inclusion in ANS Committee (DIA).

Registration is required for the webinar.

ANS convenes new task force on federal nuclear R&D funding

August 19, 2020, 12:23PMANS News

The American Nuclear Society has formed a Task Force on Public Investment in Nuclear Research and Development to assess the R&D needs of the U.S. nuclear technology enterprise and the federal investment required to meet those needs. The task force will identify the overarching objectives of U.S. nuclear R&D and identify specific metrics that can be used to evaluate progress toward those objectives.

The U.S. nuclear supply chain: Time to start the climb

August 12, 2020, 4:30PMANS NewsCraig Piercy

Craig Piercy

Originally published in the August 2020 issue of Nuclear News.

Dear reader:

Let’s face it. The U.S. nuclear manufacturing and supply chain is not what it once was. In the 1960s and ’70s, America was the dominant player in the global nuclear industry. Under the auspices of Atoms for Peace, U.S. companies successfully provided reactor systems and associated services to countries across the world and held significant sway over the course of future nuclear development in the international arena. America was at the top of its nuclear game.

What does “clean” mean to you?

August 12, 2020, 11:46AMANS NewsMary Lou Dunzik-Gougar

Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar

Originally published in the August 2020 issue of Nuclear News.

Have you wondered why, in this age of climate alarmism, nuclear isn’t considered the choice for clean power production? You seldom hear nuclear mentioned in the same context as wind, solar, and hydropower. Yet nuclear is the cleanest and safest form of energy today that is both reliable and scalable.


UWC Virtual Summit takes place today - Register now!

August 10, 2020, 3:02PMUpdated August 6, 2020, 12:03PMANS News

The 2020 Utility Working Conference Virtual Summit promises to be a valuable experience for all attendees—and may exceed previous in-person UWC meetings in some ways.

“This program overall is the most aggressive and complex that we have ever put together,” said Vince Gilbert, this year’s technical program chair, who has been actively involved with the UWC since 1998.

The normally three-day event is being shortened to a one-day online meeting—August 11—due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Don't miss out on this unique event. Register now for the virtual summit.

Can't participate live? No problem, you can access all of the sessions afterward on demand at your convenience.

Web workshop: Separating nuclear reactors from the power block with heat storage

July 27, 2020, 3:06PMANS News

A three-part free webinar workshop, Separating Nuclear Reactors from the Power Block with Heat Storage: A New Power Plant Design Paradigm, will run for three upcoming Wednesdays, starting this week on July 29. The workshop is being hosted jointly by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).