Really taking off during the pandemic, ANS’s online event programming remains very strong and continues to be a great resource for the nuclear community. This year alone, ANS has produced 14 different webinars—some of which are only available to members, with most available to the general public.
Every year in July, ANS introduces a new president to its membership. Thirty years ago this month, it was Ed Fuller. Fuller joined ANS in 1966, was named a Fellow, and served in numerous leadership positions in ANS committees, divisions, and on the board of directors prior to becoming president in 1993. Last month Fuller passed away at the age of 82.
Like many researchers, I long ago recognized the significance of debates about open access (OA) publishing. However, I did not become too deeply involved, knowing that I alone could not directly influence any outcomes.
The first was the memo from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)—commonly referred to as the Nelson memo—issued in August last year. In it, grant recipients are guided to provide immediate public access to research papers and data resulting from federally funded research. The second was my election as president of the American Nuclear Society. During my term from June 16, 2022, through June 15, 2023, I faced very concrete decisions that led to the recent launch of ANS's latest publishing venture, Nuclear Science and Technology Open Research (NSTOR).
This year, the American Nuclear Society Scholarship Policy and Coordination Committee, the ANS divisions, and the ANS local sections have awarded 96 scholarships for the 2023–24 academic year totaling $259,600 of support for students pursuing degrees in nuclear science and technology.
Arndt
The American Nuclear Society’s annual meeting opened on Sunday, June 11, in Indianapolis, Ind., and will run through June 14. The meeting’s theme is “Failure Is Not an Option.”
ANS president Steven Arndt, who ends his yearlong term at the meeting’s end, addressed the audience at the opening plenary on Monday, June 12, noting that nuclear science and technology’s road has been long, but it is up to ANS members and other advocates to push forward the nuclear enterprise’s momentum for a sustainable future.
Before announcing ANS chief executive officer and executive director Craig Piercy to the stage, Arndt thanked the volunteer members, meeting sponsors, and ANS staff, among others, for making ANS meetings happen.
The American Nuclear Society 2023 Annual Meeting will kick off on June 11 in Indianapolis, Ind., and will run through June 14. ANS has named the recipients of six awards that will be presented at the meeting. Five new Fellows will also be honored at the opening plenary session. Additionally, the Tuesday's plenary session will include the presentation of five presidential citations and a recognition and show of appreciation for Steven Arndt, ANS's outgoing president.
At the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Nuclear Energy Assembly, held this year in Washington, D.C., the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award was presented on May 17 to Mark Peters, Battelle’s executive vice president for national laboratory management and operations.
The American Nuclear Society's 2023 Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo is accepting applications for knowledge managers to work during the meeting. The UWC, which will have a theme of “Building Resiliency in a Rapidly Changing World,” will be held at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort on Marco Island, Fla., on August 6–9, 2023.
The ANS Operations and Power Division will pay the conference registration fee for up to six knowledge managers, who also will receive three complimentary nights of housing at the Marriott resort.
Further details on the conference are available online.
Arielle Miller
In the world of engineering, obtaining a Professional Engineering (P.E.) license is often seen as a significant milestone. The journey toward earning this esteemed credential can be arduous and time-consuming, involving rigorous exams, licensing applications, and recommendations from licensed professionals. However, many young engineers question the practicality of obtaining a P.E. license, especially when starting their own business. This article explores the importance of having a P.E. license when venturing into entrepreneurship and how it can benefit engineers in their professional journey.
For aspiring entrepreneurs in engineering, acquiring a P.E. license early in their careers can be a strategic move. Working for an established company allows young engineers to take advantage of opportunities like employer-funded preparation courses and financial assistance for licensing and exam fees. By investing time and effort into obtaining a P.E. license during the early-career stage, engineers position themselves for future success in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
The deadline to apply for the Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship has been extended to June 5. The American Nuclear Society invites its members to apply for the fellowship to help the Society fulfill its strategic goal of enhancing nuclear public policy. Applications and all required materials are now due to ANS no later than June 5 by 11:59 p.m. EDT. Don't pass up this important opportunity to work on energy legislation in Congress as a representative of ANS.
Nuclear Energy 101, a course for congressional staffers in D.C., is back. After a hiatus of a few years, the American Nuclear Society hosted the first session of the five-part course on March 1 in the Rayburn House Office Building. This educational series has always been a great—and popular—tool for ANS to network with congressional staff and explain the basics of nuclear science and technology. Now that the country has returned (in many ways) to pre-pandemic ways, ANS thought it was the perfect time to relaunch the Nuclear Energy 101 program.
Hageman
Cole
Sarah Elizabeth Cole of Boise State University and Abbey Hageman of the University of Nevada–Reno were recently selected as the American Nuclear Society participants in the 2023 Washington Internships for Students in Engineering (WISE) program. Cole is majoring in materials science and engineering and expects to graduate in the spring of 2025; Hageman is majoring in materials engineering with minors in mechanical engineering and mathematics and has a graduation date of spring 2024. These two scholars will join students sponsored by other engineering organizations for nine weeks throughout the summer.
Earlier this year, the American Nuclear Society's newly formed Special Committee on Certification started conducting market research with the help of a third party contractor to determine the viability of a nuclear certification program. An initial survey was sent to the membership back in March with the goal of determining what certification programs were already available and what type of certification program ANS could develop to benefit the community.
After being on the market for two years, the American Nuclear Society headquarters in La Grange Park, Ill., has been sold to a local real estate developer. This move was first set in motion in 2021. Following a year of first fully remote, then hybrid remote work as a result of the COVID pandemic, ANS leadership decided the time was right for a change. Even before the pandemic, it was noted that the nearly 30,000-square-foot building, a former elementary school, was much too large for the 35 full-time staff (some of whom are fully remote, living in states from California to Florida).
Student members are the future of the American Nuclear Society, and ANS believes in the importance of supporting students those who have shown academic, service, and leadership excellence as they navigate their early careers. Robert Olsen, now a nuclear security officer with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, was one such beneficiary.
The month of April, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, is a time for transformation and growth as we emerge from the depths of winter—and it is also the time we learn of the newest American Nuclear Society members elected to positions of leadership. Not only did members vote for the next vice president/president-elect but the treasurer position was also up for grabs along with six board of director positions. The election opened on February 21 and closed April 11, with 20 percent of eligible ANS members voting (roughly the average turnout over the last few years).
The 2023 American Nuclear Society election is underway. All ANS members are eligible to vote on the open leadership positions. To help members get to know who is in the running, Nuclear Newswire published an article spotlighting the candidates for the ANS vice president and the treasurer positions: ans.org/news/article-4775. Completed ballots must be submitted by 1:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 11.
Steven Arndt
president@ans.org
As president of ANS, I am frequently asked, if it is the American Nuclear Society, why are you concerned with what is happening outside the United States? I usually start with a simple response: Although ANS is incorporated in the U.S., the Society has local and student sections as well as members in a number of other countries and is involved with key issues throughout the world. Although this is true—we have seven international sections and four international student sections, and about 10 percent of our membership is from other countries—it is only part of the story. From the very beginning, nuclear science and technology has been an international collaboration. The U.S. certainly can claim leadership in a lot of the advances in the research and industrial applications of our technology, but most of our advances have been based on active collaboration both within and across borders.
During my tenure, I have seen this firsthand. As travel has opened up throughout the world in the past year, I have visited the Latin American and French sections of ANS, as well as the University of Puerto Rico student section, and I have attended a number of ANS-sponsored technical meetings throughout the world.
The American Nuclear Society election is now open, and ANS members can vote for the Society’s next vice president/president-elect and the treasurer.
Each member can help select the new leaders who will guide ANS into the future. This election is an opportunity for members to have a voice and shape the direction of the Society. Elected leaders will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of ANS in the following year and working to further its mission of advancing nuclear science and technology. The leaders also will be responsible for representing the interests of ANS and its members and for ensuring that the Society remains at the forefront of nuclear innovation and discovery.
Student members are the future of the American Nuclear Society, and ANS believes in the importance of supporting those who have shown academic, service, and leadership excellence as they navigate their early careers. Robert Olsen, now a nuclear security officer with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, was one such beneficiary.