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Division Spotlight
Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
November 17–21, 2024
Orlando, FL|Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2024
Latest News
Nuclear new build procurement considerations
It may seem counterintuitive, but the best time to enhance the ability to support operations and maintenance for a new plant is before construction starts. This is one of many lessons learned by the currently operating nuclear fleet. As construction and startup of many nuclear facilities was completed, it quickly became evident that the ability to efficiently support operations and maintenance was limited. Most of the information necessary to establish and manage procurement of spare and replacement items, maintenance, and configuration of the facilities was unavailable and had to be gathered on a case-by-case, “on-demand” basis. Absence of necessary information and the associated challenges resulted in the need for staff augmentation and multiyear-long projects to develop equipment bills of material and maintenance programs and to perform technical evaluations for the huge quantities of spare and replacement items being requested.
June 29, 2023|12:00–1:00PM (1:00–2:00PM EDT)
Available to All Users
The ANS Diversity and Inclusion in ANS Committee hosted this discussion on how national, state, and local policies impact the nuclear workforces.
Policy and the advancement of nuclear technology have always gone hand-in-hand. Whether it be regulatory concerns for novel reactor designs or waste form and repository policy, the evolution of national and even state policy impacts our field. Recent surveying of ANS membership indicates that much of our community feels that in addition to technology policy, state and local laws motivated from a social angle also present challenges to our workforce and educational pipeline. Local circumstances around healthcare, accessibility, and job security, for example, impact where people feel safe or comfortable living, and by extension, where they feel safe working. The emphasis of this roundtable discussion is not on the policies themselves, but on their impact on the people that make up the nuclear community and the challenges members face when making decisions about where to work or even remaining within the field.
Panelists will discuss the challenges that members of the nuclear community face when making decisions about staying in or leaving the industry. Attendees will also hear strategies for individuals and institutions to navigate policies that have a negative impact on their livelihood, workplace performance, or institutional growth.
Panelists
Emory ColvinOregon State University Student
Julie Ezold
Charlyne SmithBreakthrough Institute
Rebecca YoungIdaho National Laboratory
Moderator
Sarah DavisNorth American Young Generation in Nuclear
Panelist Bios
Emory Colvin
Emory Colvin (they/he) is a transgender, disabled PhD candidate at Oregon State University. A first-generation college graduate, they received their BS in nuclear and radiological engineering from Georgia Tech in 2007 and their MS in nuclear engineering in 2009. Their academic research has largely focused on space applications of nuclear technology; over four summers as a Center for Space Nuclear fellow, this focused on both nuclear thermal propulsion and the production of Pu-238 for radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Their current research continues research reactor modeling and radionuclide production analysis. During their MS and between degrees, they worked in health physics, in a US Naval shipyard, and as a math and physics instructor for a technical college sonography program. This last position led to a love of teaching and prompted their return to school for a PhD. In their spare time, they serve as a regional treasurer for the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and work as a livestreaming deputy to expand access to SCA events to those who are unable to attend in person. They sneak in games of Dungeons and Dragons when they have time and attempt to corral two chaotic kittens.
Julie has 30 years’ experience in the nuclear sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is currently on a detail assignment with the Department of Energy Office of Science Isotope Program Office as a Technical Advisor. She holds a BS, Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters, Nuclear Engineering, from North Carolina State University. After completing her master’s, she joined the staff at ORNL and has held positions in engineering, waste management, criticality safety, and isotope production. Julie has been an active American Nuclear Society member since 1988; where she is currently serving on the Board of Directors, is Chairperson of the Scholarship Policy and Coordination Committee, and serves on the Diversity and Inclusion at ANS Committee. She has also been active with the U.S. Women in Nuclear since 2003 and currently serves on the National Steering Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Oversight Committee. Julie is a proud mom of her 14-year old transgender son and is here today as that “mom."
Charlyne Smith
Charlyne is a nuclear engineer and senior nuclear energy analyst on the Nuclear Energy Innovation team at the Breakthrough Institute in Washington, D.C. She also holds a courtesy faculty appointment as a nuclear materials research scientist at the University of Florida. Originally from St. Catherine, Jamaica, Charlyne moved to the U.S. in 2012 to pursue a career in science and technology focusing on energy solutions for current and future generations. She holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics, as well as a master’s and a PhD in nuclear engineering.
In 2021 she made history as the first black woman to obtain a PhD in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida and was awarded the Prime Minister’s National Youth Award for Excellence in Academics from the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica in 2022. Prior to joining the Breakthrough Institute, Charlyne was a distinguished Glenn T. Seaborg Postdoctoral fellow at the Idaho National Laboratory where she performed basic energy science research on self-organizing defect structures formed in nuclear fuel during neutron irradiation. Her expertise is in the advanced characterization and post irradiation examination of fuel for qualification and use in nuclear reactors.
Charlyne is a co-founder of the Empowering Garrison Girls (EGGs) non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce gender and economic inequalities for girls living in garrison communities in Jamaica. She is also an Atomic Ambassador with Generation Atomic, a non-profit that creates awareness on the nuclear energy through public education and advocacy. Her long-term goals are to help facilitate the introduction of nuclear energy technology to the Caribbean as well as to create STEM education programs in Jamaica that will offer a wide range of STEM disciplines not currently available in the Caribbean.
Rebecca Young
Prior to joining INL in March of 2020, Rebecca spent 16 years as a trial attorney in private practice in Boise, Idaho. She has worked on cases ranging from complex commercial disputes and patent litigation to medical malpractice and Title IX. In 2017 and again in 2018 the Idaho Judicial Council recommended her to the Governor for appointment to the Idaho Supreme Court. Immediately prior to joining INL, she developed a specialty in plaintiff’s civil rights work representing individuals in cases involving government misconduct. Rebecca served as a board member, amicus coordinator, and frequent presenter for the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association. As an adjunct professor, Rebecca taught prison abolition at the College of Idaho, and at the Concordia University School of Law she taught legal research and writing, trial advocacy and advanced appellate advocacy.
After graduating from the University of San Diego with degrees in political science and philosophy, Rebecca enlisted in the U.S. Army. She served four years as a Korean Linguist, Interrogator. She was the 2002 US Army Pacific Region Soldier of the Year and had the privilege of competing in the first ever Army-wide soldier of the year competition held in Washington D.C.
Rebecca currently works for INL’s Office of General Counsel as the company’s Labor and Employment Attorney where she frequently advises on strategic decisions involving the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. She lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with her two kids and two dogs.
Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis is a nuclear engineer and the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN). She started her nuclear career studying at the University of Tennessee (go Vols!), receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering. While at UTK, she interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the Nuclear Fusion group and focused on environmental qualification of nuclear power plant cables. After graduation, Sarah started work at a consulting firm as a Safety Analysis Engineer responsible for calculations and evaluations in terms of safety-related components and systems at various nuclear power plants. She co-founded and led the firm’s DE&I Committee and shortly after joined NAYGN’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee as one of the first members. After joining the committee, Sarah ran for the DEI Officer Position and has held the title for more than two years. She hopes to engage the industry by discussing various topics related to DEI and hopes to build a more inclusive organization and industry through awareness and education.