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2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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U.S.-Japan collaboration turns out “Super Engineers”
Before the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011, nuclear power from 54 reactors provided about 30 percent of Japan’s electricity. In the wake of the disaster, Japan shut down every one of its reactors.
Recently, the country has been restarting its nuclear power plants. Among its current fleet of 33 operable reactors, fewer than half have been restarted. Nuclear power is currently providing about 8.5 percent of Japan’s electricity (with natural gas and coal accounting for more than 60 percent).
The Japanese government’s present energy plan, announced last year, calls for nuclear power to meet 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs by 2040. While the government views nuclear as a crucial asset toward meeting its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, public support for nuclear energy also continues to increase. A 2012 Pew Research poll—conducted one year after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster—indicated that 70 percent of the public opposed nuclear power. However, a 2022 poll by Nikkei Business Publications suggests that now, more than 50 percent of the public supports nuclear power—if safety can be ensured.
Contributing their expertise to these restarts in recent years are young nuclear industry professionals who were trained a decade ago in a mentorship/training program involving U.S. institutions.
This “Super Engineer Project” was sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and Hokkaido University from 2015 to 2017. METI sponsored the project to improve the Japanese nuclear safety culture by learning from the U.S. safety culture.
Todd R. Allen
2025
James E. Baciak
2024
Arthur Motta
2023
Anna S. Erickson
2022
Michael F. L'Annunziata
2021
Robert D. BuschNolan E. Hertel
2020
X. George Xu
2019
Dr. J. Wesley Hines
2018
James F. StubbinsPaul Philip Hood Wilson
2017
Dr. John G. Gilligan
2016
Rizwan Uddin
2015
John C. Lee
2014
Michael Z. Podowski
2013
Nicholas Tsoulfanidis
2012
Michael L. Corradini
2011
Daniel G. Cacuci
2010
Kenneth D. Lewis
2009
Robin P. Gardner
2008
Brian K. Hajek
2007
Sheldon Landsberger
2006
Noel R. Corngold
2005
George E. Apostolakis
2004
Paul J. Turinsky
2003
Yassin A. Hassan
2002
James S. Tulenko
2001
Jeffrey D. Lewins
2000
William E. Kastenberg
1999
Harold L. Dodds
1998
John J. Dorning
1997
Gerald C. Pomraning
1996
Edward W. Larsen
1995
Neil E. Todreas
1994
Michael M. R. Williams
1993
Karl O. Ott
1992
Elmer E. Lewis
1991
Glenn F. Knoll
1990
Herbert Goldstein
1989
Richard T. Lahey, Jr.
1988
Pietro F. (Pete) Pasqua
1987
Alexander Sesonske
1986
Gene L. Woodruff
1985
James J. Duderstadt
1984
Arthur B. Chilton
1983
Dieter Smidt
1982
Nunzio J. Palladino
1981
Merril Eisenbud
1980
John R. Lamarsh
1979
Mohammed M. El-Wakil
1978
Kent F. Hansen
1977
Terry Kammash
1976
Charles F. Bonilla
1975
David J. Rose
1974
William Kerr
1973
Harold K. Forsen
1972
Irving Kaplan
1971
Thomas H. Pigford
1970
Raymond L. Murray
1969
Manson Benedict
1968
Samuel Glasstone
1967
Norman Hilberry
