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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
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August 2025
Latest News
From operator to entrepreneur: David Garcia applies outage management lessons
David Garcia
If ComEd’s Zion plant in northern Illinois hadn’t closed in 1998, David Garcia might still be there, where he got his start in nuclear power as an operator at age 24.
But in his ninth year working there, Zion closed, and Garcia moved on to a series of new roles—including at Wisconsin’s Point Beach plant, the corporate offices of Minnesota’s Xcel Energy, and on the supplier side at PaR Nuclear—into an on-the-job education that he augmented with degrees in business and divinity that he sought later in life.
Garcia started his own company—Waymaker Resource Group—in 2014. Recently, Waymaker has been supporting Holtec’s restart project at the Palisades plant with staffing and analysis. Palisades sits almost exactly due east of the fully decommissioned Zion site on the other side of Lake Michigan and is poised to operate again after what amounts to an extended outage of more than three years. Holtec also plans to build more reactors at the same site.
For Garcia, the takeaway is clear: “This industry is not going away. Nuclear power and the adjacent industries that support nuclear power—and clean energy, period—are going to be needed for decades upon decades.”
In July, Garcia talked with Nuclear News staff writer Susan Gallier about his career and what he has learned about running successful outages and other projects.
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Contact honors@ans.org to verify the candidate's eligibility and gain access to the nomination form.
Nomination Deadline
March 1 &August 1
Presented at the
Annual & Winter Conference
The membership grade of Fellow is awarded to ANS members for outstanding accomplishment in any one of the areas of nuclear science and engineering. Eligibility for Fellow nomination is described in the ANS Bylaws.
The honor of receiving the highest membership grade of the Society is reserved for senior members of good reputation who shall:
The worthiness of a given candidate for advancement to Fellow is determined by critical review and assessment of submitted credentials and qualifications; hence, nominators should take due care in determining the eligibility of the candidate and preparation of the nomination package.
Nominations for Fellows must be submitted to the Honors and Awards Committee using the nomination form, which will be sent to the primary sponsor once the candidate's eligibility is verified. The Honors and Awards Committee evaluates the nominations and makes recommendations to the ANS Board of Directors.
Candidates for ANS Fellow must have acknowledged scientific, engineering and leadership attainments and must have advanced the science or art of nuclear technology by very significant contributions in one of the following five categories:
To be eligible for consideration, approval and subsequent recognition at the ANS Annual Conference, complete nominations must be submitted to ANS by March 1. To be eligible for recognition at the ANS Winter Conference, complete applications must be received by August 1.
Promotion to Fellow shall be initiated by nomination by one (1) principal sponsor and no less than four (4) but no more than five (5) Fellows or Professional Members who, as sponsors, shall have personal knowledge of the candidate's qualifications and contributions toward the objectives of the Society. It is recommended that sponsors of a given candidate should be broadly dispersed geographically as well as by institution. Only one sponsor is desired from the home institution of the nominee.
Members of the Board of Directors and the Honors and Awards Committee are not eligible for nomination as Fellows during their terms of service, and may not be a sponsor of a Fellow nomination or write a supporting letter for a nominee.
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