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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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Sep 2025
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
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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Nomination Deadline
May 15
Presented at the
Annual Conference
Monetary Award
$1,200
divided amongst winning student sections
The Samuel Glasstone Award recognizes outstanding ANS Student Sections. The award consists of a certificate and a monetary award (up to $1,200 distributed amongst the recipients). It is presented after the ANS Annual Conference.
This award was established by ANS in 1969 when Dr. Samuel Glasstone contributed funds to the Society to be used specifically for an annual award to the outstanding Student Section of ANS. Dr. Glasstone's initial bequest specified that the award be given to that student section "which accomplished the most notable achievements in public service and the advancement of nuclear engineering." The Student Sections Committee (SSC) and Education, Training and Workforce Development Division (ETWDD) have interpreted this specification to emphasize student section activities both for external persons or groups as well as the student section members themselves. For example, the first few awards were made to sections who established a working speakers bureau on nuclear subjects for local high schools, civic organizations, etc., as well as arranging a balanced program (of lectures, tours, attendance at student and national meetings, etc.) directed to advance the nuclear engineering understanding of section members.
Other contributions by the early recipients have included extensive service at ANS conferences (which happened to be held in the school's city) and a tutoring program for minority students entering engineering study. It is hoped that future applications will not be limited to these examples, but will represent other imaginative contributions to the community.
Each Student Section is encouraged to submit a report of their activities highlighting the seven (7) activity areas outlined in the submission guidelines. The primary purpose of such a report is to share the activities of each student section with the others, helping all the student sections to expand and improve their programs. These reports will be used to evaluate the student sections for the secondary purpose of selecting the Samuel J. Glasstone Award recipients.
To facilitate this format, each student section is encouraged to create a professional document which minimizes the repetition of information and maximizes concise and complete reporting of all ongoing section activities which indicate a novel initiative on the part of the student section and distinguish it from other sections.
Submit reports in Word or Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format to honors@ans.org with a copy to ssc@ans.org.
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