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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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The transformation of the NRC: 50 years of commissioners
The dust is beginning to settle following the whirlwind of changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the past year, and 2025 ultimately may be viewed as a transformative year, as well as the year the NRC celebrated its golden anniversary. The 12 months of that milestone year brought more change to the agency in its composition, its mandate, and its relationship to the executive branch than any comparable period in the preceding four decades.
Now at 51 years and counting, the NRC is working with a full commission and issuing new rulemakings to both regulate and support the next round of nuclear deployments. With the turbulence of 2025 still fresh in our minds, Nuclear News decided it was a good time to revisit the professional backgrounds of all 42 NRC commissioners who have served over the agency’s 50-year history to see how the composition of the commission has evolved over time.
2022
Advanced Test Reactor Team (INL)
2019
Callaway Energy CenterAmeren Missouri
2016
Advanced Test Reactor
2013
Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor
2010
Texas A&M Nuclear Science CenterUniversity of Florida Text ReactorPurdue University ReactorOregon State UniversityWashington State University Nuclear ReactorUniversity of Wisconsin Nuclear ReactorNeutron Radiography Reactor
2007
Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) at the University of Texas at Austin
2005
B. Ralph Sylvia (posthumously)
2001
Peter Martin, Wolf Creek Nuclear Station
2000
Yuichi Hayashi
1999
Louis F. Storz
1998
FFTF OperationsMaintenanceEngineeringin recognition of disciplined defueling operations and storage operations of spent mixed oxide fuel
1997
Howard MaxwellThe Arizona Public Service Predictive Maintenance Team
1996
Brookhaven National Laboratory
1993
Leo B. Holland (Martin Marietta Energy Systems)Louis F. Storz (Toledo Edison)
1992
George C. Fullmer (GE NuclearSan Jose) (retired)
1991
Graham M. Leitch (Philadelphia Electric CompanyLimerick Generating Station)W. T. Ullrich (Tennessee Valley AuthorityBrowns Ferry Unit 3 Restart)
1990
Patrick Tierney and Eward L. Watzl (Northern States Power)Henry D. HukillT. Gary Broughton and Michael J. Ross (GPU Nuclear Corp.)Robert M. BruggerDon M. AlgerJ. Charles McKibben and Chester B. Edwards, Jr. (University of Missouri-Columbia)
1989
James E. O'Sullivan (Pennsylvania Power & Light Co.)Team of: C. ChiuW. FrickB. WoodsJ. TateS. McMahanD. NiebrueggeV. FisherJ. SalazarB. DuncilC. ElliottW. WilczekM. GutellJ. Moore R. WaldoG. HollowaySouthern California Edison Company (San Onofre Trip Reduction Task Force)
1988
Donald R. Harris (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)William A. Haller (Duke Power Company)Richard M. Smith (Carolina Power & Light Company)
1987
FFTF Reactor Operations Management Team: R. H. DavisG. B. GriffinD. G. HamrickL. E. HarvilleC. P. WickD. J. SwaimJohn C. Merritt, Jr. (Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company)Team: Shuh-Ji Tsuei (Taiwan Power Company)Shoei-Jin LiaoNeng-Fu Shih
1986
Richard J. Cashwell (University of Wisconsin)Harold W. Keiser (Pennsylvania Power & Light Company)
1985
Charles R. Dietz (Carolina Power and Light Co. Brunswick Nuclear Project)Team of: Roland N. Smith (Argonne National LaboratoryID) and William H. Perry (EBR II)Team of: Efford H. Pierce (Yankee Atomic Electric Co.)Edward A. WalshEdwin R. TaylorDonald B. VassarKarl E. Jurentkuff
1983
Peter Martin
