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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Aug 2026
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2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
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.
Award Recipient Photos
Honors and Awards Program
Dr. John G. Gilligan
Jerry E. Hicks
Dr. Florent Heidet
Dr. Siegfried S. HeckerSen. Richard G. LugarSen. Samuel A. Nunn, Jr.
Prof. Jacopo BuongiornoProf. Sara A. PozziProf. Poong Hyun SeongDr. Richard WoodDr. Brian N. AvilesDr. Guillermo Daniel Del CulProf. Ronald M. GilgenbachMr. Donald R. HoffmanDr. Seungjin KimDr. Stephen P. SchultzDr. Brian D. Wirth
University of Wisconsin – Madison Student Section (Best Section)Texas A&M University – Kingsville (2nd Runner Up)University of Florida Student Section (2nd Runner Up)University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Section (Honorable Mention)
Dr. Yang Zhang
James L. Conca
Dr. William Burchill
Mr. Kazuaki Matsui
Dr. Ruth F. Weiner
Small Local SectionsWashington, DC (Best Membership)Michigan-Ohio (Best Meetings and Programs)Wilmington (Best Public Information)Oak Ridge/Knoxville (Best Section Management)Large Local SectionsSavannah River (Best Overall)
Dr. Joseph NaserMr. Ted Quinn
Mr. Timothy P. Burke
Prof. Gary S. Was
Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (PNNL)Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (ORNL)
NURETH-17Dominique BestionFrancesco D’AuriaNam Dinh
Kathryn D. Huff
Dr. Jim E. Morel
Mr. Joshua FreedMs. Rachel PritzkerMs. Vanice PerinMr. John KotekDr. Nermin UckanDr. Nicholas TsoulfanidisSteve Arndt
Dr. Jamie Coble
Prof. Lawrence W. Townsend
Bruce Bingman
Dr. Kimberlee Jane Kearfott
Miles O'Brien
Dr. Robert Einziger
Mr. William D. Magwood
Dr. Abraham Weitzberg
GraduateUniversity of Michigan: Two-stage Cargo Scanning using Active InterrogationKris Ogren, Felicia Sutanto, Valerie Nwadeyi, Adam WithersColorado School of Mines: Proliferation Resistant 1 GWe Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor (PRMSR)Matthew Urban, Russell Jarmer, Francesca MallettUndergraduateUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison: Conceptual Design for a Molten Salt Test ReactorBrandon Little, Calvin Parkin, Ken ZanderMassachusetts Institute of Technology: RadLock: Radiation Smart SafeCaroline Colbert, Alexandra Delmore, Jonathan Morrell, Luisa Kenausis
Cecil V. ParksStephen M. BowmanBradley T. Rearden
R. Paul DrakeVladimir Tikhonchuk
Bill T. Williamson
Mr. William D. Magwood IV
Dr. Nam Zin Cho
Shikha Prasad
Mr. Tom Miller
