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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Aug 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.
Arthur Motta
Kathryn McCarthy
Andy Prichard
James W. BehrensMadeline A. FeltusNarasimha Prasad Kadambi
Steven P. Nesbit
Brendan M. KochunasChristopher M. Perfetti
Stephen M. BajorekLake BarrettDaniel ChurchmanFrancesco D'AuriaBenoit ForgetEugene S. GrecheckDeborah Ann HillTravis W. KnightJun LiaoGuillermo Ivan MaldonadoJohn MattinglyFiona RaymentMatthew Wayne SunseriJoseph TurnageBao-Wen Yang
Best Section (tie)Missouri University of Science and TechnologyPennsylvania State UniversitySecond Place (tie)University of Illinois, Urbana ChampaignUniversity of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
James S. Tulenko
Brent Shumaker
Kevin G. Field
Samuel BaysStephen Rea
John H. Strumpell
Trinity Local Section (Best Overall)Arizona Local Section (Best Meetings and Programs)Savannah River Local Section (Best Public Information & Education and Best Membership)Idaho Local Section (Best Section Management)
Fan-Bill Cheung
Steven A. ArndtRichard J. Stattel
M. Grace Burke
Armour Research Foundation Reactor
Elena Tajuelo RodriguezAmy Welty
Theresa Cutler
Larry R. Baylor
Steven A. ArndtChristopher M. Crane (Posthumously)Donald R. EggettStephen E. KuczynskiElizabeth S. SoobyGrace Stanke Matthew D. WargonJeffrey C. KingArnold LumsdaineCorey K. McDanielWalid A. MetwallyCatherine M. PratJoshua L. Vajda
Trevor TaylorXingang Zhao
Steven Biegalski
Massimiliano Fratoni
Vivek Agarwal
Hisashi Ninokata
Igor Bolotnov
Inés Triay
Rafael Mariano Grossi
Clarice Phelps
Joshua Vajda
Larry L. Wetzel
UNDERGRADUATEUniversity Tennessee, Knoxville - Radiological Assay of Burrowing AnimalsAuthors: Evan Godbehere, James Pierce, Kip Wheeler, and Jolyne WorthyNorth Carolina State University - Event Sequence Quantification and Consequence Development of the Full Scope Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment for PULSTAR Research ReactorAuthors: Lauren Kohler, Noah Etter, Nolan Ritchie, and Mihai A. DiaconeasaGeorgia Institute of Technology - Investigating a Fast Static Fueled Molten Salt Reactor for WasteburningAuthors: Matthew Louis, Nathan Tanzosch, Jaden Minnick, and Alicia BorelTexas A&M University - Utilizing AP1000 TPBAR Optimization to meet Fusion Energy Tritium DemandAuthors: Aaron Rodriguez, Bryce Harris, Camden Ulteig, Marion Munoz, and William Reed
Xiaodong Sun
B.J. Marshall
Egemen Kolemen
Nathan Siu
Kelsey AmundsonPierre-Clement Simon
Kenneth Petersen
Abdollah Khanpour