ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Interns to Industry: Connecting students to the workforce
The nuclear industry has long recognized a shortage of both skilled craft labor and professional talent. As global demand for reliable energy continues to rise—across the United States and internationally—that need has not only increased but has become critical.” This is a truth that nuclear industry consultant Jeffery P. Hawkins understands, and it is why he developed a program called Interns to Industry. The former Fluor Corporation executive said that “there has been a deficit of qualified resources in the nuclear industry, and this is forecasted to be even more so in the future, so I am working with various universities to determine how to customize their curriculums to fit the forecasted needs of the industry.”
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by HFICD
Wednesday, June 19, 2024|10:00–11:45AM PDT|Jasmine H
Session Chair:
Syed Bahauddin Alam
Session Organizer:
Vivek Agarwal
In alignment with the Department of Energy (DOE)'s mission to bolster America's security by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges, this panel will delve into the potential of leveraging a Digital Twin (DT) approach powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), in Nuclear Plant Asset Management & Modernization. Specifically, this panel will shed light on both the technological promise and economic implications of prognostic and health management from Digital Twin approaches in tie with advanced cybersecurity solutions, with an emphasis on: (1) Predictive Maintenance & Degradation Monitoring: Harnessing Digital Twins to foresee maintenance needs and track asset degradation in real-time. (2) Data Integration & Interpretability: Consolidating heterogeneous data sources into coherent Digital Twin models while ensuring model transparency. (3) Economic Optimization: Evaluating the return on investment and risk reduction potential of Digital Twin adoption. (4) Cybersecurity Considerations: Ensuring regulatory alignment of Digital Twin capabilities in the realm of cybersecurity for nuclear infrastructures. (5) Strategic Collaboration: Working closely with the DOE to maximize Digital Twins' and cybersecurity impact. Overall, this panel aims to bridge innovation and implementation, offering a comprehensive perspective on how Digital Twins, integrated with cybersecurity and AI, can transform nuclear plant asset management. By convening experts across industry, government, and academia, we hope to chart a path toward increased efficiency, cyber-secured, and cost-effectiveness in maintaining these vital clean energy assets over their lifetime.
Syed ALAM
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Sajedul Talukder
University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
Lefteri Tsoukalas
Purdue Univ.
Vaibhav Yadav
Senior Research Scientist, Idaho National Laboratory
To join the conversation, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In