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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Capitalizing on community
Mark Peterspresident@ans.org
One month into my term as president of the American Nuclear Society, it is already clear that the nuclear field continues to move quickly. June alone brought a striking number of developments, each one pointing to the momentum of this moment.
Antares’s Mark-0 microreactor reaching criticality at Idaho National Laboratory was more than a technical milestone. It effectively brought reactor No. 53 on line at a site that has shaped much of the nation’s nuclear history, with 52 reactors built there since 1951. And more criticality starts were delivered in June and July, enabled by the Department of Energy and its partnerships with private companies.
At the same time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is continuing its broad regulatory reform effort, and nuclear technology is being used to help combat an outbreak of New World screwworm that has spread to the United States.
2024 ANS Annual Conference
Catherine Prat is a Principal Engineer and Issue Manager with Westinghouse Electric Company. In her current role, she works across all business units to address a wide range of problems from design, manufacturability, supplier quality, and human performance. Prior to this role, she worked at Plant Vogtle for 6 years in roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Nuclear Island mechanical lead engineer, supporting the Initial Test Program at Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Catherine has also served as a licensing engineer with a specialty in ITAAC and Part 52 licensing. Prior to moving to Vogtle, she worked on the GSI-191 resolution team for AP1000 and was a site engineer at Sanmen Units 1 and 2, helping to bring the first AP1000 plants online.
Catherine has been an active member of ANS for over a decade, in both student / local chapters and the national organization. She currently serves as the ANS Young Member Director on the Board of Directors and is an active member of the Certification Special Committee. She is on the Executive Committee for the Operations and Power Division and is a past chair of the Young Members Group.
Catherine earned her B.S. in Nuclear Engineering in 2014 and her M.Eng. in Nuclear Engineering in 2017. She also holds an SRO certificate (SNUPPS) and her PMP.
Last modified May 28, 2024, 2:06pm PDT