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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
19th International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Analysis (PSA 2025)
Technical Session|Sponsored by NISD
Wednesday, June 18, 2025|3:15–5:00PM CDT|Houston/Kansas City
Session Chair:
Zahra Mohagegh (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Alternate Chair:
Mihai Diaconeasa (NCSU)
Session Organizer:
Dave Grabaskas (ANL)
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Enhancing Expert Elicitation in Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Advanced Reactors: A Counterfactual and Causal Modeling Approach
3:15–3:35PM CDT
Rawan M. Mustafa (NCSU), Yahya Alzahrani (NCSU), Mihai Diaconeasa (NCSU)
Paper
Refining Failure Probability Estimation in Advanced Nuclear Reactors through Inverse Problem Computation
3:35–3:55PM CDT
Rawan M. Mustafa (NCSU), Arjun Earthperson (NCSU), Yahya A. Alzahrani (NCSU), Mihai Diaconeasa (NCSU)
Attachment
Enhancing ADS-IDAC with High-Performance Computing: Implementation Challenges and Preliminary Results
3:55–4:15PM CDT
Alp Tezbasaran (NCSU Libraries Data and Visualization Services), Mihai A. Diaconeasa (NCSU)
Evaluating FRI3D for Cost Savings in Fire Hazard Analysis at DOE Sites
4:15–4:35PM CDT
Steven Prescott (INL), Emerald Ryan (INL), Brant Campbell (INL), Svetlana Lawrence (INL), Dustin Stokes (INL), Robby Christian (INL)
Presentation Slides (Visible to Attendees)
Incorporating Fault Injection Testing Results of Digital I&Cs into Probabilistic Risk Assessments of Nuclear Power Plants
4:35–4:55PM CDT
Priyanka Maruti Pandit (NCSU), Arjun Earthperson (NCSU), Mihai A. Diaconeasa (NCSU)