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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
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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.
Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE 2026)
Technical Session|1. Fusion Pilot Plant Studies
Tuesday, June 2, 2026|1:00–2:45PM MDT|Tower B
Session Chair:
Andrei Khodak (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)
Alternate Chair:
Louise Ferris (ORNL)
Session Organizer:
Thomas Fuerst (INL)
Track Organizer:
Lane B. Carasik (Virginia Commonwealth Univ.)
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Hazard Identification in a Generic Gas Handling and Recycling System for a Fusion Pilot Plant
1:00–1:20PM MDT
Brennan P. Ferrington (Vanderbilt Univ.), Steven L. Krahn (Vanderbilt Univ.), Diana Grandas (EPRI), Andrew G. Sowder (EPRI)
Paper
Identifying Dominant Radiological Risk Drivers in Fusion Power Plant Source Terms
1:20–1:40PM MDT
El Mehdi Ghardi (Bangor Univ.), Robert P. White (Clean Air Task Force), Laurence Williams (Bangor Univ.)
Regulatory Considerations for Radioactive Byproduct Materials and Wastes from Fusion Power Plants
1:40–2:00PM MDT
Robert P. White (Clean Air Task Force), El Mehdi Ghardi (Bangor Univ.)
A Comparison of Fusion and Fission Generated Waste Characteristics
2:00–2:20PM MDT
Jonathan F. Wing (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Son N. Quang (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), G. Ivan Maldonado (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville)
Consequential Life-Cycle Assessment of Fusion Power Plants at Scale
2:20–2:40PM MDT
Zachary H. Thomas (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Morgan Edwards (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Taesuk Oh (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Mohammad A. Allaf (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Ben Lindley (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison)
