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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Empowering the next generation: ANS’s newest book focuses on careers in nuclear energy
A new career guide for the nuclear energy industry is now available: The Nuclear Empowered Workforce by Earnestine Johnson. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience across 16 nuclear facilities, Johnson offers a practical, insightful look into some of the many career paths available in commercial nuclear power. To mark the release, Johnson sat down with Nuclear News for a wide-ranging conversation about her career, her motivation for writing the book, and her advice for the next generation of nuclear professionals.
When Johnson began her career at engineering services company Stone & Webster, she entered a field still reeling from the effects of the Three Mile Island incident in 1979, nearly 15 years earlier. Her hiring cohort was the first group of new engineering graduates the company had brought on since TMI, a reflection of the industry-wide pause in nuclear construction. Her first long-term assignment—at the Millstone site in Waterford, Conn., helping resolve design issues stemming from TMI—marked the beginning of a long and varied career that spanned positions across the country.
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
Amanda Donges is the senior vice president of Teaching & Learning and executive director, National Academy for Nuclear Training (NANT) for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) in Atlanta, Georgia.
INPO, sponsored by the commercial nuclear industry, is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the highest levels of safety and reliability - to promote excellence - in the operation of commercial nuclear power plants.
Ms. Donges joined INPO in September 2007 and was elected vice president in November 2020 and senior vice president in May 2024. Previous positions include vice president of Industry Performance, director of Plant Operations, manager of Industry Leadership and Performance Improvement, organizational effectiveness leader, corporate secretary and staff assistant to the CEO, manager of Events Analysis, and Operations evaluator.
From September 2018 until September 2019, Ms. Donges participated in an on-loan assignment to Xcel Energy as a general manager of nuclear fleet operations.
Prior to joining INPO, Ms. Donges served in the U.S. Navy's nuclear power program.
Ms. Donges received a Bachelor of Science degree in quantitative economics from the United States Naval Academy. She also received a pressurized water reactor (PWR) senior reactor operator certification in 2008.
Last modified January 17, 2025, 4:41pm EST
