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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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May 2026
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2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
Nuclear Criticality Safety Division 2025 Conference
United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL)
Criticality Technical Leader
Senior Fellow in Criticality Safety
Dr. Deborah Hill completed her PhD in Physics at the University of Warwick before joining British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) in 1997 as a trainee criticality safety assessor at the Springfields site in Preston. Over the past 25+ years, she has established herself as a leading expert in nuclear criticality safety, providing specialist support to a range of national and international clients. She now serves as the Criticality Technical Leader and as a Senior Fellow in Criticality Safety at the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL).
Deborah has held prominent leadership roles across the criticality safety community, including Chair of both the UK Working Party on Criticality and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Nuclear Criticality Safety Division (NCSD). She was honored with the NCSD Distinguished Service Award in 2019 and named an ANS Fellow in 2024. A key contributor to criticality safety standards, Deborah also currently chairs the working group responsible for the recent revision of the ANS-8.20 criticality training standard and serves as a member and secretary of the ANS-8 Standards Committee.
At UKNNL, Deborah also now leads the UKNNL Fellowship, a group of senior science, engineering, and technology leaders who play a key role in shaping the organization’s strategic Science & Technology (S&T) Agenda. Her broader industry leadership also includes past service as Chair of the ANS Professional Divisions Committee.
Last modified July 30, 2025, 8:26am CDT
