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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
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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.
General Chair:
Bill Vesely (NASA (retired), USA)
Program Chair:
Carol S. Smidts (Professor, Ohio State University)
Honorary Chair:
Richard Denning (Battelle Energy Institute (Retired), USA)
Publications Chair:
Vaibhav Sinha (The Ohio State University, USA)
Michigan Ohio Section Representative:
John Greenwood (First Energy Corporation , USA)
PSA 2021 Senior Advisory Boards:
Tunc Aldemir (The Ohio State University, USA)
Paul Amico (Jensen Hughes, USA)
Steve Arndt (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, USA)
Ron Boring (Idaho National Laboratory, USA)
Bob Budnitz (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (retired.), USA)
Matilde D’Arpino (The Ohio State University, USA)
Enrique Droguett (University of Chile, Chile)
Fernando Ferrante (EPRI, USA)
Katrina Groth (University of Maryland at College Park, USA)
Huyn Gook Kang (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA)
Pierre-Etienne Labeau (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium)
Ming Li (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, USA)
Zahra Mohagheh (Zahra Mohagheh, University of Illinois, USA)
Poong Hyun Seong (KAIST (retired), Korea)
Abdollah Shafieedazeh (The Ohio State University, USA)
Curtis Smith (Idaho National Laboratory, USA)
Prabhakar Varde (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India)
Jeffrey Woollard (The Ohio State University, USA)
Local Support and Logistics:
Yunfei Zhao (The Ohio State University, USA)
Timothy DeFranco (The Ohio State University, USA)
Gulcin Sarici Turkmen (The Ohio State University, USA)