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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.
Technical Session
Monday, July 22, 2024|3:15–5:05PM CDT|Assembly
Session Chair:
Charles Hirst (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Alternate Chair:
Lauren M. Garrison (Commonwealth Fusion Systems)
Session Organizer:
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The Materials Development Roadmap for the ARC Fusion Power Plant
3:15–3:40PM CDT
Cody A. Dennett (Commonwealth Fusion Systems), Lauren M. Garrison (Commonwealth Fusion Systems), Brandon Sorbom (Commonwealth Fusion Systems)
Paper
The Role of Composition on Radiation Tolerance of Multicomponent Alloys for Plasma-Facing Materials
3:40–4:05PM CDT
Mary Alice Cusentino (Sandia), Megan J. McCarthy (Sandia), Katie M. Karl (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Eric Lang (Univ. New Mexico), Rico Treadwell (Sandia), Jonathan Coburn (Sandia)
Radiation Effects in Vanadium Alloys for Commercial Fusion Power Plant Design Applications: What Data is Missing to Enable Expeditious Deployment?
4:05–4:25PM CDT
Alicia M. Elliott (MIT), Maxwell Rae (MIT), Angus Wylie (MIT), Lauren Garrison (Commonwealth Fusion Systems), Michael P. Short (MIT)
Novel High-Throughput Platform for Refractory High-Entropy Alloys Development for Plasma Facing Components
4:25–4:45PM CDT
Adrien Couet (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Matthias Beuting (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Nathan Curtis (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Nick Crnkovich (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Danah Velez (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Qingyuan Li (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Ali Nabaa (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Zack Rielley (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Nate Eklof (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison), Rohan Mishra (Washington Univ. St. Louis), Lianyi Chen (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison)
Effect of Neutron Irradiation on Formation of Irradiation Defect and Deuterium Retention for W-Re Alloy
4:45–5:05PM CDT
A. Hayakawa (Shizuoka Univ.), Y. Hoshino (Shizuoka Univ.), T. Toyama (Tohoku Univ.), R. Kolasinski (Sandia), C.N. Taylor (INL), M. Shimada (INL), Y. Hatano (Univ. Toyama), Y. Oya (Shizuoka Univ.)
