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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Aug 2026
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2026
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2026
Latest News
The transformation of the NRC: 50 years of commissioners
The dust is beginning to settle following the whirlwind of changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the past year, and 2025 ultimately may be viewed as a transformative year, as well as the year the NRC celebrated its golden anniversary. The 12 months of that milestone year brought more change to the agency in its composition, its mandate, and its relationship to the executive branch than any comparable period in the preceding four decades.
Now at 51 years and counting, the NRC is working with a full commission and issuing new rulemakings to both regulate and support the next round of nuclear deployments. With the turbulence of 2025 still fresh in our minds, Nuclear News decided it was a good time to revisit the professional backgrounds of all 42 NRC commissioners who have served over the agency’s 50-year history to see how the composition of the commission has evolved over time.
2024 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
Dr. Rian Bahran currently serves as Assistant Director for Nuclear Technology and Strategy in The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) leading policy development and providing advice to the President and the Executive Office of the President on issues related to nuclear energy and fusion energy, security, and emerging technology. One of his main focus areas has been in helping lead efforts to re-establish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy. This includes prioritizing initiatives to deploy flexible and versatile small modular reactors and microreactors, secure and sustain the nuclear fuel supply chain, enhance the energy resilience of critical infrastructure, and compete globally. Dr. Bahran received a PhD in Nuclear Engineering & Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) based on research in support of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and Laboratory research complex. He also has a Dual BS in Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics from RPI and began his career at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). He later served as a program manager and R&D Engineer in the Nuclear Engineering Division at LANL where, in 2018, he was a recipient of the prestigious “Most Promising Asian Engineer of the Year.” Dr. Bahran also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy as a Senior Science and Policy Adviser from 2019 to 2021. In 2021, For his exemplary performance during his time at the Pentagon, he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Dr. Bahran has held several adjunct faculty university positions within nuclear engineering programs and has lectured at 25+ universities; was 2020 Fellow of the MIT Seminar XXI national security program; served as an associate editor of the Journal for Nuclear Materials Management; and is the author of 65+ publications (including in Nature Communications) on a wide range of technical nuclear issues.
Last modified October 29, 2024, 10:09am EDT
