ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Apr 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
May 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
India’s PFBR attains criticality at last
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed it “a proud moment for India” when on April 6 the 500-MWe, sodium-cooled Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) achieved initial criticality. This milestone, which comes some 22 years after the continually delayed PFBR project began, marks India’s entrance into the second stage of its three-stage nuclear program, which has the ultimate goal of supporting the country’s nuclear power program with its significant thorium reserves.
Decommissioning Environmental Science and Remote Technology 2021 Speaker
Since October 2021, Dr. Holahan has served as a Special Assistant in the Division of Rulemaking, Environmental and Financial Support. Prior to that she was the Director of the Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards where she led the management of the NRC's program for the regulation of Decommissioning, Low-Level Waste (LLW), and Uranium Recovery functional areas in close coordination with other Federal agencies, States, and Native American Tribal Governments, licensees, and the public. From October 2017 to August 2019, she was the Director of Rulemaking where she led the NRC’s core function of rulemaking for the reactor and materials programs. From October 2014 to October 2017, Dr. Holahan served as the Director of the Office of Enforcement. She has been with NRC since 1991 and has held a variety of staff and management positions in NMSS, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, and and also served as a Technical Assistant to former Chairman Meserve.
Before joining NRC, Dr. Holahan worked as a Consultant Radiation Biologist and an Assistant Professor for the University of Texas’ Health Science Center, in San Antonio. She received her Ph.D. in Radiation Biology from Colorado State University. She earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Master’s Degree in Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario.
Last modified November 10, 2021, 3:54pm EST