ANS Latin American section celebrates milestone

The details: Today, the section gathers nuclear communities from Mexico to Argentina, including Central American, South American, and Caribbean countries, and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. LAS/ANS is overseen by more than a dozen committees, hosts an annual symposium, belongs to both the International Nuclear Society Council and the International Nuclear Energy Academy, and acts as the premier leader of the Latin American nuclear communities, representing and safeguarding the nuclear goals of the region.

The section’s main objective is to further the development of nuclear science and technology in the fields of industry, agriculture, medicine, and energy. LAS/ANS also works to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the nuclear field in Latin America, including promoting nuclear research and education, organizing technical meetings, and interfacing with governmental and international agencies.

Quotable: “The Latin American Section of ANS has been able to gather in its membership an important portion of the professional and entrepreneurial nuclear community of Latin America,” said Jorge Spitalnik, LAS/ANS’s first president (1975–77; 1981–82), on the “President’s Voice” page of the LAS/ANS website. “This feature has attracted to the section firms and individuals from other regions of the world who share common interests and maintain business activities in Latin America. In this way, the section has the means to serve as a forum of information exchange and individual relationship in a broad array of nuclear activities within a very large geographical area.”

Spitalnik continued: “This has been the result of an effort of almost a quarter of a century, which has allowed a continuous expansion of the LAS/ANS influence, not only within the Latin American countries, but also around the world through its active promotion of, and participation in, international organizations like the INSC (International Nuclear Society Council) and the PNC (Pacific Nuclear Council).”

Learn more: For more information on the section’s events, committees, and membership, visit the LAS/ANS website.