Natalie Cannon is passionate about nuclear policy

“I’ve always loved science and engineering, but I was discouraged from pursuing STEM in high school because I was told I didn’t have the aptitude for it,” she said. But once I got to college, I realized that I wanted to pursue my passions, no matter the obstacles. It took a lot of hard work, and there were moments when I wasn’t sure I could make it, but I started saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity that came my way.”

Saying “yes” to opportunities has become a habit for Cannon, and she advises others to do the same. “Every single time that I have been able to do something incredible, it’s because I just said ‘yes’ to something random, and it has just kind of grown into this amazing thing. You really don’t know where these small little opportunities are going to take you, so I would just say ‘say yes’ to as many opportunities as possible.”

Her passion for nuclear and her personal rule of saying “yes” keep Cannon very busy: After participating in delegations in 2023 and 2024, this year, she is the chair of the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation (NESD). She also served as president of the American Nuclear Society Student Section at Georgia Tech in 2022–2023, breathing new life into the chapter. Cannon also cofounded the Georgia Tech chapter of Women in Nuclear; served as a consultant with the Federation of American Scientists; and participated in Nuclear Matters, the Society of Women in Space Exploration, and other scientific groups.

She told Nuclear News, “I’m passionate about nuclear policy and nonproliferation because I believe I’m part of the next generation that will help shape the future of the planet. I’m an advocate for nuclear energy because I believe it’s the cleanest, safest, and most reliable way to meet our global energy needs. However, I also believe in the responsible use of nuclear technology. Nuclear nonproliferation is critical to global safety, and I stay engaged in nuclear policy because the decisions being made now will have long-lasting impacts. I want to advocate for policies that will ensure a sustainable future for nuclear energy while also prioritizing safety.”

Education in and out of the classroom

In 2017, Cannon pursued her space interests as a NASA Aerospace Scholar at Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, Calif. Around that time, she also began her undergraduate education at Santiago Canyon College, a community college in Orange, Calif., where she was collegiate chapter president of the Society of Women Engineers, a calculus supplemental instructor, a project coordinator for the robotics team, and the 2017 outreach student ambassador of the year. She received a Southern California Edison STEM Scholarship in 2018 and a Leaders and Achievers Scholarship in 2019.

In addition to classes and volunteer opportunities, Cannon also took advantage of internships, which turned out to be very important for her academic development. While there were no internships available through her community college, her mindset of taking advantage of opportunities led to her first internship with the Department of Energy at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, in Plainsboro, N.J.

She spent the summers of 2018 and 2019 at PPPL, where she researched hydrogen and helium isotope separation in the exhaust stream of the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration fusion reactor and studied ash removal from the fusion reactor via palladium and palladium-layered membranes for use in spacecraft propulsion.

“When I interned at PPPL, I worked on a fusion rocket engine experiment, which expanded my interest into nuclear energy and policy, leading me to where I am now,” Cannon said. She “loved everything” about her experiences at PPPL, including her first exposure to science policy issues through the Federation of American Scientists.

Cannon left community college behind for California State University–Long Beach, where in 2021 she earned her bachelor’s degree in physics, with a focus on the plasma physics of fusion reactors. She explained, “When I transferred to a four-year institution, I majored in physics and became involved in science policy and think tanks. Even though I was only at CSULB for two years, the institution was very supportive of my efforts to engage students in extracurricular activities, which was invaluable.”

At CSULB, she served as president of the College of Natural Science & Mathematics Student Council; founded and served as president of the Women in Physics chapter; worked as a physics research assistant; and was part of the Beach Launch Team, a group of students that studied rocket descent and reentry systems. Her efforts garnered her several honors, including the Richard D. Green Dean’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student, the Physics & Astronomy Departmental Outstanding Service Award, CSULB’s Exceptional Achievements in Physics Award, and a National Science Foundation METRIC (Mentoring Excellence Through Research and Industry Careers) Scholarship.

Cannon gained more internship experience during this period as an experimental physics research assistant/intern at Scientific Applications & Research Associates, a technology innovation development company in Cypress, Calif. After her first year of grad school, she landed another DOE internship, this time as a visiting graduate researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Graduate studies at Georgia Tech

Cannon earned her M.S. in nuclear engineering from Georgia Tech in December 2023. For her master’s thesis, she performed research on “a regulatory policy framework to address nuclear proliferation risks associated with advanced manufacturing.”

“My thesis focused on analyzing current domestic and international export laws related to nuclear technology and advanced manufacturing, such as 3D printing,” she said. Cannon also considered what current national and international policy said about regulating additive manufacturing. “I examined the weaknesses and loopholes in those regulations and also looked at advanced manufacturing techniques, developing a way to assess their potential to contribute to nuclear proliferation. The project required a lot of policy analysis, which was challenging but rewarding.” Her master’s research was funded by the Consortium for Enabling Technologies and Innovations.

As part of her graduate work, Cannon worked as a graduate research assistant in the Advanced Nuclear Technology group at Los Alamos National Laboratory in June 2023. That same year, her work was recognized by Georgia Tech with a Student Leader Honoree award.

The importance of mentors

Most students are lucky to find one mentor they connect with; Cannon has enjoyed the benefits of having two: Anna Erickson and Steven Biegalski. Erikson and Biegalski guided her into the research that she ended up pursuing. “I mentioned that I was interested in policy,” she said. “They mentioned they had this project that they needed someone to work on, and I was like, yes, I want to get really in-depth into all the policies. I love reading policy memos, like on the CTBT [Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty] and all the treaties. I thought that this project would be a perfect kind of introduction to nuclear engineering, because I came in with very little in-depth knowledge of nuclear engineering . . . so it was a good kind of transition into nuclear engineering.”

She originally intended to work with a different professor but found when she arrived at Georgia Tech that he had retired. She took that as a sign that she should pivot from her undergraduate focus on fusion to look at fission. She asked Erickson, who heads the Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safety (LANNS), for a meeting. Biegalski, the chair of the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Program, also sat in. A few days later, they asked if she wanted them to be co-advisors, and she excitedly accepted.

During an October 2023 interview for the Titans of Nuclear podcast, Cannon said, “I have been a very lucky graduate student. I have two amazing mentors . . . two very well-connected people within the nuclear industry and so being under their guidance has kind of allowed me to see the entire scope of what I could do with my degree. And they’re also incredibly knowledgeable . . . and just being able to have a conversation with them where I can talk about my research or just listening to them talk to another graduate student about their research, you always walk away learning something.”

Doctoral research

Cannon is set to earn her Ph.D. in January 2026, after she completes her doctoral research, which is split between Georgia Tech’s LANNS and LANL’s Advanced Nuclear Technology Division. According to its website, LANNS is “a research group that works to answer cutting-edge questions in nuclear nonproliferation, as an integral part of the Nuclear & Radiological Engineering (NRE) and Medical Physics (MP) programs.” Work done in the lab includes reactor verification and safeguards, radiation detector and detector systems development, and computational analysis and algorithms.

The subject of Cannon’s research is “optimizing real-time neutron noise analysis for use with Fukushima fuel debris and critical assemblies.” She is focusing on criticality safety, especially through the application of neutron multiplicity analysis. “Decommissioning is a significant scientific challenge that the international community has been working on for over a decade. Criticality safety plays a key role in these efforts, and I’m glad to be contributing to such important work,” she said.

Cannon further explained, “The goal of my Ph.D. project is to develop a real-time neutron noise analysis system that can do calculations on the fly, providing real-time feedback that could inform immediate safety measures if the risk of re-criticality increases.”

Ms. Cannon goes to Washington

Cannon at the White House, with the rest of the 2023 NESD seen in the background. (Photo: Natalie Cannon)

In keeping with her “say yes” mentality, Cannon joined the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation in 2023. With her focus on policy as part of her Ph.D. work, she “was eager to get involved in the discussions happening in Washington, D.C.,” she said. The NESD is “an independently organized program to allow students studying nuclear science and engineering to acquire hands-on experience with the political process to learn how they can positively impact the future of nuclear energy, policy, education, and research,” according to the organization’s website. The trip to D.C. is the highlight of the year for delegates. “Each year the delegation convenes in Washington and formulates a set of policy statements that convey their views on nuclear energy, education, and research. Then, for the following three days, they meet with experts across D.C. who can provide the latest updates on nuclear policy before the delegation meets with their senators and representatives at the end of the week. Because not all of the policymakers and staff on Capitol Hill have a technical background, it is important that the members of the delegation inform them of how students across the nation feel on relevant issues,” the website states.

“My first delegation was an incredible learning experience,” Cannon said. “I gained so much from the other delegates and the agencies we met with. I had productive meetings with legislative offices and continue to stay in touch with staffers focused on nuclear policy.”

After earning a spot as a delegate in 2023, Cannon served as co–vice chair in 2024. This year, she is NESD chair. “As chair, I’m responsible for planning and executing the delegation,” she told Nuclear News. “Each year, a group of 15 to 20 students passionate about nuclear science and policy meet in Washington, D.C., to develop a policy statement. Throughout the week, we meet with leadership from agencies like the DOE, NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission], White House OSTP [Office of Science and Technology Policy], and EPA [Environmental Protection Agency], as well as companies and think tanks, to discuss current nuclear policy and legislation. At the end of the week, we present our policy statement to senators and Congress members.”

Of the experience, Cannon said, “NESD has been one of the most valuable things I’ve been involved in, and I’m grateful to continue contributing to its legacy.” After her year as chair, she plans to step down but remain active as an alum of the delegation.

ANS, advocacy, and the future

Within ANS, Cannon is best known for her interest in nuclear policy issues. But when she was president of Georgia Tech’s ANS Student Section in 2022–2023, she was more concerned with breathing new life into the chapter.

“My main goal was to revitalize the chapter, which had become semi-dormant during COVID,” she said. “The ANS chapter is a vital part of our nuclear engineering program, and without it, the [program’s] culture and morale suffered. I focused on hosting events to get people together—game nights, mixers, workshops, invited talks—anything to encourage engagement and get students talking. It was amazing to see how quickly the culture shifted.”

“Now that we have such an engaged chapter, the focus has shifted toward advocacy and public outreach,” she continued. She also said that she “learned a ton about nuclear energy just by interacting with people” while she was chapter president.

For a young woman of Cannon’s abilities and accomplishments, many doors are sure to be open. For now, she is considering her options. “Long term, I think I’ll be happiest as long as I’m working in nuclear science. Whether that’s at a national lab or transitioning into nuclear policy, I just want to continue contributing to the field,” she said.

If she chooses a career in policy, she hopes to be able to correct some of the misconceptions among policymakers. “I watch the news and I hear some of our elected officials talk and I’m like, someone needs to talk to your advisors because that is so wrong. And also there’s a lot of fearmongering out there, especially for nuclear energy, and it’s got to stop. I would like to be part of that change.”

Cannon believes that “communication is half of changing minds and making sure that science actually makes it all the way to the public.” If facts and data are given in a way everyone understands, she said, it would go a long way toward making people less afraid of nuclear.

She plans to vigorously advocate for nuclear energy. “I strongly support the expansion of nuclear energy. With our growing energy needs, I believe nuclear energy is the best way to meet those demands. It’s safe, reliable, and clean, and it offers the best chance for a brighter future.”

And, as always, passivity is not an option for her. “You have to be out and willing to talk to people, and there are so many ways to do that, whether it’s just interacting with other people in the industry . . . I think what’s going to propel the industry forward and propel nuclear energy forward is if we start taking a more active role as spokespeople for nuclear energy.”

Cannon has come a long way since she was a high school student who showed “no aptitude” for a career in STEM—and for that, she has her own dedication, perseverance, and willingness to dive in head-first to thank. In her 2023 Titans interview, she said, “There are a lot of times that I stop and think how did I get here? . . . I started my community college career in Algebra 2, so you know that’s something you learn in freshman or sophomore high school. And I was in college learning that. And now I’m getting a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering. It’s like I’m not supposed to be here, like, I’m really not. And, so, I guess that’s really what I’m most proud of, that I get to do what I love but also still get to teach people.”

As the future Dr. Cannon formally enters the nuclear workforce, her proven leadership is bound to benefit and advance the nuclear industry.