Excitement builds for ANS Virtual Annual MeetingANS NewsJune 5, 2020, 2:55PM|ANS News StaffThe 2020 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting promises to be a unique event in the history of the American Nuclear Society. The first all-virtual ANS meeting runs from June 8 to 11 and is being conducted via Zoom, a videoconferencing app that has gained widespread popularity since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.More than 1,700 registrants have already signed up, making for the largest ANS meeting in modern history. More than 90 sessions will be held, with over 200 papers to be presented. Meeting registration will be open through Wednesday, June 10.Details: Health safety precautions implemented in response to the pandemic led to the cancellation of the in-person 2020 ANS Annual Meeting, which was to be held in Phoenix, Ariz. The move to a virtual platform, however, hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for the event.“The majority of the feedback I have received has been very positive and has been about the amazing efforts of the ANS staff and the great system it created to support and host the virtual meeting,” said Brett Rampal, ANS member since 2008 and former chair of the ANS Young Members Group (YMG). “People have mostly wanted to know how it will all work and what opportunities there are for participation. The majority of members and nonmembers that I have spoken to are very excited about this new system and platform.”Rampal, who is the nuclear team leader for the Clean Air Task Force, added that one of the biggest advantages to holding the meeting online is the elimination of any barrier to attendance based on cost or travel constraints. “With a low cost point and no need for travel, an online meeting allows ANS organizers to seek the best and most diverse speakers and attract a range of new and different attendees,” he said.The attractions: As the keynote speaker, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette will be the highlight of the opening plenary session. Other highlights include the ANS President’s Special Session, which spotlights U.S. global leadership in nuclear energy and national security, and the General Chair’s Special Session, which focuses on the promise of advanced reactors.Networking opportunities will also take place throughout the meeting. The Trivia Night events hosted by the YMG, the Student Sections Committee, and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee are sure to draw heavy interest. Participants will vie for fun prizes in the competitive sessions, which will be held at 6 p.m. (EDT) on June 8, and 7 p.m. (EDT) on June 9.Tags:ansans annual meetingbrouillettetrivia nightvirtual annual meetingymgShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
ANS signs agreement with Spanish Nuclear SocietyThe American Nuclear Society and Sociedad Nuclear Española (SNE) on December 10 signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) that creates a partnership between the two societies to cooperate in promoting the development of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.Go to Article
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ANS backs effort to save Diablo CanyonDiablo Canyon nuclear plant. Photo: PG&EThe American Nuclear Society has submitted a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in support of a complaint recently filed by a nuclear advocacy group regarding the 2016 decision to prematurely retire the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.The letter was signed by ANS Executive Director and CEO Craig Piercy and President Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar.Go to Article
Gordon-Hagerty resigns as NNSA administratorLisa E. Gordon-Hagerty has resigned as administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, the Department of Energy announced on November 6. William Bookless, who had been serving as NNSA principal deputy administrator for the past year-and-a-half, was named as acting administrator. Bookless spent more than three decades as a senior physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory prior to joining the NNSA.Go to Article
U.S. replaces China on Romania’s Cernavoda projectBrouillettePopescuU.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and Romania’s Minister of Economy, Energy, and Business Development Virgil Popescu initialed a draft intergovernmental agreement on October 9 to cooperate on the construction of two additional reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, as well as the refurbishment of Unit 1.According to a Department of Energy news release, the agreement, once formally executed, will “lay the foundation” for Romania to “utilize U.S. expertise and technology.” The deal marks a major change in Romania’s plans for its sole nuclear plant, as up until early this year the source for that expertise and technology was expected to be China.Go to Article
Brouillette: Nuclear should be part of California’s energy problem solutionBrouilletteIn an op-ed published on September 25 in the Orange County Register, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette decryed the state of California’s handling of its energy crisis.Brouillette criticized state leaders for championing a 100 percent renewable energy plan that ignores nuclear and natural gas. He also found fault with the plan to prematurely close the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.Go to Article
Advanced nuclear to be a focus of reopened Arctic Energy OfficeThe Department of Energy has announced the reestablishment of the Arctic Energy Office (AEO), to be located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The AEO was originally established in 2001 but failed to receive sufficient funding. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had pledged to reopen the office by the close of the current federal fiscal year.The focus of the AEO, according to the DOE, will include international cooperation on Arctic issues, research on methane hydrates, and the development of advanced microgrids and nuclear power systems, such as small modular reactors.Go to Article
ANS members approve amendment adding YMG rep to board of directorsThe American Nuclear Society will include a representative from the Young Members Group on its Board of Directors after ANS members voted this week overwhelmingly in favor of amending Article B6 of the ANS bylaws. The change was mandated by Objective Outcome 5 of the ANS Change Plan 2020.To keep the number of directors at 16, the approved amendment decreased the number of non–U.S. resident directors from three to two.Go to Article
Webinar on Oak Ridge National LaboratoryANS and the Young Members Group are offering the next installment of the “Spotlight on the National Labs” webinar series, featuring Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The webinar takes place on August 12, starting at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).Registration for the webinar is required.Go to Article
Menezes confirmed as deputy energy secretaryMenezesIn a bipartisan 79–16 vote, the Senate on August 4 confirmed Mark W. Menezes to be the nation’s deputy secretary of energy. Prior to his confirmation, Menezes had served as undersecretary of energy to both Secretary Dan Brouillette and his predecessor, Rick Perry. An official swearing-in ceremony will take place at a later time.Before joining the Trump administration in 2017, Menezes was an executive with Berkshire Hathaway Energy. He has also worked on Capitol Hill as chief counsel for energy and environment for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where he served as chief negotiator for the House majority in the enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.Go to Article