Each spring, newly elected leaders prepare to step into their roles at the American Nuclear Society. During this year’s election cycle, ANS members voted for the newest vice president/president-elect and five board of director positions (four U.S., one non-U.S.). About 19 percent of eligible members of the Society voted—a 2 percent dip from last year’s turnout.

Alaina Cummings has been selected by the American Nuclear Society and American Society of Mechanical Engineers to receive the 2026 ANS/ASME Barry Sloane Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship.

A diagram depicting the NRC’s regulatory structure for nuclear criticality safety. (Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

The American Nuclear Society’s Risk-informed, Performance-based Principles and Policy Committee (RP3C) held another presentation in its monthly Community of Practice (CoP) series last month. RP3C chair Steven Krahn opened the meeting with brief introductory remarks about the importance of risk-informed, performance based (RIPB) decision-making and the need for new approaches to nuclear design that go beyond conventional and deterministic methods.

The American Nuclear Society recently hosted a new webinar in its ongoing Educator Training series titled “Perspectives on Generation IV Reactors.” It was led by Edward A. Friedman, professor emeritus of technology management at Stevens Institute of Technology and the author of Nuclear Energy: Boom, Bust, and Emerging Renaissance.

The Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society has officially been selected as the national host for Nuclear Science Week 2026. During the week of October 19–23, educators, students, civic leaders, employers, and members of the Wilmington, N.C., community will gather to learn more about the nuclear world.

The American Nuclear Society and United Cleanup Oak Ridge have signed a memorandum of understanding that establishes a framework for collaboration to advance ANS workforce training and certification programs serving the nuclear industry.

According to the document, UCOR will provide “operational insights and subject matter expertise to inform ANS’s professional development and credentialing offerings, including the Certified Nuclear Professional [CNP] program.” The collaboration will strengthen UCOR’s workforce development efforts while advancing ANS’s mission to sustain and expand the national nuclear workforce pipeline and capabilities.

The time has come to sign up for Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space (NETS 2026), which will be held in Dayton, Ohio, on April 27–30.

Hosted by the American Nuclear Society and the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and sponsored by ANS’s Aerospace Nuclear Science and Technology Division, NETS 2026 is an opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge, develop strong relationships across organizations, and establish collaborations to solve challenging problems across the many space-related applications of nuclear science and technology.

The 2026 American Nuclear Society election is now open. Members can vote for the Society’s next vice president/president-elect as well as six board members (five U.S. directors and one non-U.S. director). Completed ballots must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

All ANS members have been emailed a unique access key from third-party election vendor ElectionBuddy. Each member can use their access key to vote once, and each vote will remain anonymous. Visit secure.electionbuddy.com/ballot to vote.

Next Wednesday, February 18, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. (CST), eight speakers from Texas A&M University involved in the upcoming ANS Student Conference 2026 will hold an online Q&A to discuss the upcoming event.

During this informal, drop-in session, students will be able to stop by and ask any questions they might have regarding what to expect at the conference.

Sometimes, cops and robbers is more than just a kid’s game. At the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, researchers are channeling their inner saboteurs to discover vulnerabilities in next-generation nuclear reactors, making sure that they’re as safe as possible before they’re even constructed.

The American Nuclear Society is hosting a new Supplier Showcase webinar, “Digital Tools for Power Uprates: Using DVR and PEPSE to Enhance MUR and Performance Studies,” on January 27 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST).

The webinar is free for all viewers and requires registration.

Spring will be here before we know it, and with it will come the 2026 ANS Student Conference, which will take place April 16–18 in College Station, Texas, at Texas A&M University.

Registration for the conference is now open. Click here to learn more.

Each year, the American Nuclear Society awards the Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship to two members. Those recipients then spend a year in Washington, D.C., contributing to the federal policymaking process by working in either a U.S. senator’s or representative’s personal office or with a congressional committee.

It has been nearly six months since the 2025 Congressional Fellows provided their midterm updates on their time on the Hill. Now, as their fellowships draw to their close, Jacob Christensen and Mike Woosley are looking back on what they accomplished, what they learned, and much more.

Applications are now open for the spring 2026 testing period for the American Nuclear Society’s Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) exam. Applications are being accepted through March 3, and only three testing sessions are offered per year, so it is important to apply soon. The test will be administered from March 24 through April 22. To check eligibility and schedule your exam, click here.

Thursday was a busy news day for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with three significant announcements.

In the span of a few hours, the NRC released the news of Ho Nieh’s promotion to chair, the reversal of the plan to sunset its aircraft impact assessment provisions, and new guidance for interagency collaboration.

The next opportunity to take part in the American Nuclear Society’s Nuclear 101 Certificate Course isn’t until the 2026 ANS Annual Conference at the end of May in Denver, Colo.

In the meantime, now is the perfect time for those looking to expand their knowledge of the nuclear sector to enroll in the Nuclear Licensing & Regulation Certificate Course.

Analyst firm Trading Economics posted a uranium futures value of about $82.00 per pound on January 5—the highest futures value in more than two months.

In late October, it had listed a futures price of about $82.30/lb. By late November, the price had fallen to under $76.00/lb.

Each year, the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) recognizes graduate and undergraduate students for their innovative nuclear energy research. The winners of the Innovations in Nuclear Energy Research and Development Student Competition (INSC) receive honoraria along with travel and conference opportunities, including the chance to present their publications at the annual American Nuclear Society Winter Conference & Expo.

The 4th Annual Advanced Reactor Codes and Standards Collaborative (ARCSC) Workshop will take place on December 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). The event, which will be hosted at the Electric Power Research Institute’s office Washington, D.C., has a hybrid format, offering the opportunity for both in-person and virtual attendance. It’s focus is on sharing the ARCSC’s progress on developing codes and standards to support advanced reactor development and will also feature industry-focused breakout discussions, conversations with industry leaders, and more.

Click here to register for the workshop.

A recent webinar hosted by the American Nuclear Society featured leading experts in South Carolina’s nuclear sector, who discussed how the state will leverage its resources, history, and experience to become a frontrunner in new development. Hosted by ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy, it offered perspectives from the utility, commercial, and academic worlds.

Go deeper: To hear more from each panelist on the nuclear present and future of South Carolina, watch the full webinar here.