The American Nuclear Society has just announced its fourth professional development course: Foundations of Nuclear Economics, a practical introduction to the financial principles that shape the long-term value of nuclear power.

The first offering of the course will be held on August 24 in Dallas, Texas, in conjunction with this year’s Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX 2026), the nuclear industry conference hosted jointly by ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute.

The American Nuclear Society has released the official study guide for the Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) examination. The comprehensive 149-page document explains each major knowledge area covered by the CNP exam, and it is now available for purchase on the ANS website.

Last week at the American Nuclear Society’s Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., the ANS Board of Directors approved the creation of six new ANS student sections and one new local section. Including these new additions, the Society now boasts 37 local sections and 70 student sections, which together represent ANS members across every region of the United States.

Twice per year, the American Nuclear Society confers Presidential Citations on individuals who have demonstrated outstanding efforts benefiting ANS or the broader nuclear community.

Last week at the opening plenary of the 2026 ANS Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., immediate past president of ANS Hash Hashemian named this season’s recipients of the award.

The American Nuclear Society journal Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) has named a new technical editor: Kathryn McCarthy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The announcement came during the opening plenary at this week’s ANS Annual Conference in Denver, Colo. McCarthy’s term begins on July 1.

Nuclear power currently appears to have the wind at its back, with growing demand for clean, reliable energy from industry (think data centers) and strong political support for new projects. But getting there still will require a lot of pieces to yet fall into place. It is, as American Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy said, a “chicken and egg” problem: Which comes first, the fuel to supply new reactors or the reactors that will create a demand for new fuel?

On Tuesday, during Mark Peters’s last days as the American Nuclear Society’s vice president/president-elect before assuming the presidency on June 4, he sat down with ANS CEO Craig Piercy for a Fireside Chat at the Annual Conference.

The MITRE CEO weighed in on his career path, what excites and worries him about the resurgence of nuclear energy, and juggling work-life balance with his new duties as ANS’s 72nd president.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s an important year,” he told Piercy.

At the American Nuclear Society’s Annual Conference on June 1, an executive session covered the increasingly prominent subject of nuclear applications in the civilian maritime industry.

Panelists who presented during “Advancing Nuclear Powered Maritime Shipping” highlighted the fact that the commercial shipping industry, the nuclear industry, and government agencies are looking at nuclear power as a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 3 percent of which are attributed to commercial shipping.

The nuclear community descended on Denver, Colo., this week for the American Nuclear Society’s Annual Conference, which opened with a packed room and inspiring words from multiple speakers.

Applications are now open for the summer 2026 testing period for the American Nuclear Society’s Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) exam. Applications are being accepted through July 2, and only three testing sessions are offered per year, so it is important to apply soon. The test administration period is July 28–September 1. To check eligibility and schedule your exam, click here.

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. Former RP3C chair N. Prasad Kadambi opened the April 24 meeting with brief introductory remarks about the RP3C and the overall importance of risk-informed, performance-based (RIPB) design principles.

The American Nuclear Society recently hosted a new webinar in its ongoing Educator Training series titled, “Powering the Lunar Frontier: Nuclear Energy for the Artemis Era.” This webinar featured a presentation from Harsh Desai, chief commercialization officer at Zeno Power and chair of the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Space Nuclear Taskforce.

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. Former RP3C chair N. Prasad Kadambi opened the March 27 meeting with brief introductory remarks about the RP3C and the recent incorporation of risk-informed, performance-based (RIPB) design principles in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Part 53 framework. He then welcomed this month’s speaker: Lyndsey Fyffe, a nuclear safety engineer with Strategic Management Solutions, who presented “RIPB Terminology Across the Nuclear Industry.”

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.