ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo
August 8–11, 2021
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2021
Jan 2021
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2021
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Metz on Harold Denton: Memories of a life in nuclear safety
Metz
A number of years ago, historian and writer Chuck Metz Jr. was at the Bush’s Visitor Center in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains when he ran into former Nuclear Regulatory Commission official Harold Denton and his wife. Metz was at the visitor center, which opened in 2010 and is now a tourist hotspot, because, as he explained to the Dentons at the time, he had overseen the development of its on-site museum and had written a companion coffee-table history book.
The chance meeting turned into a friendship and a fruitful collaboration. Denton, who in 1979 was the public spokesperson for the NRC as the Three Mile Island-2 accident unfolded, had been working on his memoir, but he was stuck. He asked Metz for help with the organization and compilation of his notes. “I was about to retire,” Metz said, “but I thought that exploring the nuclear world might be an interesting change of pace.”
Denton passed away in 2017, but by then Metz had spent many hours with his fast friend and was able to complete the memoir, Three Mile Island and Beyond: Memories of a Life in Nuclear Safety, which was published recently by ANS. Metz shared some of his thoughts about Denton and the book with Nuclear News. The interview was conducted by NN’s David Strutz.
ANS is striving to incorporate Navigating Nuclear into school curriculums across America. And we’re providing necessary outreach materials for ANS members – particularly parents and educators – to successfully recommend Navigating Nuclear to their local school districts, administrators and teachers.
Get Involved!
In 2018, ANS set the ambitious goal of ensuring every teacher and student in America has access to fact-based nuclear science and technology resources. Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World™, the K-12 nuclear science and energy curriculum created in partnership with Discovery Education and lead funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, was a first step in achieving that goal.
Learn more about Navigating Nuclear
Navigating Nuclear reached more than 1.2 million students in its first two years. Now, the program is going to grade school. Starting in October 2020, Navigating Nuclear’s elementary curriculum will be available at navigatingnuclear.com. In April, a Virtual Field Trip will take students via land, sea, and space to explore applications for nuclear energy and technology.
While Navigating Nuclear’s reach is impressive, we can do more. We’re now empowering local ANS members with the necessary materials to encourage school districts and administrators to incorporate Navigating Nuclear into their K-12 curriculums.
"Navigating Nuclear is an invaluable and engaging tool for teaching nuclear science to K-12 students. Now, we’re expanding Navigating Nuclear’s horizons by focusing our efforts on getting nuclear in every K-12 classroom. This ambitious outreach will certainly have a lasting positive impact on the education of millions of American students – including inspiring future career endeavors in nuclear science, engineering and medicine."
Mary Lou Dunzik-GougarPresident, American Nuclear SocietyAssociate Professor and Dean,Idaho State University College of Science and Engineering
ANS already has several resources for outreach initiatives. Look for more in the coming months.
Last modified April 5, 2021, 2:58pm CDT
