DIA Travel Grant Recipients

2023 ANS Winter Conference

• One of the highlights of my participation was the opportunity to present research in the technical session: UNLP Sponsored Research: II, made possible by the support of the DIA Grant. Presenting my research titled “Establishing a Domestic HALEU Supply Chain” allowed me to share my work with a wider audience, receive constructive feedback, and establish connections with fellow UNLP sponsored students. This experience was a critical step in preparing myself for future research conference presentations and graduate school.
• Another significant benefit of attending the ANS Winter Meeting was the opportunity to participate in a DIA Committee Meeting. This opportunity served as a platform for me to engage in discussions on the challenges and opportunities for women and minorities in nuclear. These discussions, centered on diversity and inclusion, were inspiring and provided me with valuable insights. With the receipt of the DIA grant, I am motivated to continue my involvement with this committee to actively contribute to the promotion of diversity and inclusion within ANS.

2023 ANS Winter Conference

• This scholarship directly allowed me to attend and present my research at the ANS Winter Conference in DC. This conference was immensely rewarding and instructive. The scholarship relieved what otherwise would have been a big financial stress.
• This conference is the first time I presented my research. Afterward, people offered advice to point my research and I made connections with fellow graduate students. I enjoyed seeing other graduate students researching similar topics. We exchanged contact information, insights, and funny stories. I look forward to leveraging my expanded network of fellow graduate students.
• I attended as many sessions as I could. There, I was able to learn what other people in nuclear engineering are interested in and studying, as well as where the nuclear industry was heading towards. I enjoyed the start-up nuclear companies showcasing their novel technologies and commenting on where they are investing in the most.
  
  

2023 ANS Winter Conference

• My current focus is on thermal hydraulics, so I attended all technical sessions possible related to this focus. Two technologies that made the biggest impact on me were the DRACO thermal propulsion spacecraft by BWXT, and the eVinci Micro rector by Westinghouse. The DRACO peaked my interest because of the unique intersection between advanced reactor systems, the need for a lightweight fuel, and a large budget that comes with a government project. This reactor can fill a unique role in the US space program, grow the base of understanding for nuclear propulsion, and help develop supply chains that can be used by other micro reactor systems. The eVinci peaked my interest because of their use of heat pipes. I am currently working on a senior design project to develop scaling tools for heat pipes, so observing an entire system that is planning to be built around the heat pipes helped provide some perspective into how my work can be implemented.
• ANS active membership has been a goal of mine since I joined the society about a year and a half ago. I joined as a student member and I have been attending local ANS meetings, but Purdue’s connection to the national chapter has never been strong. Attending this conference was a helpful intro into the society as a whole. It’s difficult to find a large group of nuclear engineers that has the same vocabulary and interests, and that is exactly what I found at this conference. I have been wanting to go to one of these conferences for a while now, so attending and understanding exactly how they work gave me valuable prospective.

2023 ANS Winter Conference

• From Friday, November 10th to Wednesday, November 15th, I attended the American Nuclear Society 2023 Winter Meeting and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C. This conference was an incredible experience for an undergraduate student like me, and it would not have been possible without the funds provided by the DIA Travel Grant. The location of the conference in the heart of Washington made travel and lodging particularly expensive, which would be otherwise prohibitive without the grant. Most of the funds were spent on a shared hostel room with three other Illinois students, located across the street from the Washington Hilton. This location was extremely convenient for attending conference activities throughout the day, and it further allowed all four of us to participate in the Young Professional’s Congress on Saturday, November 11th. The YPC meeting was an outstanding event and helped in developing my professional skills greatly, while also networking with other students and recent graduates.
• Throughout the rest of the conference, sessions like the Thermal Hydraulics Activities and Opportunities in Industry were fun to attend and extremely interesting. The TH sessions exposed me to different areas of my subfield in nuclear engineering that I was not aware of before. Furthermore, speakers presented several exciting projects, like the AP300 and eVinci with Westinghouse, which I had not known much about prior. As I am only a student, I may find myself contributing to these projects in the future because of this conference.
• Besides travel and lodging, the grant also provided funds to afford meals and social events during the conference. Much of my networking and collaborating occurred at these events, so being able to attend was a major benefit of the grant. Additionally, the conference organizers did not provide many meals, so it was necessary to eat out in the local area. In the end, the DIA grant was an enormous support for my experience at the conference. It would not have been possible for me to attend without the generous funding, and I am extremely grateful to ANS for providing it. I was also able to meet other DIA grant recipients, notably at Purdue and Reed College, and we plan to create events between our ANS student chapters starting next semester. We will certainly advertise this grant to our peers for future meetings.

2023 ANS Annual Meeting

• Attending to the ANS Annual Meeting through the support of the grant has been an enriching and transformative experience. Firstly, the conference provided a platform for me to learn from industry experts, gaining different perspectives and visions of the future of nuclear engineering. The sessions, workshops, and presentations were insightful and provided cutting-edge knowledge and trends in my area of expertise. The conference allowed me to expand my understanding of the latest research, technologies, and best practices, which I will be able to implement on my ongoing research.
• Moreover, the conference facilitated valuable networking opportunities that will have a lasting impact on my professional connections, as well as opportunities once I finish my doctoral studies. I had the privilege to engage with speakers, and exhibitors who share a common passion for the field. These interactions not only fostered new relationships but also led to collaborations and partnerships that have extended beyond the conference.
• In conclusion, attending to the 2023 ANS Annual Meeting through the grant provided by the American Nuclear Society has been a valuable experience. The personal benefits, including knowledge enrichment, networking opportunities, professional visibility, and personal growth, have had a profound impact on my career trajectory. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and the confidence instilled in me by your support.

2023 ANS Annual Meeting

• As a student from the University of Puerto Rico, these opportunities are hard to stumble upon, but thanks to the DIA Grant Award, I was able to attend my very first ANS Annual Meeting. Here I had the opportunity to network with fellow students and professional members that are as passionate as I am about nuclear advocacy.
• My goal was to network with fellow members and spark conversations about interest in Nuclear and its advocacy in Puerto Rico. This resulted in great connections with amazing people happy to help with the nuclear advocacy efforts of the Puerto Rican community. Organizing nuclear talks for the University of Puerto Rico student body, recruiting events and info sessions with companies, and obtaining advice, support, and resources. This opportunity felt like more doors were opening for Puerto Ricans in Nuclear.
• During the Meeting, I was able to attend and participate in committee meetings where I got to meet the leaders of the DIA Committee, Student Section Committee, and Young Members Group. I also had the opportunity to meet ANS senior leadership and felt the support of my efforts for nuclear advocacy in Puerto Rico.
• Apart from networking, I also had the opportunity to feed my brain. I attended various speaker sessions, ranging from different topics such as the history of nuclear, new technologies, nuclear advocacy, advanced nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, new fuel, nuclear waste management, etc. All great learning opportunities that I will talk about with my peers back home.
• Thanks to the DIA Award, I was able to accomplish my goal of creating more visibility for Puerto Ricans interested in Nuclear. I hope that this will result in more inclusion of the Puerto Rican community in ANS and the nuclear industry overall. Nuclear is an important step in conserving our beautiful world in which the gorgeous island of Puerto Rico is located. “Failure is not an option!”

2023 ANS Annual Meeting

• I have been involved with the American Nuclear Society for the past four years. During this time, ANS has provided me with a lot of firsts; including my first opportunity to lead as president of a student group, my first important award, and my first conference. These events have greatly shaped my professional and personal development, steering me towards becoming a better student, a better leader, and a better future engineer.
• As a student from Puerto Rico, funded opportunities to travel to the United States for professional development purposes are scarce. I am incredibly grateful to have been selected for the 2023 Diversity and Inclusion in ANS Grant.
• Thanks to this award, which covered my registration, travel, and food expenses during the conference, I was able to attend the 2023 annual meeting in Indianapolis and focus on networking with peers and industry professionals, attending committee meetings, learning at technical sessions, sharing the progress we have had in our student section, reconnecting with friends, and even having fun at the social events.
• These types of events are extremely important for students. Not only do they promote a sense of community and belonging in the nuclear industry, but they open a significant number of doors for attendees. After this conference, I feel even more connected to our mission as part of the American Nuclear Society and more inspired to actively advocate for nuclear science and technology in Puerto Rico. In the words of Grace Stanke, we are going to “shout it from the rooftops”.

2022 ANS Winter Meeting

• “Let’s Be Unapologetically Pro-Nuclear!” ANS President Steven Arndt’s words were music to my ears. The 2022 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting & Expo kicked off with an opening plenary and panel discussion–and no small amount of enthusiasm for the future of nuclear power. This was my first ANS Conference attendance, and the Diversity and Inclusion in ANS (DIA) Travel Grant was critical to my presence. As a recently separated veteran, I support myself through a combination GI bill stipend, student loans, and savings from my time in service. The encouragement and direct support I received from the American Nuclear Society makes me want to stay nuclear!
• I served in the US Navy for six years as a nuclear operator and an Engineering Laboratory Technician. My past experience in nuclear power influenced my technical session choices, and I was able to attend the sessions for Isotopes & Radiation, Radiation Interactions & Detection Techniques, Uranium Mine and Mill Sites Reclamation, and (my favorite) The Future of Nuclear Maritime Propulsion. The former two offered a fascinating look into cutting edge nuclear research, and the latter two strengthened my resolve to seek and encourage taking a “cutting edge” to the (often) burdensome-but-necessary nuclear regulatory framework.
• I found and built connections with professionals across the nuclear industry, all of whom were thrilled with the exciting developments in Small Modular Reactors and Consent-based Siting. Face-to-face meetings with the Student and Young Member’s Group (YMG) professionals were equally inspiring. If I can summarize, “We can do it, let’s get started!” As a soon-to-be graduating senior and accelerated-master’s student, I say, “Challenge Accepted!”

2022 ANS Winter Meeting

• I’m a senior at Oregon State University studying nuclear engineering. The 2022 ANS Winter Meeting and Technology Expo in Phoenix is the first ANS Winter Meeting (and the second conference overall) I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. I am extremely grateful for this travel grant, as I would not have been able to afford attending without it
• I thought the conference was an excellent experience. I was able to meet fellow ANS student members and network with business professionals. Since I am looking for a job after I graduate, this will hopefully help in that endeavor. Some of the people I spoke to at the conference lunches, committee meetings, and career booths seemed very interested in my skills, and I am communicating with them over email about job opportunities. If I had never gone to the conference, I would not have made these connections, which might’ve kept me from opportunities by simply not knowing they existed.
• I also worked the Student Program while at the conference. Even though the travel grant is a considerable amount of money, when registration, flights, and a rental vehicle are considered, that ends up being more money than the travel grant would cover. It also was an excellent opportunity to watch technical sessions and see the work students are doing. Both technical sessions I worked at were sessions I wanted to attend, and I enjoyed seeing the research being done into fields I’m interested in. One student in particular gave a presentation on work very similar to the research I do at Oregon State, and it was great to connect with her and compare our research. She gave me new ideas about reference electrode designs for molten salts that I can take back to my lab.
• Overall, attending the ANS Winter Meeting was an enriching experience. Without the DIA travel grant, I would’ve been forced to pay for the majority of the conference out-of-pocket, and that isn’t something I have the funds to do. Getting awarded the travel grant made all the difference. This is something I will never forget, and I will always be thankful to ANS for making it possible.

2022 ANS Winter Meeting

• It is truly an exceptional honor for me to have been selected again as one of the recipients of this award. The personal benefits afforded to me through my participation in the conference mirror that of my principal objectives: networking with individuals passionate about the future of nuclear science, engineering, and technology — especially in terms of educational practices — and assisting with the facilitation of conference events through the Student Program. Serving as the Session Assistant for two ETWDD-sponsored technical sessions (i.e., Cutting-Edge Techniques in Education, Training and Distance Education and Training, Human Performance, and Workforce Development), the ability to further connect and communicate with Lisa Marshall, NC State NE Outreach, Retention & Engagement Program Director, bolstered my perspective on the importance of this realm of educational work. My roles in assisting with aspects of both the 2023 Conference on Nuclear Training and Education (CONTE) and 2023 ANS Student Conference have, therefore, been reinforced and better enabled in light of these interactions — in conjunction with my positions within several ANS committees/divisions. The conference also provided me with the exceptional opportunity to interface with my peers, colleagues, and friends from the Young Members Group (YMG), Student Sections Committee (SSC), DIA, and ETWDD— along with those across the academia-government-industry system at large — on a face-to-face basis. As a graduate student at Iowa State University concentrating in both higher education and business

  administration, direct exposure to the current developments within the nuclear community is invaluable for informing my research on the current state of curriculum development in nuclear programs — ensuring that learning outcomes are applicable and consistent — and providing a broader network for collaboration and engagement. Dedicated to a life in academia, my aspiration of achieving a professorship position within the field is firmly established and resolute, now more than ever before. These experiences continue to embolden me to not let my disability define my capabilities or future potential — in keeping with my continuous growth mindset, personal initiative, and leadership mentality.

• By awarding me the DIA Travel Grant, I was better able to concentrate on the professional development aspects of the conference and to endeavor to become a more active member of the nuclear community. Thank you again for investing in my future through the continued support. If there are any future opportunities to get involved or contribute to ANS in a greater capacity, please be sure to keep me in mind — it would be absolute pleasure for me to further support our wonderful society and represent the visual impairment community!

2022 ANS Winter Meeting

• As a result of the DIA travel grant, I was able to attend the 2022 ANS Winter Meeting before my graduation. The conference afforded me the chance to meet peers and experts in the nuclear field for research collaboration and other internship and job opportunities and these are important to me as a PhD nuclear engineering student. At the meeting, I had the opportunity to learn from experts in the technical sessions and accessibility to new and upcoming research. As a speaker for the session titled ‘Next Generation and Accident Tolerant Fuels: II”, I was able to obtain feedback for other experts to further advance my current research. I was also able to network with other speakers at the session and this has led to some future collaboration with other students who are also working with ATFs.
• While at the conference, I was able to attend other technical sessions such as “Operations and Power: General” and “Modeling Nuclear Power Plant Market Deployments” and from these sessions, I was able to get an overview of the different methods of billing clean energy and how nuclear energy fit into this. I was also able to understand the different expenses incurred when construction delays occur during nuclear plant deployment and learning such information has expanded the area of my knowledge. These are some of the new knowledge that I acquired as a result of attending the conference.
• In conclusion, this conference opportunity has afforded me the capacity for professional development as well as the ability to interact with experts in the nuclear engineering field. As explained above, the DIA grant allowed me to afford the conference expenses as this is not something that I had the out-of-pocket funds for, and I will always be grateful to the DIA committee for making it possible.

2022 ANS Winter Meeting

• By receiving the grant, I was able to travel to the ANS Winter Meeting, where I introduce myself to other members of the nuclear community, something I am not able to do in Puerto Rico. This grant helped me discover new industries related to nuclear sciences, which I did not know of before. Many introduced themselves and offered to participate in my student section to offer guidance to our blooming community of new engineers. I am very pleased with what I learned, and I hope to be present in the next meeting.

2022 ANS Annual Meeting

• The personal benefits afforded to me through my participation in the conference mirror that of my principal objectives: networking with individuals passionate about the future of nuclear science, engineering, and technology — especially in terms of educational practices — and assisting with the facilitation of conference events through the Student Program. Serving as the Session Assistant for both of the ETWDD-sponsored technical sessions (i.e., Cutting-Edge Techniques in Education, Training, and Distance Education), the ability to communicate with Drew Thomas, NEUP Integration Office Manager, while reflecting on the various presentations bolstered my perspective on the importance of this realm of educational work. My ambition to submit a summary for the 2023 Conference on Nuclear Training and Education (CONTE) has, therefore, been reinforced and better enabled in light of these interactions — in conjunction with joining ETWDD. The conference also provided me with the rare opportunity to interface with my peers, colleagues, and friends from the Student Sections Committee (SSC), the Young Members Group (YMG), and those across the academia-government-industry system at large on a face-to-face basis.
  
  

2021 ANS Winter Meeting

• Thanks to the DIA travel grant, I was able to attend the last ANS winter meeting before my graduation. It came at an essential time, where the chance to network in person hadn't been an option for over a year. I loved being able to see familiar faces again as well as meet many new ones and discuss shared research interests with them. I participated in the student program as well, which gave me several good opportunities to become more involved with the meeting. Attending the many different technical sessions is such a good way to broaden your knowledge of your field, and being there in person allowed for the conversations to keep going after sessions ended. It was a great conference in a great location that made the downtime after sessions special too.

2021 ANS Winter Meeting

• Thank you for helping me fund my trip to the 2021 ANS Winter Meeting. The cost of attending a conference is out of my budget as an undergraduate student with no real income. In past years, students have gotten funding from our department to go to the ANS Student Conference, but that conference has been virtual for the past two years due to COVID. While they were really well-put-together virtual programs, there’s a lot of networking and conversations and unexpected encounters that just don’t happen at a virtual conference. Going to the ANS Winter Conference this year gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people in the industry before I graduate this fall. This was an extremely valuable experience that has provided me with a lot of new connections and insight into what career opportunities and experiences may await me long-term. Without the funding from the DIA Committee, I may not have attended at all. With it, I was able to cover nearly the entire cost of flights, the hotel room, and registration. I want to sincerely thank the committee for providing me with one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life

2021 ANS Winter Meeting

• The Winter Meeting was probably the most fun trip I have taken in university, I know that’s a strong statement to start with but I can’t say it enough. The ANS Winter Meeting was my first in-person conference as an undergrad, and from the get-go it was such a surreal experience. I run the social media accounts for my student chapter, and just standing in line for registration I was looking around seeing all of the people whose twitter accounts I’m constantly retweeting and interacting with. From a networking standpoint I got to meet up with students from Wisconsin and MS&T who I have known for a while now, but through my advisors and friends I got to meet people who I never thought would know my name. A benefit for my chapter, and this was probably already in the works but I’m glad I encouraged it at least, came from when I met Steve Nesbitt and told him that we would love to host him for a talk with our chapter. We’ve had the opportunity in years past to meet with the president of ANS, but not in recent years, and now we’re organizing a visit for sometime early next year. In addition to meeting a bunch of professionals and students, another really cool experience for me was in attending as many of the panels and presentations as I could. I didn’t know that nonproliferation was something I was into until I worked one of the panels on Wednesday. I am very grateful for the assistance in attending this conference, and I have spent the weeks since encouraging people to submit things for all of the upcoming conferences

2021 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting

• Attending the meeting was very crucial to me as a PhD Nuclear Engineering student. I was able to network, met people in nuclear field for collaboration, learned new things and many more. At the meeting I was able to get more information and insight on clean energy goals and this was possible by attending Energy Industry CEO roundtable session of the meeting. It was very inspiring, I learned a lot of things and had different perspective. Details of the role nuclear will play in meeting 2050 clean energy goals were discussed. This gave me a more understanding on the subject.
• I was also able to attend technical sessions where various presentations were made. I also attended workshops during the meeting. NPIC&HMIT Saturday Training Course was particularly informative.

2021 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting

• Having been to just a few local ANS meetings prior to 2021, going to the annual meeting before starting a nuclear PhD program was a new opportunity on many levels. Instead of just sitting back in a sense of awe and seeing what was going on in a part of the world that I thought I’d only ever be on the fringe of, it afforded me the ability to write down procedures, equipment and experimentation techniques that I could have first-hand experience with within a year. It took me from “Where could I possibly fit in, maybe writing procedures for the nuclear waste industry?” to “What do Raman spectroscopy and EIS voltammetry tell me about spent waste and how can I use them to progress this current work?” It made me look at the presentations not just as new knowledge, but as the sort of things I could be doing with this new knowledge and how to take it a step further.
• I also wasn’t just looking at the people who were doing those things as faceless experts and a blur of names, but looking to them as the people I would learn from and hopefully work with some day. Ultimately, through the lens of impending grad school, this experience made me incredibly grateful for the chance to look at the nuclear industry with fresh eyes and see myself as part of its future. Thank you for the opportunity.

2021 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting

• My research area is Thermal-hydraulics and nuclear reactor safety. This meeting is a great opportunity to know the current state of art topics in my area and to understand what other researchers’ research interests are. For example, I did find one paper that is directly related to my current project, the CFD simulation study of wire-wrapped rod bundle geometry. And by reading that paper, I gain some better idea of what direction to follow for my next step plan. There are also some other papers which cited some old but valuable literature which I have been looking for. I plan to contact the author directly and hopefully I can find that reference literature. Even though this meeting is made virtually this year, I still get the chance to talk to other PhD students working in Thermal hydraulics, which will benefit my career development in the future.

2021 ANS Virtual Annual Meeting

• As a Latina woman and the first member in my family to graduate from college, I do not take opportunities like these lightly. Having the opportunity to learn from experts of the nuclear world in the technical sessions and accessibility to new and exciting research was such an incredible experience. This meeting helped me formulate my own thoughts on how far we could go with space exploration in relation to nuclear technology, the great advances thus far in human factors engineering, and pertaining to my personal interests: nuclear plant instrumentation- NuScale. I had the opportunity to get trained on how to run the NuScale control room simulator at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Not only did I learn to navigate the system with different malfunctions but more importantly, it helped me raise questions about using other initial conditions than the default initial condition.