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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Going Nuclear: Notes from the officially unofficial book tour
I work in the analytical labs at one of Europe’s oldest and largest nuclear sites: Sellafield, in northwestern England. I spend my days at the fume hood front, pipette in one hand and radiation probe in the other (and dosimeter pinned to my chest, of course). Outside the lab, I have a second job: I moonlight as a writer and public speaker. My new popular science book—Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World—came out last summer, and it feels like my life has been running at full power ever since.
Chicago-Great Lakes Local Section Event
February 27, 2025|6:00–7:00PM (7:00–8:00PM EST)
Available to All Users
Join the ANS Chicago-Great Lakes Local Section for a presentation on the advancements in nuclear energy through the Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) project at Abilene Christian University (ACU).
The presentation will focus on the MSRR's critical role in addressing global challenges, the advantages of using molten salt as a medium for energy production, safety features, the development timeline, key milestones, and future prospects for both Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The presentation will be followed by an interactive Q&A session into the MSRR's potential impacts on society and the environment.
Please register for this hybrid event and indicate whether you will be attending virtually or in person at the ANS Headquarters office (1111 Pasquinelli Dr., Suite 350, Westmont, IL 60559).
About the PresenterLester Towell, Director of Operations, ACU NEXT Lab, earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics from Abilene Christian University in 1990. For the next four years, he served in the US Navy as an instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, FL where he taught Reactor Principles and Physics. In 1995, Towell joined the Computer Information Systems department at Howard Payne University and moved to the Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab at ACU in 2020 as the licensing manager for the first university advanced reactor in the country.
