The American Nuclear Society announced its inaugural class of Nuclear 40 Under 40 winners on Dec 13th and we want to congratulate them all. It is rather exciting to see the ANS announce this program, which is not just recognition of the contributions of young people working in the industry. In fact, this reflects a remarkable transformation for the industry overall, which has previously seen decades of decline and the aging of its work force, but which is now seeing growing interest and engagement by young people, reflecting the industry's resurgence.
There are many ways for young professionals to engage with nuclear power, everything from simply studying nuclear engineering or launching a nuclear venture, as did Brad Fox, a founder of Nuclearn (one of our portfolio ventures), all the way to leading the U.S. DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, as is Dr. Katy Hoff, one of the 40 individuals selected. According to the ANS, those selected "represent the exceptional talent, vision, and drive that is transforming the nuclear sector across the community, . . . [with] remarkable commitment, innovation, and leadership in advancing nuclear science and technology, paving the way for a future in which nuclear power and applications will continue to play a vital role in addressing global challenges."
In particular, we congratulate Brad Fox, from Nuclearn, Katy Huff, who heads up the Office of Nuclear Energy, Kurt Terrani of USNC, Harsh Desai of Zeno Power, and Grace Stanke, a former Miss America winner who devoted her year in the spotlight to advocating for nuclear power, and who is now part of Constellation Energy.