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Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

475 episodes — Page 1 of 10

Ep 458Ep 458: Brian Woods - Head, School of Nuclear Science & Engineering, Oregon State University

1) The beginning of Brian's career and his time in the United States Navy as a diver, as well as what drew him to engineering and nuclear 2) Brian's initial journey to Oregon State and all of the research projects he's had a hand in since then 3) Fostering a passion for nuclear in the next generation of nuclear engineers and why the researchers as just as important as the research itself 4) What challenges and successes the nuclear industry will face in the coming years and how to form your individual opinion on nuclear energy

Oct 10, 202446 min

Ep 457Ep 457: Sarah Stevenson - Lieutenant, Physicist, & Nuclear Engineer, United States Air Force

1) Sarah's journey from ROTC at Kansas State University to the White House to active duty and everything in between 2) A dive into Sarah's time in graduate school at U.C. Berkeley, meeting her mentors, and how Sarah's education evolved during her time at Berkeley 3) Sarah's experience in Washington, D.C. and all the facets of policy and research she was able to contribute to during her time on 'The Hill' 4) The driving force behind Sarah's multitude of accomplishments and experiences to date

Sep 16, 202435 min

Ep 456Ep 456: Paul Wilson - Chair, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin

1) Paul's decision to complete research on nuclear energy, as well as his journey from graduate school at the University of Wisconsin to Germany and back again 2) The current research Paul is conducting and one of the main tools that has originated from his work, which has to do with nuclear fuel cycle modeling 3) What's next for Paul's research, as well as other subjects in the nuclear industry that Paul is keeping an eye on as they evolve 4) How interest in nuclear among young people has developed in recent years and some notable milestones that have contributed to this rise in attention

Sep 16, 202448 min

Ep 455Ep 455: Zach Peña - CEO, Empirix Partners

1) Zach's journey from the United States Marine Corps to becoming the CEO of Empirix Partners, a strategic sourcing and procurement advisory 2) The growing connections between the data center and nuclear industries 3) Emerging trends and developments in the energy sector that Zach has been keeping an eye on 4) A deep dive into Empirix and what listeners can look forward to in the future

Jul 17, 202438 min

Ep 454Ep 454: Shaheen Dewji - Assistant Professor, Nuclear & Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

1) Shaheen's upbringing as a fourth generation farmer, her early interest in physics, and how her career eventually ended up on a path towards nuclear 2) How Shaheen's early work lead to her current job as an educator in Georgia 3) The ways in which Shaheen stays updated on the latest developments in her field, as well as how they become incorporated into her curriculum 4) How Shaheen promotes diversity and inclusion in nuclear engineering, being a steady resource among uncertainties, and some future-facing thoughts regarding nuclear development

Jul 9, 202434 min

Ep 453Ep 453: Reed Clay - President, Texas Nuclear Alliance

1) Reed's career journey and his experiences within the legal and government sectors, as well as how he became interested in nuclear energy 2) A bit about the Texas Nuclear Alliance and what the organization has accomplished since its creation in late 2022 3) How efforts that organizations put forth locally or at the state level fit into the federally-driven process of project deployment 4) The current state of nuclear development in Texas and next year's goals for the Texas Nuclear Alliance

Jun 25, 202435 min

Ep 452Ep 452: Juliann Edwards - Chair, United States Women in Nuclear

1) How Juliann's energy career began shortly after graduating from the University of South Florida 2) A deep dive into Women in Nuclear and how the organization has grown since being founded in 1999 3) What Juliann finds particularly interesting about the nuclear industry right now and where she keeps an eye out for regulatory news 4) How women can get involved in Women in Nuclear and how the U.S. subsidiary of WIN interacts with WIN Global

Jun 21, 202436 min

Ep 451Ep 451: Stefano Buono - Founder and CEO, newcleo

1) A re-introduction to Stefano Buono, the Founder and CEO of newcleo 2) Diving back into newcleo's technology, the fuel landscape, and fast reactors 3) The intersection of being both pre-revenue and an established, growing company engaging with equipment suppliers 4) Stefano's entrepreneurial background, the benefits of a higher temperature system using lead, and a brief look toward the future

Jun 5, 202439 min

Ep 450Ep 450: Bill Kennedy - Vice President, Environmental & Waste Mgmt. Issues, National Council on Radiation Protection

1) How Bill quite literally followed his dreams and ended up in the nuclear space, as well as the impactful experiences that shaped his education 2) A deep dive into the philosophy behind regulation and how the public typically views radiation (and why) 3) The current state of the nuclear landscape in regards to new builds and current nuclear law 4) What Bill is looking forward to seeing in the nuclear industry's future and what it has to do with advanced and small reactors

May 30, 20241h 22m

Ep 449Ep 449: Ieuan Williams - Labour Party Candidate, Ynys Môn

1) Ieuan's background and interests - from music to politics and everything in between 2) The transformation of nuclear energy policy in the United Kingdom over the past five years 3) Ieuan's campaign to become the next Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn, specifically Ieuan's motivation to run as well as his platform 4) A take on what the future holds for Ieuan, Anglesey, and more

May 22, 202448 min

Ep 448Ep 448: Trey Lauderdale - Founder and CEO, Atomic Canyon

1) Trey's early career and his experiences working closely with the healthcare industry 2) The massive growth of AI and how it can affect various industries, such as healthcare and energy, for the better 3) A deep dive into Atomic Canyon, the impetus for starting the company, and what Atomic Canyon is working on right now 4) Trey's hopes for the future, where to find Atomic Canyon's latest work, and a message to the nuclear community

May 7, 202452 min

Ep 447Ep 447: Rachael Zisk - Lead Reporter, Ignition

1) Rachael, Lead Reporter for Ignition, discusses her background in journalism, focusing on business, science, and technology 2) Ignition, a new digital media outlet covering the nuclear energy sector, particularly advanced reactor startups and policy 3) An exploration between the nature of startups in the nuclear and space industries 4) The importance of nuclear energy in decarbonizing our energy infrastructure and the need for comprehensive coverage in the industry

May 3, 202431 min

Ep 446Ep 446: Vince Zabielski - Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

1) Vince's journey to nuclear power and how it all started at the Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations 2) Attitudes toward nuclear energy around the world as Vince has experienced them during his career 3) The barriers to a good solution for an inevitable problem 4) The importance of nuclear energy and how it will serve to uplift humanity and increase general prosperity

Apr 25, 202448 min

Ep 445Ep 445: Kyle Hill - Science Communicator & Founder, [THE FACILITY]

1) Kyle's journey into the world of content creation, the details that go into the art, and what interests drive him to keep creating 2) A long-awaited visit to the Dresden Generating Station and Kyle's other experiences with learning about nuclear energy 3) The public's common perceptions of nuclear energy content and how to adjust communication based on these reactions 4) How content should evolve over time to maximize understanding and impact

Apr 18, 20241h 12m

Ep 444Ep 444: Todd Abrajano - President & CEO, United States Nuclear Industry Council

1) Todd's first encounter with the subject of nuclear energy and how he came to be the President and CEO of the United States Nuclear Industry Council 2) What Todd would say to a policymaker to emphasize the importance of the U.S. nuclear industry and accelerate development 3) The USNIC's domestic and international reach 4) How the USNIC thinks about financing for advanced reactor projects in the United States, as well as a brief discussion of AI

Apr 11, 202442 min

Ep 443Ep 443: Alan Howard - Nuclear Nexus: Data Centers, Episode 4

1) A deep dive into the recent growth of the data center industry and infrastructure 2) Power usage in data centers and the power that different components traditonally use 3) How data centers decide on siting and the relationship between this process and existing power supply 4) An exploration of nuclear data center development and recent conversations, as well as experts, on the topic

Apr 9, 202444 min

Ep 442Ep 442: Robert Boswall & Michael Crabb - Nuclear Nexus: Data Centers, Episode 3

1) How the nuclear industry can adapt to the development of the data center industry and energy needs 2) The relationships between generation, transmission, and your end user 3) The ways in which baseload power generation is valuable to data centers and the benefits of co-location 4) Social perceptions of data centers and energy demand, as well as the current state of data centers being built

Apr 3, 202444 min

Ep 441Ep 441: Shannon Bragg-Sitton & Bill Kleyman - Nuclear Nexus: Data Centers, Episode 2

1) An introduction to the relationship between nuclear energy and data centers 2) The different sizes of nuclear power plants, electricity demand from data centers, and factory manufacturing for nuclear 3) Data center leaders' growing support for nuclear and the evolution of the procurement process 4) Use cases for nuclear and how nuclear power plants can be integrated into communities, as well as nuclear's impressive uptime

Mar 25, 202451 min

Ep 440Ep 440: Michael Crabb & John Chaplin - Nuclear Nexus: Data Centers, Episode 1

1) An introduction to Nuclear Nexus, data centers, and what the rest of the series will hold 2) What the experts may discuss as the conversation surrounding data centers continues 3) Where the nuclear industry and data centers converge 4) The topics of energy reliability, power consumption, and data center development

Mar 22, 202414 min

Ep 439Ep 439: Josh Snowhorn - Founder and CEO, Quantum Loophole

1) Josh's interesting story of how he first become involved in data center work 2) The start and story of Quantum Loophole 3) The relationship between nuclear energy and data centers 4) How nuclear is able to fill the need for baseload, carbon-free power

Mar 20, 202446 min

Ep 438Ep 438: Bahman Zohuri - Professor, Golden Gate University

1) Bahman's drive to publish textbooks and how he ended up publishing about 64 works and counting over the course of his career 2) A deep dive into heat pipes and the combined cycle system 3) A discussion of compact heat exchangers 4) Bahman's new research and some last words of advice regarding innovation and technology

Mar 5, 202449 min

Ep 437Ep 437: Doug Sandridge - Executive Director, Oil & Gas Executives for Nuclear

1) Doug's early interest in nuclear energy, how he ended up in oil and gas, and his eventual return to his passion for nuclear 2) How Doug caught up on the history of nuclear and recent events, as well as his mission to create Oil & Gas Executives for Nuclear 3) How different industries can work together toward the goal of abundant clean energy 4) The future's energy mix and the development of SMRs

Feb 26, 202450 min

Ep 436Ep 436: Richard Kidd - Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment and Energy, United States Department of Defense

1) How designing a net zero refugee camp led to Richard's long-time advocacy for energy, sustainability, and, later, nuclear power 2) Richard's work with the Department of Defense and how he saw the awareness of nuclear energy increase over time 3) The effects of climate change on valuable resources and how the Department of Defense made climate adaptation an effort 4) The use case for modular reactors at operational bases and growing enthusiasm for nuclear energy

Feb 20, 202436 min

Ep 435Ep 435: George Borovas - Head of Nuclear and Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

1) George's move from Greece to the United States and how it led him to engineering, becoming a lawyer, and nuclear 2) Why George flew to Japan three weeks after Fukushima and how to communicate with people who aren't familiar with nuclear 3) The involvement of government in nuclear energy and different ideas on the subject 4) New generations in nuclear and how their mindsets will shift the industry

Feb 13, 202445 min

Ep 434Ep 434: James Chesnut - Senior Vice President, Nuclear Operations, Day & Zimmermann

1) How James got his start in the nuclear industry as a painter and who inspired him to start his career in the first place 2) Explaining nuclear in the 1980's and how this advocacy has changed over time from generation to generation 3) Day & Zimmermann's current work and upcoming projects 4) Encouraging people to join the nuclear workforce, advice for those looking to enter the industry, and why nuclear is here to stay

Feb 7, 202435 min

Ep 433Ep 433: Princess Mthombeni - Communications Specialist, The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation

1) How Princess ended up on the path to becoming a Nuclear Communication Specialist 2) The current nuclear development plans for South Africa and what this might look like in the future 3) Desalination, SMRs, and advocating for nuclear across the African continent 4) Princess' vision for the future of nuclear and the energy mix as a whole

Jan 30, 202414 min

Ep 432Ep 432: Myrto Tripathi - President and Founder, Voices of Nuclear

1) How Myrto arrived at energy, specifically nuclear energy, as the root enabler of prosperity 2) Voices of Nuclear, it's mission and vision, and recent updates 3) A deep dive into the Voices of Nuclear "Energy Transition Scenario" and the relationship between innovation and progress 4) The symbolism and messaging of Voices and what they see for the future of nuclear energy

Jan 23, 202425 min

Ep 431Ep 431: Grace Stanke - Miss America 2023 and Nuclear Engineer

1) What sparked Grace's resolve to become a part of the nuclear industry 2) Grace's recent work as Miss America 2023 and an active nuclear advocate 3) Women in the nuclear industry, young people engaging in nuclear, and committing to changing misconceptions 4) What's next for Grace and the continuation of her nuclear advocacy work, as well as core design engineering, in her next role

Jan 15, 202414 min

Ep 430Ep 430: Cyrille Molina - Founder and President, OAKRIDGE SAS

1) The stillness of the French nuclear sector in the 80's and why Cyrille's passion for physics led him there 2) The impetus for launching OAKRIDGE SAS and what the company focuses on 3) The countries OAKRIDGE SAS works with, current projects, and an exciting, recent announcement 4) SMRs, COP28, and what the future holds for nuclear energy

Jan 11, 202414 min

Ep 429Ep 429: Claire Schaffnit-Chatterjee - Head of Operations, Dual Fluid

1) How interests in math, science, and saving the world lead Claire to nuclear energy 2) Dual Fluid's technology and what's behind the company name 3) Critical demonstration experiments and where they might take place 4) What the energy mix will look like in the future and how nuclear fits in to it all

Jan 4, 202419 min

Ep 428Ep 428: Sander De Groot - Co-Founder and Technical Lead, Thorizon

1) Sander's early career at NRG and nuclear energy in the Netherlands' 2) Thorizon's Thorium molten salt reactor (MSR) design 3) Recent announcements from Thorizon 4) Where Sander sees nuclear energy in the global energy mix in the future

Jan 2, 202414 min

Ep 427Ep 427: Andrew Storer - CEO, Nuclear AMRC

1) What has changed in the world of nuclear since Andrew last appeared on Titans, as well as some updates on Andrew's current work and travel 2) How political landscapes and changes can affect the way we build new nuclear 3) The past 5 years of Andrew's work in the UK - Submarines, research innovation, and reducing time and cost 4) What the future holds for the Nuclear AMRC and what Andrew is most excited to see in the coming years

Dec 12, 202317 min

Ep 426Ep 426: John Ahlberg - Founder and CSO, Kärnfull Next

1) A reintroduction to John Ahlberg, a former Titan from 2020 2) Kärnfull's target market for deployment and a look into Nordic nuclear 3) District heating in Sweden and the different applications and customers of nuclear energy 4) The pro-nuclear landscape in Sweden and what the landscape looks like in neighboring regions, as well as a quick discussion of COP28

Dec 5, 202321 min

Ep 425Ep 425: Carlo Wolters - CEO, Elektriciteits Produktiemaatschappij Zuid-Nederland

1) Carlo's educational background and his early start in coal gasification, as well as a desire to travel internationally 2) The biggest lesson Carlo learned from being exposed to a wide variety of energy assets and different modes of operation 3) How the nuclear industry can learn from the best practices of other industries, as well as the different lens Carlo brought to his first experiences in nuclear 4) The nuclear energy landscape in the Netherlands and a deep dive into how its momentum will continue to increase in the coming years

Nov 21, 202344 min

Ep 424Ep. 424, Next Generation Titans: Will Shackel, Nuclear for Australia

1) Will's journey learning about nuclear energy in Australia and his founding of Nuclear for Australia 2) A discussion of why Australia should lift the ban on nuclear energy, nuclear submarines, and a letter to the Prime Minister 3) What Will has learned as a 17-year-old founder and his strategies for advocacy and debate 4) Will's vision for the future of nuclear energy, how to support Nuclear for Australia, and an important message for those interested in nuclear energy

Nov 7, 202335 min

Ep 423Ep. 423, Next Generation Titans: Natalie Cannon, Georgia Institute of Technology

1) Natalie's last minute switch from film to STEM - How she settled on nuclear engineering 2) An exploration of manufacturing techniques, finding mentors, and invaluable pieces of advice 3) Natalie's research and a dive into neutron noise, criticality, and robots 4) Celebrating past accomplishments and looking toward what younger generations can help achieve in the future

Oct 31, 202343 min

Ep 422Ep. 422, Next Generation Titans: Kaylee Cunningham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1) Kaylee's decision between computer science and nuclear engineering, her current Ph.D. project, and why it's okay to change your mind 2) How Kaylee became Ms. Nuclear Energy on Tik Tok and what drives her to spread information about nuclear energy 3) How nuclear energy is received on Tik Tok, Kaylee's audience, and what you might find on Kaylee's Tik Tok page 4) The advice Kaylee would give to someone entering the nuclear industry and how she would like to see the industry evolve in the near future

Oct 23, 202343 min

Ep 421Ep. 421, Next Generation Titans: Paris Ortiz-Wines, Stand Up for Nuclear

1) How Paris got her start in nuclear and began the mission of learning more about energy through research and activism 2) The fight to stop the shutdown of nuclear plants and how this culminated in the effort to save Diablo Canyon 3) How resilience and weekly meetings lead to the government's reconsideration of Diablo Canyon 4) What Stand Up for Nuclear is currently working on and where Paris sees nuclear going in the future

Oct 17, 202352 min

Ep 420Ep 420: Charles Oppenheimer - Founder, Oppenheimer Project

1) How Charles' first appearance on Titans of Nuclear opened doors into the world of nuclear energy investment 2) Nuclear energy as a bipartisan issue, as well as when Charles first began to form his own opinions on the subject 3) An impressive exploration of the Oppenheimer Project, a family movie screening of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, and a visit to the set of the movie 4) A window into what the nuclear industry could look like in the near future

Oct 12, 202344 min

Ep 419Ep 419: Eli Dourado - Senior Research Fellow, The Center for Growth and Opportunity

1) Eli's international upbringing and how it came to influence his interests and career 2) A deep dive into supersonic airplanes, international standards, and startups 3) How The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University came to be and what the focuses are 4) An exploration of the potential great stagnation, demonstrating leadership through innovation, and influence

Oct 6, 20231h 5m

Ep 418Ep 418: Juan Pedro van Hasselt - CEO, Pacific Andean Nuclear Power Services

1) Juan Pedro's background and the moving experiences and principles that have propelled him during an impressive career 2) The story behind Pacific Andean Nuclear Power Services, its mission, and where "PAM Power" is going in the future 3) How different countries might collaborate towards a common goal of nuclear development 4) An exploration of what the future of nuclear could look like in South America

Sep 21, 202342 min

Ep 417Ep 417: Igor Pioro - Professor, Ontario Tech University

Igor's background, his proximity to Chernobyl, and how this all shaped his impressive career in nuclear An exploration of currently operating reactors A deep dive into the world of Supercritical Water Reactors Looking toward the reactors of the future

Aug 25, 202348 min

Ep 416Ep 416: Armando Nava-Dominguez - Technical Lead, SCWR Gen IV Project, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

1) Armando's experience at university, his interest in thermalhydraulics, and how both of these things propelled him into his current position at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories 2) A technical deep dive into some facets of the Supercritical Water Cooled Reactor technology 3) Why the SCWR is being overlooked in the face of numerous other advanced reactor technologies 4) The chemical and mechanical processes of the SCWR and a look inside the world of those who study the technology - What are the popular opinions?

Aug 14, 202356 min

Ep 415Ep 415: Ted Nordhaus - Founder and Executive Director, The Breakthrough Institute

1) Ted's start in the environmental movement doing grassroots work and how this path eventually lead to the start of The Breakthrough Institute 2) Powerful writing, debates with the environmental movement, and nuclear energy advocacy 3) Ted's influential pieces on environmentalism and more, as well as the importance of discourse and debate 4) How Ted's perspective on nuclear energy has changed and evolved throughout his thought leadership - A call to action for Build Nuclear Now

Aug 10, 202358 min

Ep 414Ep 414: Karl Hausker - Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute

1) Karl's impressive background in the energy space and his role as an Expert Reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report 2) Emissions scenarios, sectoral contributions to net zero, and what happens to the primary energy supply in 1.5/2.0 scenarios 3) Depictions of the energy generation mix in 1.5/2.0 scenarios of the report 4) An exploration of why the Summary for Policymakers only includes "nuclear" twice and what this means for readers, journalists, political decisions, and more

Aug 7, 202355 min

Ep 413Ep 413: Emma Wong - Senior Nuclear Technology and Innovation Advisor, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

1) Emma's early love for math and science and how it translated into her career today 2) Emma's work at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the power of analysis, and what her first six months looked like 3) A deep dive into the SMR Dashboard - The creation and meaning 4) A discussion of supply chain, the Dashboard as a resource for the future, and collaboration in the nuclear energy space

Jul 19, 202343 min

Ep 412Ep 412: Piyush Sabharwall - Distinguished Scientist and Dept. Manager, Idaho National Laboratory

1) Piyush's upbringing in New Delhi, his background in robotics, and how it all lead him to the nuclear industry 2) Some of the interesting projects of Piyush's career and his admirable passion for working with and mentoring students 3) Current events in the nuclear industry, some news from Idaho National Laboratory, and a quick dive into energy storage 4) Piyush's experience of being named Asian American Engineer of the Year for 2022, as well as a few points about nuclear medicine and our nuclear energy future

Jul 11, 202348 min

Ep 411Ep 411: Mike Rencheck - President and CEO, Bruce Power

1) Mike's journey from starting as a summer intern at Beaver Valley Power Station to becoming President and CEO of Bruce power 2) A deep dive into Canada's nuclear technology and how partnerships in the industry allow it to excel 3) Canada's supply chain, baseload energy, and a discussion of Bruce Power's medical isotopes 4) The climate-change-focused technologies Bruce Power is interested in and what we might see from them next

Jun 21, 202342 min

Ep 410Ep 410: Nick O'Hara - Writer and Producer, Gridlocked

1) How a trip to Fawley Power Station and having conversations with people in nuclear sparked Nick's ongoing interest in the nuclear industry and energy 2) Resources for getting to know nuclear energy 3) An exploration of the Gridlocked podcast - How it came to be, some guests, and where the show is headed 4) A dive into communications and how we can best reach people, as well as a couple notes on the current nuclear industry

Jun 19, 202334 min

Ep 409Ep 409: Emma McDaid - Head of Project Management, Magnox Ltd

1) Emma's background in project management, a desire to bring out the best in people, and the epic similarities between Jurassic World and a fully-scaled nuclear project 2) Diversity and gender representation in the nuclear industry - What has changed in past years and where we can go from here 3) A deep dive into project management, Magnox Ltd, the closeness of the nuclear industry, and more 4) A detailed discussion of decommissioning and what people may not realize about the process

Jun 15, 202346 min