Consortium for Enabling Technologies and Innovation

Dr. Erickson Was Awarded the E. Gail de Planque Medal

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Prof. Anna Erickson, the director of ETI consortium, was awarded the E. Gail de Planque Medal at the 2023 ANS Winter Conference. The award recognizes exemplary accomplishments by a woman in the fields of nuclear science and engineering. This award is intended to recognize outstanding lifetime or singular achievements by women that have resulted in tangible benefits to the field of nuclear science and engineering. The award is to be given to a woman whose work in the field of engineering, education, research or public policy meets one or more of the following criteria:

  • Outstanding technical leadership for work performed in her subject area (e.g., establishing a new curriculum)
  • Leader of a major research, design, construction, or operations effort
  • Accomplishment in the field of public policy affecting nuclear science and technology.

ETI Invited to Attend DOE/NNSA Women in Strategic Trade Event

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On March 7, 2024, DOE/NNSA Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control hosted a Women in Strategic Trade (WiST) U.S. Roundtable at the JW Marriott Hotel Washington, DC (1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) for early career professionals interested in pursuing a career in strategic trade controls.  The event features keynote speakers from leaders in the U.S. strategic trade control interagency, a roundtable panel on careers in strategic trade controls and agencies’ role in the U.S. export control system, and a facilitated networking session. The ETI Consortium was invited to attend the event. As ETI students, Natalie Cannon and Mackenzie Duce from Georgia Institute of Technology joined this event.

The mission of the WiST Initiative is to promote the advancement, leadership, and meaningful participation of women in all areas of strategic trade controls.  The WiST Initiative is organized by three (3) guiding pillars: 1) Empowerment, 2) Capacity Building, and 3) Community Engagement.  The three (3) pillars represent WiST overarching goals and activities that contribute to achieving its strategic objectives. 

2024 ETI Workshop Successfully Concluded in Golden!

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ETI consortium hosted the 2024 ETI Workshop at Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, on February 20-21. Over 80 participants representing university partners, national laboratories, and the government joined together to build and strengthen the research collaboration between the labs and the universities. The workshop also created and cultivated a research and education environment to support cross-cutting technologies across three thrust areas for nuclear nonproliferation. In addition to the welcome remarks, followed by technical talks, poster presentations, as well as recruitment session, and lab tour, this workshop had Dr. Siegfried Hecker, the fifth Director of LANL (1986~1997), to give a keynote speech in the Opening Session, and discuss “the movie Oppenheimer and beyond” in the Reception Session. This event is primarily in-person with hybrid option available for select participants. All presenters attended in-person. More details are available on the workshop website.

2024 LLNL Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Summer School Call for Application

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The 2024 NSSC-LLNL Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Summer School is calling for application (due March 15, 2024). A group of ETI members attended the summer school in 2023. It features lectures and hands-on experimental modules covering various aspects of nuclear risk reduction. Participants formed teams to engage in hands-on experimental modules aimed at tackling challenges in warhead verification, emergency response, and nuclear forensics.

In the Warhead Verification module, scholars conducted neutron and gamma-ray measurements to confirm the presence or absence of nuclear and moderator materials before and after simulated dismantlement. The Emergency Response module challenged scholars to characterize an unidentified threat using passive neutron and gamma-ray measurements, alongside active interrogation techniques.

Lastly, in the Nuclear Forensics module, scholars investigated and trace the origins of nuclear and radiological materials through measuring radiation signatures and isotopic compositions of simulated nuclear samples.

Next Generation Titans: Natalie Cannon, ETI Student from Georgia Institute of Technology

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Over the last three years, Energy Impact Center (EIC) have met with leading experts across climate and energy, mapping out challenges and opportunities to form the foundation for future work. This work features a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities within the field of nuclear energy and explores how the fundamentals of utilizing atomic energy yield orders of magnitude better performance and less waste over all alternatives. At Ep. 423, EIC conducted one-on-one interview with ETI graduate student Natalie Cannon from Georgia Institute of Technology, discussing:

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