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About ANS |
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Governance |
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ANS > About > Election |
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Michael L. Corradini Vice President / President-Elect Nominating Committee Candidate |
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As your Vice-President/President-Elect, I will enthusiastically work with the ANS members to provide open communication on issues important to the membership, to attract younger members, to better connect all our current members between industry, government and academe and to reach out to the general public.
The 21st century began with a renewed appreciation in the use of nuclear energy. Citizens again became more aware of the benefits to the public good of nuclear power for electricity, nuclear medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of human disease and the appropriate place of nuclear technology in security for detection and deterrence. We have also seen enormous growth in the development of nuclear technology advances for power, health and security through the ingenuity of scientists and engineers. In the United States, almost all of the current nuclear power plants have or will seek license renewal. In addition, power uprates of currently operating nuclear reactors in the United States are equivalent to building six new 1000MWe power plants for baseload electricity. What do both of these remarkable achievements have in common? They are due to the technical competence of the engineers who operate our 104 nuclear power plants. It is due to their dedication and determination that allows our technology to remain reliable and safe as it produces over 20% of our electrical energy. At the same time as current plants are being reliably operated, advanced light water reactors have been designed and are being certified in the United States, with over two-dozen new plants under consideration. Over sixty nuclear power plants are under construction worldwide. For these new designs, we need to recognize the technical talents of the engineers that have developed new design elements, which incorporate advances in materials, instrumentation and control, safety features as well as more economical integrated system designs. And we need to appreciate the important contribution of the engineers that are part of the regulatory agencies in the U.S. (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and worldwide (e.g., the International Atomic Energy Agency), that oversee and certify these designs in an open auditable environment that allows for public oversight, review and scrutiny. In the last decade, we have also seen enormous advances in the use of radiation and radioisotopes for patient imaging and treatment that are fundamental to improvements in public health; e.g., 3D conformal radiation, external beamintegrated adaptive imaging and radiotherapy, brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery. In all cases, these medical advances are rooted in the application of the interaction of radiation with matter to improve therapeutic procedures through the innovations of scientists and engineers. What do all these stories have in common? People - talented, dedicated scientists and engineers that represent the important human resource of ideas and their energy to provide technological advances in nuclear science and engineering. The role of the American Nuclear Society as a leading international professional society is to promote an awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear science and technology. Given this reemergence and growth in the use of nuclear energy, the Society needs to provide an objective forum for all of these various professionals to share their ideas, their possible solutions and their concerns in an open and fair environment. As the next decade begins, we need to attract young members from a wide variety of professions (not only nuclear engineers) that will contribute their knowledge and enthusiasm to sustain and enhance this reemergence. This 'human element' is the key ingredient in advancing our technology, and must be developed and nurtured, whether we design new devices, operate our systems safely or regulate our industry in a responsible and public manner. In addition, we have an obligation to reach out to the general public, at all age levels, to explain in a fair, objective and reasoned manner the facts about the use of nuclear science and technology, so that they may be better informed in making up their own minds about its appropriate use. As a candidate for Vice-President/President-Elect, I view my role as a servant of the ANS members to communicate with them on important issues, to provide the leadership and direction to attract younger members, to interact with and connect to all our current members from industry, government and academe and to reach out to the general public. These efforts are part of the 'human element' that will allow for the continuing role of nuclear energy in our society. |
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