A Personal Note on Receiving ANS Award
Earlier this week, at the American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., I received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fuel Cycle and Waste Management Division in recognition of my leadership in the development and promotion of fuel cycle technologies and nuclear waste management missions in the United States.
I am deeply honored by the recognition and would like to credit the many dedicated professionals whom I’ve worked with over my career. Like most people who’ve been part of this effort, I didn’t do it for awards like this. I did it because it’s important work that matters.
Turning Ideas into Practice
I’ve enjoyed and benefited from a broad range of opportunities and experiences over my career. Staring with nuclear submarines in the U.S. Navy to my early years in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (supporting legacy spent fuel and high level waste programs) followed by my more recent work in the civil nuclear energy area in the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. Over this time, I’ve seen a lot of challenges and have made progress with teammates on a range of solutions. This includes significant roles supporting the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) program, the restart of the Transient Reactor Test Facility, the development of Accident Tolerant Fuel, Fuel Cycle Options Studies, consent-based siting for spent nuclear fuel management facilities, international cooperations with partner nations, establishing I-Loop fuel testing capabilities at the Advanced Test Reactor, establishing the Civil Nuclear Credit program, and establishing scalable commercial fuel supply for the U.S. are a few of my career highlights.
When first exposed to the concept of deep borehole disposal, the science looked solid and leveraging the oil and gas experience appeared practical, but we didn’t have the data, tools, operational experience, or demonstration site to prove it could work. Fast forward to today, things look very different.
The Deep Borehole Demonstration Center provides a place where the deep borehole disposal approach can be tested, materials can be evaluated, and real drilling and canister placement operations can show what’s possible. The goal isn’t to talk about potential, but to demonstrate performance and gather evidence that supports safe, permanent disposal deep underground.
It’s thorough, detailed work. That’s what progress looks like in nuclear waste management: careful steps, transparent results, steady learning, and moving forward with confidence.
The People Behind the Progress
This recognition means a lot to me because it represents the work of many people. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with engineers, scientists, regulators, dedicated government professionals, and program leaders who share a commitment to making progress. This includes learning from activities that were not successful but setting the stage for better outcomes in the future. Every advancement we’ve made has been built on teamwork, persistence, and respect for both the science, engineering, and public trust that comes with it.
Looking to the Future
There’s more work ahead before deep borehole disposal is a fully proven option. The DBDC is showing that this method can meet the highest safety and technical standards.
I’m proud to have played a part in getting us to this point, and I’m even prouder of the people carrying this work forward. If we stay focused, open, and honest about what we learn, I believe we’ll succeed in showing that deep borehole disposal can be part of a lasting solution for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.