Nuclear Energy and Applications, 19-20 October 2026 Illinois Urbana Champaign University

19 Oct 2026, 00:20 → 20 Oct 2026, 18:30 America/Indiana/Indianapolis

Cinzia Da Via (University of Manchester (GB) and Stony Brook University, USA), Angela Di Fulvio, Emanuel Rota (UIUC)

Motivation

Increased electricity demand, electrification, decarbonization, and resilience goals for 2030–2050 require firm, low‑carbon power and high‑temperature heat that complement renewables and modern grids. Nuclear technologies—including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Microreactors (MMRs), to fusion R&D and advanced fuel cycles—are re‑emerging as practical tools for clean electricity, process heat, desalination, hydrogen production and energy storage. In parallel, nuclear‑enabled technologies continue to transform medicine, sensing, and materials science.

Background 

IEEE SusTech “Inter-Society, Engagement & Collaboration Committee” is developing a multi‑society project to IEEE SusTech “Inter-Society, Engagement & Collaboration Committee” is developing a multi‑society project to evaluate possible collaborations with university campuses hosting MMRs. 

https://sustech.ieee.org/iec-committee/

 

IEEE NPSS organized two workshops showcasing NPSS assets in nuclear and plasma fields: “Nuclear and Power Solutions for Energy and Society” (Tampa, 2024) and “Nuclear and Power Opportunities for Energy and Society” (Yokohama, 2025).

The IEEE Future Directions Second Webinar Series on Nuclear Energy is proposing cutting edge presentations throughout 2026 with unprecedented attendance.

https://futuredirections.ieee.org/ieee-second-presentation-series-on-nuclear-energy/

The IEEE Future Direction Alternative Energy Generation and Storage Initiative was approved in Fall 2024 and started in Spring 2025.

Building on this momentum, The Nuclear Energy and Applications In-Person Workshop aims to bring together communities that do not often engage directly with one another, including IEEE NPSS, IEEE PES and Smart Grid, IEEE Standards, reliability engineers, control and power electronics specialists, the IEEE Computer Society, and experts in social, ethical, and policy aspects of technology. The workshop will also welcome external partners such as the American Nuclear Society (ANS), the Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Objective

The objective of the Nuclear Energy and Applications Workshop is to identify critical gaps, emerging opportunities, and innovative solutions that can accelerate the nuclear energy transition and advance applications of nuclear science and technology. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, participants will examine the technical, regulatory, societal, and workforce challenges associated with the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies. 

The workshop will be hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, home of the NANO-KRONOS microreactor project, which is expected to become one of the first university-operated advanced reactors in the United States before 2030.

Monday 19 October

08:00 → 09:00 Registration

09:00 → 09:15 Welcome to the Worksshop and Outlook

Speaker: Cinzia Da Via (The University of Manchester (GB))

09:15 → 12:00 Nuclear Power- Intro to Fission, Technology options

Introduction to Nuclear Power and Technology Options

09:15 Overview on Fission

Speaker: Ross Ridenoure (Hadron Energy)

09:40 SMR at UIUC

Speaker: Prof. Caleb Brooks (Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign)

10:05 SMR at Abilene Christian University

Speaker: Prof. Rusty Towell (Department of Engineering and PhysicsAbilene Christian University)

10:30 Coffee Break

10:45 Introduction to IEEE-NPSS

Speaker: Prof. Sara Pozzi (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences University of Michigan)

11:10 Workforce Development for Fission and Fusion

Speaker: Martin Grossmann (Physicist and Senior Technical Advisor, Paul Sherrer Institute)

11:35 Fusion Energy Developments

Speaker: Hanni Lux (Senior Technical Advisor, Tokamak Energy)

12:00 → 13:00 Luncheeon

13:00 → 14:15 Moderated panel with industry speakers involved in developments at universities

13:00 Deployment by NANO

Speaker: John Judson (Senior Project Leader, NANO NUclear Energy Inc.)

13:20 Deployments by Antares

Speaker: Will Madsen (Head of Mission Engineering, Antares)

13:40 Panel Discussion

14:15 → 14:30 coffee

14:30 → 15:30 Nuclear Applications Beyond Energy

14:30 Radioisotopes Production with SMRs

Speaker: Laura Ravasi (Medical and Scientific Advisor, Oncidium Foundation)

14:45 Nuclear Transmutation

Speaker: Yan Cao (Principal Nuclear Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory)

15:00 Heat conversion and harvesting from SMRs through IR sensitive PV

Speaker: Alina LaPotin (Mechanical Engineer, ARPA-E Fellow)

15:15 Nuclear Medicine

Speaker: Prof. Vesna Sossi (Physics and Astronomy and Medicine, The University of British Columbia)

15:30 → 15:50 Coffeee

15:50 → 17:20 Social, Ethical, and Workforce Dimensions (presentations and panel discussion)

15:50 Innovation and Science Diplomacy

Speaker: Prof. Roberto Lalli (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, Research Scholar at the Innovation and Science Diplomacy School)

16:05 Social, Ethical and Workfoce Dimensions of Nuclear Energy

Speaker: Roman Holi (Senior Ministerial Officer, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT))

16:20 Social, Ethical, and Workforce Dimensions of Nuclear Energy

Speaker: Christian Otra

16:35 Panel Discussion

18:30 → 20:30 Reception

Tuesday 20 October

08:00 → 08:30 Registration/Coffee

08:30 → 10:10 Day 2: Regularoty Landscape and Role of the Professional Societies

08:30 Micro-Reactors Regulatory Framework and ALARA

Speaker: Prof. Zahra Mohaghegh (Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

08:50 Regulatory Role of the American Nuclear Society

Speaker: Craig Piercy (Chief Executive Officer, American Nuclear Society)

09:10 IEEE Standards on SMRa and Advanced Reactors

Speaker: Prof. Maike Luiken (Western University, Chair of IEEE Planet Positive 2030)

09:30 RegulatoryRole at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management

Speaker: Claudio Gariazzo (Group Leader of Nonproliferation Innovation, Argonne National Laboratory)

09:50 Regulatory Famework in Radiation Instrumentation

Speaker: TBC

10:10 → 10:20 Coffee

10:20 → 11:40 Reactor Monitoring and Sensors Preparing for SMRs

10:20 Instrumentation of New Fuel Cycles

Speaker: Prof. Angela Di Fulvio (Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

10:40 Nutron Flux Monitors Overview

Speaker: Prof. Raymond Cao (Director of the Nuclear Engineering Program at The Ohio State)

11:00 Use of Optical Fibers in Nuclear Reactors' Monitoring

Speaker: TBD

11:20 Radiation Hard Electronics for Nuclear Reactors Monitoring

Speaker: Prof. Raffaele Giordano (Department of Physics, Subnuclear Physics, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy)

11:40 → 12:40 Luncheon

12:40 → 13:40 Digital Twins for Advanced Analytics, Safeguards and Security

12:40 Digital Twins

Speaker: Prof. Syed Bahauddin Alam (Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

13:00 Fully Digital Reactor at Purdue University

Speaker: Prof. Sylianos Chatizidakis (Associate Reactor Director, and Direcotr of Nuclear Engineering Radiation Laboratory, Purdue University)

13:20 Digital Twins and Machine Learning for Security and Safeguards

Speaker: Ben Cipiti (Principal Member of the Technical Staff, Safeguards and Security for Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycle Facilities, Sandia National Laboratories)

13:40 → 13:50 coffee

13:50 → 14:50 Alternative Energy, Energy Storage and Grid Integration PES

13:50 Energy Storage

Speaker: Prof. Kwan San Hui (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Saudi Arabia)

14:10 Alternative Energy Storage

Speaker: Prof. Wencong Su (Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Michigan-Dearborn)

14:30 The Alternative Energy generation Initiative

Speaker: Prof. Hong Chen (Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri)

14:50 → 15:05 Closing Remarks by the Organising Committee

15:05 → 16:30 Closed Session