Chair
Kaylee Cunningham
Kaylee is a second-year Nuclear Science & Engineering Ph.D. student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focus is in the field of irradiation damage of materials, specifically in replicating neutron damage using ions. Kaylee received her bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida in May 2022. She spent her undergraduate summers working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and BWX Technologies. In the fall of 2021, Kaylee participated in her first Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation. The following year, Kaylee served as a Co-Vice Chair of the 2022 Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation.
Co-Vice Chairs
Emma Houston
Emma Houston is a graduate student at the University of Tennessee pursuing a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering. She received her bachelors from the University of Tennessee’s Nuclear Engineering Department in 2022. She is passionate about nuclear nonproliferation, international safeguards, and the technical and policy challenges associated with both fields. In the fall of 2023, she will be a Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Safeguards (NNIS) fellow. She was raised in Northern Virginia and loves cooking, spending time with friends and family, and getting outdoors.
Hannah Patenaude
As a Ph.D. candidate in Radiochemistry at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Hannah is completing her dissertation research with the Inorganic, Isotope, and Actinide Chemistry group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a Fellow of the Glenn T. Seaborg Institute and University Nuclear Leadership Program. Her research studies the application of boron-doped diamond as a resilient electrode material in f-block salt systems to support the development of Molten Salt Reactor technology. This work follows two bachelor’s degrees from the UNLV Honors College in Chemistry and Communication Studies, where she also conducts research in the rhetoric of nuclear energy at the intersection of nuclear experts’ perspective and environmental justice.
Hannah was a member of the 2022 delegation, is an active member of the Fuel Cycle & Waste Management Division of the American Nuclear Society, and serves on the Communications Committee of U.S. Women in Nuclear. Additionally, Hannah has developed a Nuclear Communication Certificate through the Idaho National Laboratory and UNLV Public Communication Initiative to help equip nuclear experts with the tools to share their passion for nuclear with any audience.
Delegates
Jessi Altiero
Jessi Altiero is a junior majoring in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering with a minor in Engineering Leadership Development from the Pennsylvania State University-University Park. Jessi is currently a co-op student with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), monitoring, inspecting, and supporting the safe production of energy in nuclear power plants across the northeast United States. While at school, Jessi is a member of the Clark Scholars Program, which helps support engineering equity and diversity. She is also the president of the Penn State Women in Nuclear (WIN) chapter, and is heavily involved in K-12 outreach at the Penn State Breazeale Nuclear Reactor. In her free time, Jessi enjoys reading, coloring, and attending Penn State football games with her friends.
Hayden Bland
Hayden is a second-year M.S. student in Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University, where he also got his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering with a minor in History in 2022. His Master’s work is in molten salt fluid properties, with previous research being in the field of strongly-coupled plasmas. After graduating with his Bachelor’s, he interned at GE-Hitachi in Wilmington, working on the Natrium reactor. His passion for nuclear energy pairs well with his love for history, as knowing how the field arrived at this point is important to guiding its future. He also loves woodworking, whether making furniture or decorations, as well as sports such as hockey and soccer.
Natalie Cannon
Natalie is a third-year Ph.D. student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Natalie graduated with her bachelor’s degree in physics from Long Beach State University. Her research is focused on developing a regulatory policy framework to address nuclear proliferation risks associated with advanced manufacturing. She got her start in nuclear policy through the Federation of American Scientists and has interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Natalie was the former president of Georgia Tech’s American Nuclear Society student section and founded the GT U.S. Women in Nuclear student chapter. In her free time, Natalie enjoys playing DnD, hiking, and watching Star Trek.
Andrew Maris
Andrew D. Maris is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) studying disruptive instabilities in tokamaks. Andrew received a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in 2019 with a major in Physics and a minor in Public Policy. After college, Andrew performed research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility. His current research uses machine learning and other data-driven techniques to understand, predict, and control instabilities in tokamaks. Andrew’s interests also extend to economic and policy questions, where he has studied the impact disruptions may have on the cost of fusion electricity. Outside of research, Andrew has long been involved in scientific communication, most notably in his 2019 TEDx talk, What Jurassic Park Gets Wrong About Chaos Theory.
Mitchell Mika
Mitch Mika is a second-year Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering from the same school. His thesis will focus on metallic fuel characterization, particularly constituent redistribution of zirconium-containing fuel alloys. He also studies how advanced tools such as 3D-focused ion beam tomography can be used to accelerate fuel qualification. Mitch is supported by the DOE-NE UNLP fellowship. Previously, he has interned with Los Alamos National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab, and Framatome. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, rock climbing, and working in his backup career as a part-time art model for the local Gainesville community college.
John Mobley IV
John is a second-year dual master’s student in the higher education administration and business administration programs at Iowa State University. His research interests encompass education, training, and workforce development within the U.S. nuclear sector—particularly within the purview and framework of advanced reactor designs and technologies. He holds a B.S. in Physics with a Nuclear Engineering minor and a B.S. in Mathematics with Applications from Iowa State University. He has prior experience collaborating with organizations such as Ames National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Exelon Nuclear, and the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. He is an active member of the American Nuclear Society, serving as an executive member within the Education, Training, and Workforce Development Division; Young Members Group; and Student Sections Committee. As a legally blind individual, John is passionate about ensuring that higher education is accessible and guaranteeing that all students have the resources necessary to flourish. In his free time, John enjoys going on long-distance bike rides, reading about nuclear history, and exploring new destinations.
Laura Moss
Laura graduated from Virginia Tech in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Nuclear Engineering. After completing her undergraduate studies, she joined the nuclear energy workforce through the Edison Engineering Development Program at GE-Hitachi in Wilmington, NC. At GEH, she supports the design and deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor and NatriumTM reactor, part of the Advanced Reactor Development Program with TerraPower, by conducting preliminary safety analysis related to dose consequences and shielding. She is expected to graduate from North Carolina State University with a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, focusing on radiation and dose consequences, in December 2023. Additionally, Laura currently serves as the co-chair for the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) chapter at GE-Hitachi. Through this organization, she has had the opportunity to meet with her representatives and advocate for nuclear energy. In her free time, Laura enjoys reading, gardening, and trying new restaurants.
Malachi Nelson
Malachi Nelson is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley studying Nuclear Engineering with minors in Materials Science and Energy Policy. Malachi is an Idaho National Laboratory Graduate Fellow, where he conducts his research on high-temperature deformation mechanisms in zircaloy fuel cladding. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, supporting local STEM education programs. He is also the student member of the Nuclear Science User Facilities user committee and was a 2021 NESD delegate. In his spare time, Malachi enjoys snowboarding, backpacking, and rock climbing.
Seun Olumurewa
Seun is currently a senior pursuing his B.S. in mechanical engineering with a minor in project management at Texas A&M University and is projected to graduate in December 2023. While not a nuclear engineer, he is passionate and experienced in the industry. He has previous experience working in system engineering at Waterford 3 Nuclear Plant in 2021 and has worked refueling outages for nuclear plants as a field services intern for GE Hitachi in 2022. At Texas A&M, he works as an undergraduate research assistant for a thermal hydraulics lab focused on the analysis of advanced nuclear reactors. He plans on pursuing an M.S. in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M, conducting research in the same area. Outside of work, he enjoys playing and watching both soccer and basketball. Additionally, he is very big on Rubik’s cubes/puzzles and enjoys watching shows or movies.
Nataly Panczyk
Nataly Panczyk is a senior in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with a concentration in Power, Safety, and the Environment and a minor in Political Science. She currently researches under Prof. Caleb Brooks in the Multiphase Thermo-fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Over the summer, Nataly interned at MPR Associates in Alexandria, VA. Previously, Nataly worked for Idaho National Laboratory, researching microreactor-powered steel production, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working on used nuclear fuel risk and management modeling. Outside of class and research, Nataly is Co-President of the Women in Nuclear (WIN) student section at UIUC. On the non-nuclear side, Nataly loves to cook, do yoga, and hang out with her friends and family.
Adria Peterkin
Adria Peterkin is a Ph.D. student in the Nuclear Science and Engineering Department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research is focused on radiation-induced corrosion in molten salt for nuclear fission and fusion reactors. In addition to her research at MIT, Adria is passionate about environmental justice. Aya Research Institute is a non-profit think tank she co-founded to engage scientists and engineering in community-based research.
Prior to graduate school, Adria was a graduate fellow in defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration and a Nuclear Engineer on the stability and radiological analysis team at GE- Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
Adria Peterkin holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Howard University and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of California – Berkeley.
Nathan Ryan
Nathan is a second-year graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on developing fuel cycle transitions for advanced reactors and energy system model optimization of peaceful non-energy applications of nuclear power. He holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Outside of research, Nathan is a Vice Chair for the Students Sections Committee of the American Nuclear Society. In his free time, Nathan enjoys cooking with his family, painting cartoon animals, and trying to keep his plants alive.
Morgan Smith
Morgan Smith is a 1st year Ph.D. student in Purdue’s nuclear engineering program and has been very involved in the department during her undergrad as the former president of Women in Nuclear and vice president of the American Nuclear Society. Through these programs, she works towards creating opportunities for her fellow students as well as doing outreach in the local community to teach people about nuclear science and technology. Morgan has also been involved in nuclear materials research for the past three years, working with both structural materials to improve reactor operating lifetimes and, more recently, fuel characterization. She is very passionate about environmentalism and preventing climate change, and in January of this year was able to testify in front of the Indiana State Senate Utilities Committee in support of SB-271 to allow SMRs to be built in the state of Indiana. Outside of the nuclear engineering department, Morgan is a leadership team member in Purdue’s women in engineering program, where she works with local elementary school after-school programs to encourage young women to pursue a career in engineering.
Anthony Tom
Anthony Tom is a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. He completed his B.S. in nuclear engineering with a minor in reliability and maintainability engineering in December 2022. While an undergrad, Anthony interned with the components engineering group at Dominion Energy’s Surry Generating Station and the nuclear criticality safety group at the Y-12 National Security Complex. He is currently studying computational material science, focusing on the microstructural evolution of iron-chromium alloys under irradiation conditions for both fission and fusion applications. Outside of school, Anthony is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated and enjoys cooking and distance running.
Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation 