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    Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

    A podcast featuring interviews with experts throughout the Nuclear Energy field, covering advanced technology, economics, policy, industry, and more.
    enBret Kugelmass455 Episodes

    Episodes (455)

    Ep 418: Juan Pedro van Hasselt - CEO, Pacific Andean Nuclear Power Services

    Ep 418: Juan Pedro van Hasselt - CEO, Pacific Andean Nuclear Power Services

    1) Juan Pedro’s background and the moving experiences and principles that have propelled him during an impressive career

    2) The story behind Pacific Andean Nuclear Power Services, its mission, and where “PAM Power” is going in the future

    3) How different countries might collaborate towards a common goal of nuclear development

    4) An exploration of what the future of nuclear could look like in South America

    Ep 416: Armando Nava-Dominguez - Technical Lead, SCWR Gen IV Project, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

    Ep 416: Armando Nava-Dominguez - Technical Lead, SCWR Gen IV Project, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

    1) Armando’s experience at university, his interest in thermalhydraulics, and how both of these things propelled him into his current position at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

    2) A technical deep dive into some facets of the Supercritical Water Cooled Reactor technology

    3) Why the SCWR is being overlooked in the face of numerous other advanced reactor technologies

    4) The chemical and mechanical processes of the SCWR and a look inside the world of those who study the technology - What are the popular opinions?

    Ep 415: Ted Nordhaus - Founder and Executive Director, The Breakthrough Institute

    Ep 415: Ted Nordhaus - Founder and Executive Director, The Breakthrough Institute

    1) Ted’s start in the environmental movement doing grassroots work and how this path eventually lead to the start of The Breakthrough Institute

    2) Powerful writing, debates with the environmental movement, and nuclear energy advocacy

    3) Ted’s influential pieces on environmentalism and more, as well as the importance of discourse and debate

    4) How Ted’s perspective on nuclear energy has changed and evolved throughout his thought leadership - A call to action for Build Nuclear Now

    Ep 414: Karl Hausker - Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute

    Ep 414: Karl Hausker - Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute

    1) Karl’s impressive background in the energy space and his role as an Expert Reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report

    2) Emissions scenarios, sectoral contributions to net zero, and what happens to the primary energy supply in 1.5/2.0 scenarios

    3) Depictions of the energy generation mix in 1.5/2.0 scenarios of the report

    4) An exploration of why the Summary for Policymakers only includes “nuclear” twice and what this means for readers, journalists, political decisions, and more

    Ep 413: Emma Wong - Senior Nuclear Technology and Innovation Advisor, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

    Ep 413: Emma Wong - Senior Nuclear Technology and Innovation Advisor, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

    1) Emma’s early love for math and science and how it translated into her career today

    2) Emma’s work at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the power of analysis, and what her first six months looked like

    3) A deep dive into the SMR Dashboard - The creation and meaning

    4) A discussion of supply chain, the Dashboard as a resource for the future, and collaboration in the nuclear energy space

    Ep 412: Piyush Sabharwall - Distinguished Scientist and Dept. Manager, Idaho National Laboratory

    Ep 412: Piyush Sabharwall - Distinguished Scientist and Dept. Manager, Idaho National Laboratory

    1) Piyush’s upbringing in New Delhi, his background in robotics, and how it all lead him to the nuclear industry

    2) Some of the interesting projects of Piyush’s career and his admirable passion for working with and mentoring students

    3) Current events in the nuclear industry, some news from Idaho National Laboratory, and a quick dive into energy storage

    4) Piyush’s experience of being named Asian American Engineer of the Year for 2022, as well as a few points about nuclear medicine and our nuclear energy future

    Ep 411: Mike Rencheck - President and CEO, Bruce Power

    Ep 411: Mike Rencheck - President and CEO, Bruce Power

    1) Mike’s journey from starting as a summer intern at Beaver Valley Power Station to becoming President and CEO of Bruce power

    2) A deep dive into Canada’s nuclear technology and how partnerships in the industry allow it to excel

    3) Canada’s supply chain, baseload energy, and a discussion of Bruce Power’s medical isotopes

    4) The climate-change-focused technologies Bruce Power is interested in and what we might see from them next

    Ep 410: Nick O'Hara - Writer and Producer, Gridlocked

    Ep 410: Nick O'Hara - Writer and Producer, Gridlocked

    1) How a trip to Fawley Power Station and having conversations with people in nuclear sparked Nick’s ongoing interest in the nuclear industry and energy

    2) Resources for getting to know nuclear energy

    3) An exploration of the Gridlocked podcast - How it came to be, some guests, and where the show is headed

    4) A dive into communications and how we can best reach people, as well as a couple notes on the current nuclear industry

    Ep 409: Emma McDaid - Head of Project Management, Magnox Ltd

    Ep 409: Emma McDaid - Head of Project Management, Magnox Ltd

    1) Emma’s background in project management, a desire to bring out the best in people, and the epic similarities between Jurassic World and a fully-scaled nuclear project

    2) Diversity and gender representation in the nuclear industry - What has changed in past years and where we can go from here

    3) A deep dive into project management, Magnox Ltd, the closeness of the nuclear industry, and more

    4) A detailed discussion of decommissioning and what people may not realize about the process

    Ep 408: Ryan Pickering - Independent Researcher, University of California, Berkeley

    Ep 408: Ryan Pickering - Independent Researcher, University of California, Berkeley

    1) Ryan’s studies of political science and renewable engineering, and how he overcame his skepticism of nuclear energy and turned into a nuclear energy advocate

    2) How Ryan went from listening to Titans of Nuclear to attending rallies in support of saving nuclear power plants

    3) Ryan’s impressive contributions to the nuclear energy movement, building relationships, and a quick dive into some Diablo Canyon history

    4) What it’s like to be a nuclear advocate and how to become one, as well as a call to grow and elevate the nuclear movement

    Ep 407: Nolan Hertel - Professor Emeritus, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Ep 407: Nolan Hertel - Professor Emeritus, Georgia Institute of Technology

    1) Nolan’s upbringing in a “small town in Texas,” where he got his Ph.D., and how it led him to several of the passion projects of his career

    2) His current work, as well as his recent retirement, and how he may still contribute to the nuclear industry as a Professor Emeritus

    3) What Nolan thinks is the most significant discovery in nuclear technology over the course of his career, as well as how it has impacted the industry

    4) What advice Nolan would give to someone starting out in the nuclear industry based on his experience and perspective

    Ep 406: Dan Kotlyar - Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Ep 406: Dan Kotlyar - Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

    1) Dan’s journey around the world learning, researching, and eventually teaching

    2) The various subjects Dan has taught and a little bit about them, whether it be reactor physics and theory, reactor engineering, or experimental reactor physics

    3) How Dan’s background led him to space propulsion systems and a deep dive into his current work in the area

    4) How Dan believes the “flying nuclear reactor” that brings students into his lab might come to fruition or develop in the coming years

    Ep 405: Sharmistha Mukhopadhyay - Radiological Science & Engineering Lab Manager, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Ep 405: Sharmistha Mukhopadhyay - Radiological Science & Engineering Lab Manager, Georgia Institute of Technology

    1) Sharmistha’s moves around the globe, her decision to join a Ph.D. program, and her early work with scintillators

    2) The role of radiation monitoring in advanced nuclear technologies

    3) Sharmistha’s “dream job” at Georgia Tech and her work with Research & Development

    4) A deep dive into the fascinating aspects of neutrons, as well as how Sharmistha’s role marries the sciences and humanities together

    Ep 404: Anna Erickson - Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Ep 404: Anna Erickson - Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

    1) Five-year-old Anna’s memories of picking up newspaper clippings about Chernobyl and how this translated into a career in nuclear

    2) How Anna ended up at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the important work she has conducted there thus far

    3) A discussion of the next generation of nuclear engineers

    4) Anna paints a picture for the future of nuclear energy and engineering

    Ep 403: Michl Binderbauer - CEO, TAE Technologies

    Ep 403: Michl Binderbauer - CEO, TAE Technologies

    1) Michl’s upbringing in Austria and the physics course which allowed his interests in science, astronomy, labs, and optics to bloom

    2) A quick dive into the origins of fusion - Early labs to the creation of TAE

    3) Taking a turn into the technical with a discussion of TAE’s focuses and technology

    4) TAE’s current projects and what the regulatory path could look like for fusion in the future

    Ep 402: Kevin Cramer - Senator for North Dakota, U.S. Senate

    Ep 402: Kevin Cramer - Senator for North Dakota, U.S. Senate

    1) Senator Cramer’s background - How he originally sparked his interested in politics and public service

    2) North Dakota’s diverse energy mix and how it informs Senator Cramer’s work in the U.S. Senate

    3) Senator Cramer’s work in the Environment and Public Works Committee and its oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    4) How we can improve America's global leadership in nuclear energy, as well as how we could support energy security and geopolitical issues abroad

    Ep 401: Nils Diaz - Fmr. Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    Ep 401: Nils Diaz - Fmr. Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    1) Nils’ incredibly interesting background in nuclear and his journey to becoming a prominent figure in the nuclear space

    2) What Nils believes is the best model for nuclear regulation and the characteristics this entails

    3) Nils’ time at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and some of the highlights and challenges of his career

    4) The challenges Nils believes we need to overcome in order to have the nuclear energy industry live up to its full potential

     

    Ep 400: Josh Mesner - Director of Operations, Last Energy

    Ep 400: Josh Mesner - Director of Operations, Last Energy

    1) Josh Mesner joins us for the Episode 400 special, as he and Bret discuss Josh’s background and beginning at Last Energy - From H.R. to Operations

    2) How a young Last Energy first started hiring and onboarding new employees who were already thriving in their existing field

    3) Josh’s work with the internal efficiencies of Last Energy and the various projects this work led him to take part in

    4) Overcoming challenges in the interest of a mission you believe in and strive for

    Ep 399: Bhavya Lal - Associate Admin for Technology, Policy & Strategy, NASA

    Ep 399: Bhavya Lal - Associate Admin for Technology, Policy & Strategy, NASA

    1) How Bhavya sparked her interests in science and nuclear engineering, as well as traveling around to see power plants in India as a child

    2) A deep dive into the types of technologies Bhavya and NASA are using in addition to radioisotope power systems and other power systems

    3) The challenges Bhavya foresees having to overcome in terms of relying more on nuclear technology to achieve NASA’s goals in space

    4) The regulatory and international cooperation landscapes for nuclear technology in space