Session: Graduate Student and Early Career Investigations - Early Career session

This session will focus on advancements in fields related to intersecting areas between the traditional and non-traditional nuclear, chemical, and environmental engineering. It is an opportunity for students and young professionals to present their work and network with experienced members from industry, academia, and the National Laboratory system. It is also a great opportunity to think outside-of-the-box on how their current work could be extrapolated into other areas. The intersection of chemical and nuclear engineering is often underutilized, and in the age of emerging advanced reactor vendors, fusion breakthrough, and HALEU production, it is a prime time to be in the nuclear space! There are tough problems here that have been presented at past meetings from safeguarding material in bulk waste facilities to which materials will best support plasma fusion. One accepted abstract submission and one presentation will be selected to receive the “NED Best Graduate and Early Career Investigation Award” which includes a $500 cash award. Cash awards will be announced during the 2025 Annual Conference. Session award eligibility requires submission authors to be either ? 35 years of age or if older ? 5 years since earning their last technical degree, your presence at the session, and submission of an awards packet. Awards packets must be sent to courtney.bottenus@pnnl.gov by 11:59 PM PST on Friday August 1, 2025. The awards packet should include a copy of the submission abstract(s) and a current resume.