North American Young Generation in Nuclear- NAYGN

The fourteenth nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Emily Young!

During her time participating in NAYGN at Duke Energy, she acted as the nuclear corporate site outreach chair for one term and president for the following term. At her current company, TerraPower, she was able to use what she learned during her time as an NAYGN leader to support the development of the inaugural TerraPower NAYGN chapter in 2023.

If she could give a current NAYGN member one piece of advice, it would be to put yourself out there. If you are afraid of not being the right candidate for a project or position for whatever reason, she encourages you to take the opportunity to apply or ask to be considered. Worst case you do not get selected, but you can still learn what gaps need to be filled so you can get the position in the future. Best case you will get the job and be able to take your career to the next level!

We are thrilled to release our 2024 NAYGN Career Report! Nuclear Energy has a bright future, but we must continue to retain our existing workforce and attract new talent to energize our future. This year's explores various perspectives of what it will take to support the industry and the people who make it work day in and out.

Thank you to our dedicated career report team and our hundreds of NAYGN members and allies who provided data to support this initiative.

Download the report now at NAYGN.org/news/2024-career-report

The thirteenth nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Natalie Wood!

Natalie was one of the initial members of Entergy’s NAYGN chapters in 2008. She continues to serve on Entergy’s NAYGN Advisory Board, which advises the current organization.

Natalie served on the NAYGN Core for three years and was the President from 2016 to 2017. During her NAYGN President year, NAYGN rolled out an initiative called the NAYGN Impact. This effort generated things such as the revitalization of NAYGN social media, the creation of the first NAYGN published book, and dozens of individual activities in each chapter.

North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) chapters unite at the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference! Celebrating the passion and innovation of our chapters in shaping the future of nuclear energy!

Meet the future of nuclear energy! Congratulations to the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference Student Scholarship Winners!

Join us for a deep dive into the front end of the uranium cycle, including new mines, discoveries, discovery rates, and challenges to replace current production! The Uranium Mining Webinar is on July 11th, 2024, at 12 PM EDT!

Registration Link: https://naygn.webex.com/weblink/register/r3c1d8fbb94e5afba4bab2753e6fe43ed

The twelfth nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Ryan Elsener!

Ryan has held a variety of NAYGN positions including the LaSalle Site Public Information Chair, LaSalle Site Lead, Constellation West Chapter Public Information Chair, Constellation West Chapter Vice Chair, and Constellation West Chapter Chair.

He really liked the Public Information Chair position as it afforded him easy access to public information events, and he enjoyed talking to the public about nuclear power.

Check out these photos from our U.S. National Whitewater Center Public Information Event! Fun for the whole family with a free concert, educational activities, and giveaways sponsored by the nonprofit North American Young Generation in Nuclear!

Interested in joining the NAYGN Public Information Committee? Contact the Public Information Chair Megan Lubbers at [email protected]

Shout-out to the NAYGN members from Mexico for their presence and participation at the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference! Your commitment to advancing the future of nuclear energy is inspiring.

Highlights from some of the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference Breakout Sessions! Engaging discussions, innovative ideas, and inspiring insights made for an unforgettable experience. Thank you to all our speakers and participants!

Interested in spreading the word about NAYGN's exciting events and initiatives? Join the NAYGN Communications Committee! Contact the Communications Officer Ivey Wilson at [email protected]

Celebrating the outgoing members of the NAYGN Board of Directors for their remarkable dedication and impactful leadership. Your efforts have paved the way for great achievements! 🌟👏 Welcome to the new board members – we look forward to an exciting journey ahead, filled with innovation and progress. Here's to the future!

Thank you for attending the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina! We celebrated 25 years of Energizing the Future of Nuclear with impactful speakers, engaging forums, and exciting networking events.

A huge shoutout to the incredible Conference Planning Team for making it all possible! If you want to join the Conference Planning Committee, please reach out to the NAYGN Professional Development Officer Justin Roberts at [email protected]

Did you hear? We launched our new NAYGN logo!🎉

In addition to the primary logo, our team developed a fresh blue colorway and alternate logos to enhance engagement with members and the community. As we evolve and grow, the NAYGN brand needs to reflect the vibrant energy and innovative spirit of our organization.

This refresh maintains our core essence while incorporating modern elements that align with our future vision, aiming to strengthen our connections with members and partners and reinforcing our commitment to nuclear advocacy and professional development across North America.

Visit our Resource Library where you can download the comprehensive brand guide, logos, and fonts. Stay tuned for more brand refresh updates in the coming weeks!

NAYGN Resource Library: https://naygn.org/member-center/resource-library/

The eleventh nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Cayla Thompson!

NAYGN energized Cayla’s professional life, but it also energized her personal life! Participating in NAYGN expedited her professional training and skill building by providing her with opportunities to collaborate. Her Training instructor position and most recent position, Industry Support Program Manager (INPO APOC), are relationship-based positions and rely solely on teamwork. She was able to take the skills that she developed from NAYGN and apply them directly to these roles. Most importantly, NAYGN showed her that she is far more capable than she gave herself credit for and that her voice mattered.

Get ready, something exciting is coming to NAYGN tomorrow! Keep an eye on our socials – you won't want to miss this!

The public is invited to the U.S. National Whitewater Center on Sunday, June 2, for a free concert, educational activities, and free giveaways sponsored by the nonprofit North American Young Generation in Nuclear!

The STEM related educational activities and giveaways are inclusive of all ages and start at 3 pm on The Levee. The family-friendly concert featuring the artists Wilmot, Jersey Day, and Charlotte Culture Party runs 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm on the picturesque Belmont Abbey Stage and Lawn.

Parking is $12 or free with an annual pass.

NAYGN would like to congratulate seven students selected for the Student Scholarship for the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference!

These students will receive complimentary registration, hotel, AND travel accommodations for the 2024 NAYGN Continental Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Special thank you to our Platinum and Gold Sponsors for sponsoring our future nuclear professionals!

The tenth nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Jenny W. Gourley!

She served as the founding chair for the INPO NAYGN Chapter and other supporting roles over the years. For her, starting a chapter was really cool because everyone wanted to be involved and contribute to its success.

She also had the privilege to serve on the NAYGN National Professional Development Conference Planning Committee as a planning member and a co-chair. It was a lot of hard work, but the end result was rewarding. The ultimate honor for her was the two years that she spent as the NAYGN National Professional Development Officer. Although that overlapped with the first half of the pandemic, it provided a host of other learning opportunities as everyone navigated virtual learning and virtual conferences and truly learned how to more broadly engage members when we could only engage virtually or with social distancing. That role specifically taught me leadership and management skills that are directly applicable to her role today as a team leader for peer reviews.

Relive the highlights of 2023 with NAYGN's captivating end-of-year video! From kicking off the second cohort for the Atomic Mentorship Program to the first-ever stand-alone NAYGN Continental Conference, join us in commemorating a year filled with innovation, growth, and endless possibilities. Let's energize the future of nuclear together!

Watch NAYGN's 2023 End-of-Year Video here:

North American Young Generation in Nuclear, Year in Review, 2023 Check out all the great things that NAYGN accomplished in 2023. Thank you for all your efforts!https://naygn.org/

Congratulations to the NAYGN 2024 Contest Winners from Kimi Daly’s Art Class at Fairfield Magnet School for Math & Science!

1st Place: Alianna Smith
2nd Place: Mason Cardona
3rd Place: Sandy El Bayoumi

Join us for the Fusion Panel Webinar featuring Dr. Aneeqa Khan, a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, and Zainab Gilani, a Research Associate at the Cleantech Group in the Fusion Industry on Thursday, May 30th, at 12 PM EDT! Gain insights into the challenges and industry advancements shaping the landscape of fusion technology. Don't miss out on this opportunity to explore the limitless potential of clean, sustainable energy!

Registration Link: https://naygn.webex.com/weblink/register/r9a9511627f69143480abc85549ed91d2

The ninth nuclear professional to be featured in our "25 Years of NAYGN Energizing the Future of Nuclear" series is Jon Gomes!

Jon's involvement with NAYGN began in the summer of 2009 as an engineering intern at Brunswick Nuclear Plant. He has been an active NAYGN participant since he started working full-time in nuclear power from 2011, with most of that time spent with Duke Energy at Harris Nuclear Plant.

NAYGN has energized the future of his career by providing him with a valuable professional network of industry peers and leaders and memorable experiences that have helped shape his professional development in the nuclear industry.

Ready to lead the charge? Apply now to be the next NAYGN Conference Planning Lead and make your mark on the future of nuclear energy! The application deadline is Monday, May 20th.

Application Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CGVTXTG

This week, our NAYGN Vice President, Christine Fletcher, and members, Jeanne Ruppelius, Tyler Andrews, Luke Dolenc, and Veeshesh Sunassy traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the final week of COP28 – the United Nations Conference of Parties.

NAYGN will continue to collaborate with nuclear representatives from around the globe to provide public information about nuclear power to attendees and guests.

COP28 aims to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and reduce climate impacts.

Stay tuned to NAYGN social media for live updates from the conference and more information about what is happening at COP28!

NAYGN has Energized the Future of Nuclear for almost 25 years! We are thrilled to be participating in COP28 and educating our members on the international efforts driving a clean future for us all!

So, what is COP28?

COP, short for Conference of Parties, is the United Nations climate conference and is held annually by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system." It states that "such a level should be achieved within a timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."