National awards to be presented at 2026 ANS Annual Conference

Fellows of ANS

Douglas C. Crawford, Idaho National Laboratory, in recognition of exceptional leadership in advancing the technical basis for the use of metal and mixed-oxide fuels in sodium-cooled fast reactors, including the retrospective documentation of a systematic approach to fuel qualification. He also led research and engineering teams in the development of advanced technologies and in providing critical support to operating nuclear plants.

Jie Lian, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for pioneering original contributions to nuclear fuels, advanced fuel cycle technologies, and effective nuclear waste management; advancing fundamental understanding of materials behavior under extreme environments; and providing outstanding leadership in nuclear engineering education, accreditation, and workforce development

Igor Remec, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in recognition of his significant impact in multiple science and technology areas. His seminal research contributed to explaining HFIR accelerated embrittlement in mixed neutron-gamma field and assessing radiation-induced concrete degradation, allowing safe continued operation of nuclear power plants. His leadership is essential for the Second Target Design of the Spallation Neutron Source.

Michael R. Tonks, University of Florida, for transforming nuclear materials modeling by pioneering mechanistic, multiscale approaches used in fuel performance codes and by establishing MOOSE-based mesoscale simulation tools, including the foundation of the Department of Energy's MARMOT code. His leadership and mentorship have advanced predictive capability and trained the next generation of nuclear materials modelers.

Kenan Ünlü, Pennsylvania State University, for visionary leadership in transforming university research reactor infrastructure and advancing neutron beam science, and for establishing nationally impactful nuclear security and radiochemistry education programs that have strengthened U.S. nuclear capability and scientific enterprise.

Garry G. Young, Electric Power Research Institute, for demonstrating exemplary leadership in advancing the long-term safe operation of nuclear power plants worldwide. His contributions include directing license renewal initiatives and leading industry organizations in establishing standards for aging management that support safe continued operation for 80 years or more.

Untermyer & Cisler Reactor Technology Medal (AESJ)

Zeyun Wu, Virginia Commonwealth University, in recognition of significant contributions to reactor physics and reactor technology through the development and application of advanced computational methods, enabling improved reactor analysis, safety evaluation, and design for current and next-generation nuclear systems, and for advancing the field through leadership, research innovation, and professional service.

Landis Young Member Engineering Achievement Award

Abdalla Abou-Jaoude, Idaho National Laboratory, in recognition of his outstanding leadership in advanced reactor technology development, demonstrated through his role as head of the DOE's Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) demonstration project, and for leading the first-ever irradiation of a molten chloride fuel salt sample.

Michael William Donald Cooper, Los Alamos National Laboratory, in recognition of his sustained, high-impact contributions to nuclear power research and development through the application of engineering knowledge through his ability to translate the insight gained from atomistic simulations to the engineering scale, incorporating physics-based mechanisms that improve the robustness of fuel performance models.

Xu Wu, North Carolina State University, in recognition of outstanding achievements in developing and deploying engineering-grade uncertainty quantification and machine learning methodologies for nuclear applications to address critical challenges facing the nuclear industry today, and to establish predictive credibility, regulatory readiness, and practical applicability of physics-based and hybrid ML methods in nuclear systems.

Leadership Award

Sunil Chirayath, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for visionary leadership and sustained service to ANS. Through division leadership, conference planning and participation, technical programming, workforce development, and mentorship, Chirayath has significantly strengthened ANS's excellence and global impact in nuclear safeguards, security, and policy.

Milton Levenson Distinguished Service Award

John Arthur (Jay) Mullis II, United Cleanup Oak Ridge, in recognition of his stewardship and leadership at UCOR. He led the first-ever cleanup of a uranium enrichment complex, delivering results safely, ahead of schedule, and under budget, enabling large-scale land reuse, economic revitalization, and a national resurgence in advanced nuclear technologies. More than 2,500 acres of cleaned-up federal land has been transferred to the local community. Dozens of nuclear-based companies are located at the East Tennessee Technology Park, leading a national renaissance for nuclear energy in advanced reactor concepts, new fuel sources, and uranium enrichment capacity.

Mishima Award

Andrew T. Nelson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for his technical accomplishments, leadership, mentoring, and active role developing and maintaining U.S. nuclear fuels research.

To be announced: More ANS awards will be announced soon and presented at NECX 2026, the annual joint conference of ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute. This year, NECX is taking place in Dallas, Texas, on August 24-27. Register for the conference now at nuclearenergyconference.org.