Up next: 2026 ANS Winter Conference & Expo

Fall may have officially kicked off only last week, but the American Nuclear Society's 2026 Winter Conference & Expo is already just around the corner. This year's Winter Conference will be held November 15-18 at the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

Registration is currently open, with early-bird pricing ending October 22. More details are available on the ANS website.

Conference highlights: The theme of this year's Winter Conference is "Going Critical: Creating a Durable Nuclear Resurgence," and the focus will be on how to leverage the current momentum into sustained growth across the industry.

The conference's opening plenary will kick things off by bringing together key voices in that effort: John Wagner of Idaho National Laboratory, Douglas Weaver and Bradley Crowell of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Isaiah Taylor of Valar Atomics, Bobby Gallagher of Deployable Energy, Matt Loszak of Aalo Atomics, Rachel Slaybaugh of DCVC, and John Skjervem of the Utah Retirement System.

From there, conference attendees can choose from panels that will zoom in on topics as varied as isotopes and radiation, the fuel cycle, communication, the future of nuclear deployment, robotics, mining, molten salt, and much more.

Embedded topicals: Aside from the conversations, panels, and technical sessions offered by the main conference, three embedded topicals cohosted with the Winter Conference will offer deeper dives into industry niches.

• Advances in Thermal Hydraulics (ATH 2026) is the seventh topical meeting in a growing series featuring technical papers, summaries, and abstracts in the field.
• Advanced Reactor Safety (ARS 2026), formerly the International Topical Meeting on Advanced Reactor Safety, will be of interest to those working in both deterministic and probabilistic safety approaches for various applications.
• The International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2026) provides a forum for nuclear industry leaders from around the world to exchange information, review the state of the industry, and discuss future directions.

Course offering: The 2026 Winter Conference also will provide the next opportunity to take ANS's Nuclear 101 Certificate Course. Nuclear 101 is a five-day, 32-hour course designed for new professionals in the nuclear field. It covers a broad range of science and technology topics, from the history of nuclear to licensing to scientific fundamentals, and much more.

Only a few spots remain, so those interested should sign up as soon as possible. More information on Nuclear 101 is available on the ANS website.