YMG’s new Rad Talks series gets under way
The ANS Young Members Group is launching a new series of virtual events called Rad Talks. Inspired by the concept of salon dinners, each Rad Talks session will spotlight an influential nuclear industry leader in an interactive discussion with a limited number of participants. The sessions are open to young and student members.
“I came up with the idea for Rad Talks based on a few intimate salon dinners that I attended in the past year,” said Alyse Huffman, series moderator and member of the YMG Executive Committee. “At these events there is usually one or more honorary guests among a small group of folks who enjoy a meal together and discuss topics that everyone has in common. We want to replicate this experience virtually for our young members.”
Holgate
What’s on tap: The first installment of the series is scheduled for August 12 and will feature Laura S. H. Holgate, vice president for materials risk management at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). She is also cofounder of Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, a project of NTI, and has served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Office at Vienna and the International Atomic Energy Agency. ANS young and student members can register now for the event.
Connery
Joyce Connery, a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, is scheduled for the second installment of Rad Talks on August 26. Her past positions include director of nuclear energy policy in the National Security Council’s Office of International Economics under President Obama, and senior policy advisor to the assistant secretary for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
How it works: Huffman said that attendance will be capped for each session to facilitate discussion. The discussions will observe the Chatham House Rule, which means that participants are free to use the information from the event, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker, nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
“It provides an off-the-record venue for casual networking and opportunities for young professionals to interact with an established leader in the nuclear industry,” Huffman said.
