ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy presented Mark Peters with the Henry DeWolf Smyth Award at NEI’s Nuclear Energy Assembly.
At the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Nuclear Energy Assembly, held this year in Washington, D.C., the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award was presented on May 17 to Mark Peters, Battelle’s executive vice president for national laboratory management and operations.
The award: The Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award is a joint effort between the American Nuclear Society and NEI that recognizes an individual for outstanding service in developing and guiding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The nominee must be widely recognized for their statesmanlike contributions to the many aspects of nuclear energy. A significant segment of their work must have been directed toward the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The award consists of an engraved bronze medal, which incorporates a bust of Henry DeWolf Smyth.
Smyth, who received the inaugural award in 1972, led a distinguished career as a physicist, diplomat, and bureaucrat. He authored the official public report on the atomic bomb in World War II and served as principal advisor to President Eisenhower in preparation for his “Atoms for Peace” speech. He was also a commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission, a U.S. representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and a physics professor at Princeton University.
The honoree: “I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Peters, who was presented the honor by Craig Piercy, ANS executive director/CEO. “I have spent my career working to develop nuclear energy, and I believe it is one of the most effective ways we can help reduce carbon in our planet’s atmosphere, while still producing affordable, reliable, and resilient energy for our nation and the globe.”
Prior to assuming his current role at Battelle in 2021, Peters served as laboratory director at Idaho National Laboratory. Before that, he was Argonne National Laboratory’s associate laboratory director for the Energy and Global Security directorate, which included Argonne’s programs in energy and national security. Peters has also held leadership positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory and served two terms as chair of the National Laboratory Directors Council, representing the 17 Department of Energy national labs. He is an expert in nuclear fuel cycle technologies and nuclear waste management and holds a doctorate in geophysical science from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
ANS awards: ANS honors members and industry professionals with dozens of national and division-administered awards each year. All members are encouraged to review the background and nomination requirements and consider nominating a qualified and deserving colleague. If you have any questions about a specific award, please contact Hash Hashemian, chair of the Honors and Awards Committee.
