September 3, 2019 – Sargent & Lundy recently attended the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) Annual Professional Development Conference in Washington, D.C., and had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to advocate for nuclear energy.
NAYGN provides opportunities for a young generation of nuclear enthusiasts to develop leadership and professional skills, create life-long connections, engage and inform the public, and inspire today’s nuclear technology professionals to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Participation in organizations like NAYGN is critical in bridging the age gap and retaining the current knowledge base in the nuclear power industry.
The conference explored everything from fostering an innovation culture in nuclear and navigating nuclear policy to building momentum around attendees’ personal brands.
“My favorite breakout session discussed the strides small module reactors have made in recent years and how they look to be the innovative future of the nuclear industry,” said Sargent & Lundy Structural Associate Charles Boutros. “With Sargent & Lundy’s recently signed agreement with NuScale, it’s also exciting to know we will be closely involved with what that future looks like.”
Sargent & Lundy also attended the conference’s ‘Hill day’, where Boutros had the opportunity to meet with Representative Sean Casten from Illinois’ 6th Congressional District to advocate for the benefits nuclear energy brings to Illinois and the rest of the country.
“The meeting with Representative Casten was a rare opportunity, and I was honored to have the chance to meet with him,” said Boutros. “I was pleasantly surprised to learn he had a technical background in science, engineering, energy, and business, which became evident in our conversation as he was very familiar with the industry and Illinois nuclear plants.”
Sargent & Lundy participates in nuclear science advocacy events year-round. Most recently, members of the firm’s Chattanooga NAYGN chapter visited fifth grade classrooms in Ringgold, Georgia, and Winchester, Tennessee, to discuss engineering and nuclear science. Sargent & Lundy volunteers explained how engineers apply scientific principles to solve real-world problems and led interactive games to inspire the students to learn how and why things around them work.
Sargent & Lundy’s Chattanooga NAYGN chapter also participates in non-nuclear related community outreach initiatives such as natural disaster relief aid, an annual dragon boat race benefiting Erlanger Children’s Hospital, and the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program.
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