March 6, 2023 – Sargent & Lundy’s Cherie Paugh has been appointed the first female officer of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Nuclear Power Engineering Committee Subcommittee 6.
The 44 members of this NPEC subcommittee establish safety related nuclear instrumentation and control standards and guidance that govern safety system digital modernization. The current members unanimously recognized Paugh’s abilities and encouraged her to take the leadership role. As an officer, Paugh will serve consecutive two-year terms as subcommittee secretary, vice chair, and chair. As chair, she will oversee all subcommittee working groups; ensure IEEE standards, processes, and procedures are followed; develop recommendations on document referrals; and arrange for technical meeting presentations among many other responsibilities.
Paugh is also the first female officer of the 12-member IEEE NPEC Working Group 6.1, which she has served as chair since 2020. Working Group 6.1 is responsible for the maintenance of IEEE 497-2016 IEEE Standard Criteria for Accident Monitoring Instrumentation for Nuclear Power Generating Stations and IEEE/IEC 63113-2021 Nuclear Facilities – Instrumentation Important to Safety – Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation. During her tenure, this working group received an award in recognition for outstanding performance in the development of the joint logo standard IEEE/IEC 63113-2021.
Paugh joined Sargent & Lundy in 2022 and contributes her expertise in instrumentation and control safety system digital design and requirements to the firm’s nuclear digital modernization and consulting operations. In addition to her involvement with IEEE NPEC, she is a member of U.S. Women in Nuclear and involved in several Sargent & Lundy innovation initiatives.
Becoming the first female officer of Subcommittee 6 and first female officer of WG 6.1 is significant for the industry as it shows how far we have come since the days of Marie Curie – the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for her pioneering research on radioactivity – and the challenges she faced. Paugh personally hopes her own strong nuclear safety culture mentality helps influence the industry in the area of safety related systems for both the operating fleet and new reactors.
“I am honored to be an example for future female generations pursuing their dreams and aspirations and working toward gender equality,” stated Paugh. “Becoming an officer within Subcommittee 6 allows me to develop into a better industry leader and a strong representative for Sargent & Lundy.”
NPEC is one of the technical committees of the IEEE Power & Energy Society – a worldwide, nonprofit association for the electric power and energy industry – and conducts nuclear power related technical and standards writing activities within the IEEE.
Learn more about IEEE’s Nuclear Power Engineering Committee here.
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