Title: Creating the Future of Nuclear Energy

Abstract: The nuclear energy industry is at a crossroads: existing nuclear reactors are struggling to operate economically in some tough markets, and construction of new designs in the U.S. is slow and over budget. At the same time, interest in and development of the next generation of nuclear reactors is growing at an unprecedented rate, and some other nations are building new reactors efficiently. Can the current fleet reduce costs? Will the next generation of designs be "walkaway safe" and cost-competitive? What about safeguards and recycling of nuclear fuel? Many new technologies, including Data Analytics and Machine Learning, can be impactful in answering these questions. This talk will frame some of the big challenges in nuclear energy and how new technologies are starting to be used. We'll also look to the future in terms of where the biggest impacts are likely to be and what we can do to move quickly.

Bio: Rachel Slaybaugh is an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Slaybaugh researches computational methods applied to nuclear reactors, nuclear non-proliferation and security, and shielding. Slaybaugh is currently serving as a Program Director at ARPA-E. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Breakthrough Institute and at the Berkeley Institute of Data Science.

Slaybaugh received a BS in Nuclear Engineering from Penn State, where she served as a licensed nuclear reactor operator, and a PhD from University of Wisconsin–Madison in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics with a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy. Slaybaugh’s Rickover Fellowship took her to Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory prior to joining Berkeley.