Abstract
In July 2019, the White House established the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Working Group to “reinvigorate the entire nuclear fuel supply chain, consistent with United States national security and nonproliferation goals.” But what is the link between a robust and secure civil nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear nonproliferation, and how do U.S. nonproliferation policies impact the domestic nuclear industry? In this colloquium talk, Ty Otto will discuss these issues, including topics such as (1) U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements, which pave the way for U.S. nuclear firms to compete in foreign countries, (2) concepts to “internationalize” the nuclear fuel cycle in support of nonproliferation goals. As an analyst at a U.S. national laboratory, he also shares his perspectives on how DOE Labs harness technical expertise to support nonproliferation policymakers. 

Biography
Ty Otto is an analyst at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he focuses on a variety of nonproliferation issues including IAEA verification, the risks of emerging technologies, ensuring treaty compliance at domestic U.S. locations, and advancing U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policy. Prior to joining PNNL in 2016, he worked as a graduate fellow at DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration, supporting the Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control.  He has a master’s in nuclear energy from the University of Cambridge (UK), and a BS in physics from the University of Washington.