The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920
                                                                                    cgonzal@unm.edu

Dec. 3, 2008

President-Elect of American Nuclear Society to Speak to UNM Student Chapter

Tom Sanders, vice president/president elect of the American Nuclear Society, presents “The Global Nuclear Future: Realities and Opportunities,” Thursday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. Farris Engineering, 2nd floor in the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Lounge.

Sanders notes that the end of the Cold War, the events of September 11, 2001, and almost global support for the resurgence of nuclear energy have created a new opportunity to reinvigorate our commitment to peace and prosperity built around a new “Global Nuclear Future.”  For the U.S. to return to its former position as a visionary leader in the beneficial use of nuclear technology and materials on a global scale, it is imperative that steps be taken to reverse the conditions and decisions that led to the present situation—for the most part, the U.S. nuclear supply industry has moved offshore. This will require an integrated or holistic view of the global nuclear enterprise, from the cradle-to-the grave.  Some of the realities of the global nuclear state will be outlined in the presentation.

Sanders, manager/integrator of Sandia National Laboratories Global Nuclear Materials Management and Global Nuclear Futures Initiatives since 1997, has organized numerous focus meetings with senior government policy officials on the need for a second nuclear era, from a national security perspective. As the leader of the Global Nuclear Futures vision, he led the development of topical meetings, policy papers, news articles, partnership events with other countries and non-government organizations, and caucus events on Capitol Hill to articulate that a healthy and thriving U.S. nuclear energy infrastructure (from education to labs, suppliers, operators, and NGOs) is key to global proliferation risk management in the future. 

Sanders developed a complementary partnership initiative between seven U.S. and nine Russian lab directors.  This message has been delivered at Presidential summits, White House and Congressional briefings, and to numerous champions throughout government, industry, labor, and academia. 

Sanders is co-founder and former vice president of the American Council on Global Nuclear Competitiveness.  He has contributed to and managed several technical groups and programs at Sandia since joining the American Nuclear Society in 1984. He is author of more than 100 journal articles, conference papers, magazine articles, and white papers covering all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, from fusion and fast fission breeder reactor systems to criticality safety of spent fuel transport, storage, and disposal systems. 

He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Texas, Austin. His Ph.D. is in mechanical/nuclear engineering, and, while at UT, he licensed as a senior reactor operator at the University of Texas by the NRC.  He also served as a nuclear operator and supervisor on U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarines for several years, completing several patrols on the USS Kamehameha and the USS Shark. 

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