The PSU INMM Chapter recently hosted the Security of Advanced Reactors workshop! The workshop gathered nuclear security experts to engage in discussions about the challenges of protecting advanced reactor designs. The workshop events were available to both in-person participants and those connecting remotely, with over 100 participants from almost 40 various institutions. Over 25 students participated in the workshop with 13 students either presenting or moderating at least one session.
The four keynote speakers for the workshop included:
Alice Caponiti, the US DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor
Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment, who discussed the roadmap for advanced reactor deployment with a focus on Safety, Security, and Safeguards (3S).
Dr. Jean Paul Allain (PSU) and Dr. Sola Talabi (Pittsburgh Technical LLC), who presented the PSU-led advanced reactor research initiative Post-Industrial Midwest and Appalachia Nuclear Alliance (PIMA NA).
Mr. Steve Burns, a former US NRC Chairman, who addressed the harmonization of advanced reactors with a regulatory
framework.
In addition to the addresses, presentations, and panels, in-person and remote participants had the opportunity to tour the PSU Breazeale
Reactor, observe a live demonstration of ARES Security’s Ghost Robotics Q-UGV, and attend a special community engagement event. Workshop sessions were focused on an array of topics such as evolving policy and regulatory guidance, modeling and simulation, insights from industry and NGO representatives, security by design, cyber security, and security for advanced reactor fuel fabrication facilities.
Overall, the workshop was an extremely informative and thought-provoking experience for all attendees! We hope that all attendees enjoyed not only the workshop, but the Happy Valley hospitality and look forward to seeing everyone again in the future!
Below are some of the photos our talented photographer, Becca Baker (PSU-NUCE) captured at the workshop.
Workshop Agenda
| Time(s) | Events & Speakers | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 2nd | ||
| 8:15 - 8:45 AM | Check In & Registration | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 8:45 - 9:00 AM | Welcome Address & Opening Comments Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Matt Zerphy, PSU; Madi Gitzen, PSU | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 9:00 - 9:45 AM | Keynote Address - Alice Caponiti, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment, DOE Moderator – Jonathan Balog, PSU | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 9:45 - 10:45 AM | Diversity of Reactor Designs Moderator – Matt Zerphy, PSU Speakers - Sean Bistany, PSU; Chris Balbier, PSU; Branko Kovacevic, PSU; Alexis Nicholes, PSU; Josef Bauer, PSU | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 10:45 - 11:00 AM | Break | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 11:00 - 12:00 PM | Evolving Policy/Guidance Moderators - Beth Reed, NRC; Madi Gitzen, PSU Speakers - Cynthia Jones - NRC; Kristof Horvath – IAEA | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 12:00 - 2:00 PM | Lunch | |
| 2:00 - 2:30 PM | Integration of Safety, Security and Safeguards Workshop Moderator - Branko Kovacevic, PSU Speaker - Jeremy Edwards, UK NNL | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 2:30 - 3:15 PM | Vendor Perspective Moderators - Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Chris Balbier, PSU Speakers - Steven Reed, Westinghouse; Kevin Deyette, NuScale | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 3:15 - 3:30 PM | Break | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 3:30 - 4:15 PM | NGO Perspective Moderators - Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Becca Baker, PSU Speakers - Ross Matzkin-Bridger, Nuclear Threat Initiative Ed Lyman, Union of Concerned Scientists | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 4:15 - 5:00 PM | Mod/Sim Vendor Session Moderators - Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Becca Baker, PSU Speakers - Dan McCorquodale, George Franklin, III (Rhinocorps - Vanguard Simajin); Jim Raines, Jerud Hansen, John Halsema (Ares Security - Avert) | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| 5:00 - 5:15 PM | Closing Comments Speakers - Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Matt Zerphy, PSU; Madi Gitzen, PSU | Barron Innovation Hub, Room 603 |
| Thursday, November 3rd | ||
| 8:15 - 8:45 AM | Check In & Registration | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 8:45 - 9:00 AM | Opening Comments Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Matt Zerphy, PSU; Jonathan Balog, PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 9:00 - 9:30 AM | Keynote Address - Jean Paul Allain (PSU) Advanced Nuclear Technologies from Research Testbeds to Finding Economic Viability at Scale: Challenges and Opportunities Moderator – Chris Balbier, PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 9:30 - 10:20 AM | Security Considerations Moderator - Josef Bauer, PSU; Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Speakers - Aaron Fjeldsted, PSU; Matthew Denselsbeck, PSU; Zack Alexis, PSU; Alexis Nicholes, PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 10:20 - 10:40 AM | Break | |
| 10:40 - 11:20 AM | Approaches for Delay Moderators - Seelan Nerio, PSU; Alan Evans, Sandia Speakers | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 11:20- 12:00 PM | Reliance on Offsite Response Moderators - Steve Horowitz, Sandia; Matthew Zerphy, PSU Speakers - Douge Abel, Sandia; Fletcher Boone, Naval Reactors/PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 12:00 - 2:00 PM | Reactor Tour/Lunch | Breazeale Nuclear Reactor/Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 2:00 - 2:50 PM | Modelling & Simulation Moderators - Matthew Zerphy, PSU; Adam Williams, PSU Speakers - Vaibhav Yadav, INL; Calvin Luzum, Sandia/PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 2:50 - 3:40 PM | Protection of HALEU Moderators - Branko Kovacevic, PSU; Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services (also Speaker) | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 3:40 - 4:00 PM | Break | |
| 4:00 - 5:00 PM | Leveraging Safety & Risk Insight Moderators - Ama Dahanayake, Doug Osborn (Sandia) Speakers - Emily Sandt, Sandia/OSU; Brian Cohm, Sandia/OSU; Vaibhav Yadav, INL; Steven Reed, Westinghouse/JCNRM WG) | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 5:00 - 5:15 PM | Closing Comments Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Matt Zerphy, PSU; Jonathan Balog, PSU | Lewis Katz Building - Sutliff Auditorium Room 118 |
| 7:00 - 9:00 PM | Evening Program on Communication & Engagement Moderator - Madi Gitzen, PSU Speakers - Candace Davison (Ret.); Martin Nieto-Perez, PSU; Peter & Lori Miraldi, PSU | Hintz Family Alumni Center - Robb Hall |
| Friday, November 4th | ||
| 8:15 - 8:45 AM | Check In | HUB Room 233A |
| 8:45 - 9:00 AM | Opening Comments Speaker - Madi Gitzen | HUB Room 233A |
| 9:00 - 9:30 AM | Keynote - Steve Burns (NRC), Improving Harmonization in Regulatory Reviews Moderator - Joe Rivers, Rivers Security Services; Madi Gitzen, PSU | HUB Room 233A |
| 9:30 - 10:00 AM | DOE/NNSA International Nuclear Security Office Activities in Support of Advanced Reactors Moderators - Sean Bistany, PSU; Joe Rivers, INMM Speaker - Anagha Iyengar (DOE/NNSA) | HUB Room 233A |
| 10:00 - 11:00 AM | Cyber Security Moderators - Aaron Fjeldsted, PSU; Mike Rowland, Sandia Speakers - Ismael Garcia, NRC/NSIR; Rodney Busquim, IAEA | HUB Room 233A |
| 11:00 - 11:20 AM | Break | HUB Room 233A |
| 11:20 - 12:00 PM | National Academies on Advanced Reactors Moderator - Alexis Nicholes Speaker - Allison Macfarlane (NRC) | HUB Room 233A |
| 12:00 - 12:20 PM | Closing Comments Speaker - Chris Balbier | HUB Room 233A |
| 1:30 - 3:30 PM | Reactor Tour | Breazeale Nuclear Reactor |
| 3:30 - 5:30 PM | Reactor Tour Virtual | Zoom |