Two U.S. Women in Nuclear members, Lisa Marshall and Amanda Bachmann, were awarded Presidential Citations at the 2022 Annual ANS Meeting for their outstanding effort and service in the American Nuclear Society, an Atomic Ally partner. We checked in with them after receiving their awards.

Name: Lisa Marshall

Preferred Pronouns: she/her

Employment/Specialty: NC State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering as their Director of Outreach, Retention & Engagement as well as Senior Lecturer

Tell us about your involvement in the American Nuclear Society:

I’ve been involved in ANS since 2005. Currently, I’m the program chair for the Education, Training & Workforce Development Division, Co-Vice Chair of the Diversity in ANS Committee and former Board member. I work with other committees & divisions and with staff of the ANS Center for Nuclear Science & Technology Information. At NC State, I’m the co-adviser to the student chapter.

Tell us about your involvement in U.S. Women in Nuclear:

I’ve been a member since the early 2000s. I sit on the U.S. WIN Comm Comm Committee and serve as the liaison for the U.S. WIN DEI Working Group to DIA and as an interested member. At NC State, I’m the co-adviser to the student chapter.

How has being involved in both ANS and U.S. WIN impacted your journey?

It has allowed me to meet new colleagues and develop long lasting relationships. In my capacity as Director of Outreach, Retention & Engagement at NC State, it is my pleasure to introduce students to the organizations and see them blossom personally and professionally. The most important asset any organization has is its people. It’s where collaborations flourish and I am honored to call these organizations home.

What is your favorite work memory or accomplishment?

Welcoming and professionally advising undergraduate and graduate students through their educational career is my favorite work memory/accomplishment. It is a pleasure to have front row seats to their personal and professional growth, to know I assist in their navigation, and building of experiences. I am most gratified on graduation day, to reconnect with family and friends I met at the start of this journey. Our students are near and far, to continue the connections over many years and to be part of their career and personal moments after degree brings me much joy. Being able to merge together outreach, teaching & research in a unique way makes me happy to wake each morning and do what I do for the field.

Name: Amanda Bachmann

Pronouns: she/her

Employment: NEUP Fellow, Graduate Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Tell us about your involvement in the American Nuclear Society:

I have been a member since 2016. I currently serve as the Student Director (representing the students of ANS on the Board of Directors), and I am a member of the Scholarship & Policy Coordination Committee and the Diversity & Inclusion in ANS Committee. I was also the DEI Co-Chair and Sponsorship Chair for the 2022 ANS Student Conference.

Tell us about your involvement in U.S. Women in Nuclear:

I have been a member of U.S. WIN since 2015, and I currently serve as the Twitter Lead for the Communications Committee (since 2018). As Twitter Lead, I am responsible for supporting a team of 5 other people, by identifying content for them to post and managing the schedule of when each person posts. I am also responsible for the overall growth and impact of the account. To increase the presence and impact of the account, I developed the “Day in the Life” Twitter Takeover Series, which allows U.S. WIN members to takeover the account to share what their career and position look like. This series is a form of outreach to share potential careers in the nuclear industry and the diversity of those in the industry.

How has being involved in both ANS and U.S. WIN impacted your journey?

ANS and U.S. WIN have helped me tremendously with networking and professional development. I have connected with so many people within my specialty and the industry as a whole. These connections have helped me develop my current career trajectory, strengthen my technical expertise, and feel confident and prepared for a career as a nuclear professional.

What is your hope for the nuclear field in the next five years?

From a technical standpoint, I hope that we build and operate a few new reactors. Ideally some of these will be an advanced design. I am most hopeful for new commercial reactors as I know we have plans for demonstration reactors. I want to see the industry lead the charge for new advancements and not need the DOE to take that leadership role. From an internal standpoint, I hope that we accomplish some of the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) goals that we have set for ourselves.