For the second straight year, a representative from the Department of Nuclear Engineering has been selected to receive the American Nuclear Society’s Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship.
Postdoctoral researcher Madeline Lockhart is one of just two individuals in the nation to earn the ANS congressional fellow appointment for the 2027 term as announced by ANS on Thursday afternoon. The Washington DC-based one-year term of the fellowship runs from January to December 2027. NE graduate student Alyssa Hayes was selected for the role last year.
“I am honored and excited to receive this fellowship,” Lockhart said. “It not only represents unique avenue to share my technical knowledge in public service, but also a learning opportunity that will likely shape how I think about and approach the rest of my career.”
About the Fellowship
The ANS Congressional Fellow appointment helps the Society fulfill its strategic goal of enhancing public policy.
As an ANS Congressional Fellow, Lockhart will be one of nearly 30 scientists and engineers participating annually through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship Program. More than 2,000 have served as Fellows on Capitol Hill since the inception of the AAAS program in 1973. ANS initiated its program in 2000.
ANS Congressional Fellows can directly contribute to the federal policymaking process, working in either the U.S. senator’s or representative’s personal office or with a congressional committee. They are responsible for supplying Congress with their expertise in nuclear science and technology, contributing to the creation of new laws while gaining a deeper understanding of the legislative process.
“I am going into this experience with an open mind and critical thinking. I hope to observe first-hand how policy and decisions are made, especially related to nuclear energy and national security,” Lockhart said. “I also hope to gain a better understanding of how we as scientists communicate with decision makers and to apply that knowledge to support evidence-based policies to secure a safe and sustainable future.”
Lockhart’s Research at UT
Lockhart specializes in radiation detection to support nuclear safeguards and nonproliferation. As a Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Safeguards (NNIS) fellow, her doctoral research focused on developing and evaluating advanced neutron measurement techniques for the characterization of the uranium-223 oxide materials for international safeguards applications.
Under the tutelage of NE Professor Jason Hayward as part of the DNN TECH consortium, Lockhart’s work at UT focuses on multi-modal analysis methods for identification and characterization of nuclear materials in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Lockhart has been actively involved in ANS for 10 years and eyed the ANS fellowship as an opportunity to use her technical expertise to inform policy decisions and make real-world impacts.
“The nuclear engineering department congratulates Madeline on being named an ANS Congressional Fellow,” said NE TVA Department Chair Brian Wirth. “Having someone from our department selected for the second straight year shows the strength of our program and the interests of our students and early career staff in the intersection of nuclear technology and policy.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])