Dr. Stephen Schultz (left) announced as an ANS fellow at the 2017 Winter Meeting. Photo courtesy of the American Nuclear Society.
Although the nuclear utility industry relies on many experts to safely and reliably generate electricity for communities across the country, few rise to the level of Dr. Stephen Schultz.
Last fall, Schultz was one of 11 members recognized by the American Nuclear Society (ANS) as a “fellow” of the society for his outstanding accomplishments in nuclear science and engineering. “What makes his accomplishment even more notable is that ANS fellows typically hail from national laboratories or universities,” said Steve Nesbit, director of nuclear policy and support at Duke Energy. Of the 700 fellows recognized by ANS over the more than 50-year history of the organization, Schultz is one of only a handful to make his mark while working in the utility industry.
Dr. Schultz was recognized for technical leadership in the utility industry and regulatory agencies both in the U.S. and internationally. Specifically, his expertise is in the development, licensing and application of new analysis methods and regulatory approaches to ensure nuclear reactor safety, while improving performance. For example, nuclear plants have been transitioning to a new methodology that provides an improved approach to some of the radiological calculations used by the NRC to evaluate reactor siting, design and design modifications. On behalf of the industry, Dr. Schultz and his industry peers worked with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish the new regulations and regulatory guidance, making the calculations more realistic. In addition, he led the application of the new methodology at the Oconee, McGuire and Catawba nuclear plants.
After obtaining his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Schultz began his career at Yankee Atomic Electric Company. He worked there for 20 years, rising to vice president of Engineering Services for the company that provided support for several nuclear reactors in the northeast. After Yankee Atomic was acquired by a Duke Energy affiliate, Schultz finished his utility career at Duke Energy as nuclear design manager in Nuclear Fuels Engineering.
Schultz has shared his expertise broadly with numerous domestic and international programs since retiring in 2010. Most notably, he worked as a consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, and served a four-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. He also chaired its Fukushima Subcommittee, which informed some of the post-Fukushima activities that made U.S. nuclear plants even safer.
Despite his prominence in nuclear industry circles, Dr. Schultz also remains active in his local ANS section in Charlotte.
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