WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 16, 2019) – Nuclear Matters welcomes two new members to the Nuclear Matters Advocacy Council: Dr. Kerry Emanuel, the Cecil & Ida Green Professor of Atmospheric Science and Co-Director of the Lorenz Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (retired) Mel Williams, Jr., Associate Dean of Engineering at the Catholic University of America as well as the Nuclear Research Consultant at University of California at Davis, and former Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy.
These accomplished individuals join the Nuclear Matters coalition to help inform policymakers and the public about the importance of nuclear power in providing reliable, scalable and carbon-free energy to millions of households and businesses across the country.
“We are at a critical moment in the climate crisis when decisions are being made that can affect the atmosphere and environment for decades to come,” says Dr. Kerry Emanuel. “I firmly believe that nuclear is an answer to many of our issues, and I am looking forward to adding my voice to the chorus of individuals calling for realistic solutions.”
“Nuclear energy must remain a viable and essential element of the energy production capability within the United States,” says Adm. Mel Williams. “I will continue to advocate for the role that nuclear energy plays in our energy mix and continue to encourage students that are interested in the STEM fields to consider careers associated with nuclear energy – a field of remarkable innovation and technology.”
Dr. Kerry Emanuel is a prominent meteorologist and climate scientist who specializes in moist convection in the atmosphere as well as tropical cyclones. His research focuses primarily on tropical meteorology with a specialty in hurricane physics, which he has studied at MIT since joining the Department of Meteorology in 1981. Dr. Emanuel is also the co-founder and co-director of the MIT Lorenz Center, a climate think tank which fosters creative approaches to learning how climate works. He is the author or co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and three books, including “Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes” (Oxford University Press) and “What We Know About Climate Change” (MIT Press).
Adm. Mel Williams, Jr. is a nuclear-trained submariner who completed service in the U.S. Navy after 32 years as a commissioned officer and one year as an enlisted sailor. He has extensive operational and command experience, including as Commander of the U.S. Second Fleet and Commander of Submarines at the Group, Squadron and Unit levels. He also served as the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy from 2011 to 2013. As a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy, he served as the key leader responsible for the Department’s management and operational excellence. With nearly seven years in academia, he now serves as the Associate Dean of Engineering at the Catholic University of America and the Nuclear Research Consultant at the University of California at Davis. He previously served as an Associate Provost at the George Washington University.
A full list of Nuclear Matters Advocacy Council members can be found here.
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