Nuclear Regulatory Commission Advisory Group Elects Three Members

Three members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) were recently elected to leadership roles, according to a press release issued on Tuesday.

Michael Corradini will serve as Chairman. Dr. Corradini is a professor in the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics program at the University of Wisconsin. He is also the director of the Wisconsin Institute of Nuclear Systems. Corradini has more than 30 years of research experience in the areas of multi-phase fluid mechanics and heat transfer, nuclear reactor safety, severe accidents, reactor operation, energy policy, and nuclear waste disposal. In addition, he has extensive research experience in phenomenology beyond the design basis accidents in light-water reactors, including molten fuel coolant interactions, molten core-concrete interactions, hydrogen generation, and containment response.

Corradini earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University in 1975 and his Ph.D. and M.S. in Nuclear Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978 and 1976

Peter Riccardella was elected to the position of Vice Chairman. Dr. Riccardella has more than 45 years’ experience working on the structural integrity of nuclear power plant components. He is an authority in the application of fracture mechanics to nuclear pressure vessels and piping and has made significant contributions to the diagnosis and correction of materials degradation concerns at operating plants. He has been a principal investigator on many Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) projects and served more than 20 years as a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Subcommittee on Nuclear Power Plant Inservice Inspection.

Riccardella earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Matthew Sunseri will serve as the group’s Member-at-Large. Sunseri is an independent nuclear industry consultant with over 35 years of experience in the safe operation of large commercial reactors. Prior to starting his own executive consulting practice, he was president and chief executive officer of Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation. Sunseri has a wide-range of experience in the operation, maintenance, engineering, oversight and security of the nation’s commercial nuclear power fleet. He started his career as a nuclear engineer assigned to the construction, licensing, startup and operation of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. Throughout his career, he has supervised, managed or provided oversight for activities at several commercial power stations. Sunseri has served as a member of the American Nuclear Society since 1979. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas.

Sunseri earned his Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a graduate of the Advanced General Management Program at Northwestern University and the Directors Institute at Emory University.

The ACRS is composed of individuals with a wide variety of technical expertise. The independent committee advises NRC staff on safety issues related to the licensing and operation of nuclear power plants as well as issues of health physics and radiation protection.

Current members include experts in nuclear engineering, risk assessment, chemistry, facility operations management, severe accident phenomena, materials science and metallurgy, digital instrumentation and control systems, thermal hydraulic and heat transfer, and mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering. ACRS members are appointed for four-year terms.

Statutorily mandated by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the Committee has four primary purposes:

  • to review and report on safety studies and reactor facility license and license renewal applications;
  • to advise the Commission on the hazards of proposed and existing production and utilization facilities and the adequacy of proposed safety standards;
  • to initiate reviews of specific generic matters or nuclear facility safety-related items; and
  • to provide advice in the areas of health physics and radiation protection.