Society Awards and Honors
2009 Elected Positions and Offices
Mathew Milazzo Named 2009 ANS Glenn T. Seaborg Science and Engineering Congressional Fellow
Matthew D. Milazzo, a nuclear engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washshington, was selected as the 2009 ANS Glenn T. Seaborg Science and Engineering Congressional Fellow. During his one-year term beginning in January 2009, Milazzo will work as a special legislative assistant on the staff of Sen. George Voinovich (R., Ohio), where he will serve as a scientific and technical resource on issues related to nuclear energy.
Milazzo believes that his role is to bridge the gap between those who understand science and technology and those who create and influence policy. "I hope to be an honest broker who can create positive changes in perceptions of nuclear power and technologies one person at a time," he said. Milazzo's goals stem from his firsthand experience on Capitol Hill, meeting people who are misinformed about nuclear technology and industry.
Since August 2007, he has served as the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science Congressional Fellow assigned to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.). There he provides technical expertise in the areas of energy, climate change, and national security. On the staff of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory since 2005, Milazzo has also delivered programmatic and engineering analysis support to several U.S. government clients. Previously, he served as a business process analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C.
Milazzo also spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear mechanical operator aboard the USS South Carolina, a guided missile cruiser. He then earned a bachelor's degree in bioengineering and economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2000 and master's degrees in nuclear engineering and public policy and management from Ohio State University (OSU) in 2004. Milazzo joined ANS in 2002 while a graduate student at OSU, and served as the student section vice president. He now serves on the ANS Public Policy Committee.
Milazzo plans to further the Society's contribution to national policy dialogue. "As climate change legislation continues to take form, the ANS fellow should keep ANS involved by leveraging the organization's substantial technical expertise to secure nuclear power's role in climate change policy," Milazzo stated. Through the coordination of informational briefings to connect government officials with nuclear industry experts, Milazzo hopes to provide direction for programs that aim to expand the peaceful use of nuclear energy while minimizing proliferation risks.
Milazzo, one of four candidates interviewed this year by the ANS Congressional Fellowship Committee, is the ninth person chosen for the fellowship since the program's inception in 2000. ANS is one of more than 30 science and engineering societies that participate in the Partner Scientific Society-sponsored Congressional Fellowship Program administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (announced 1/1/2009)