This week, representatives from the Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI) at Texas A&M University participated in the 2025 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows meeting held in Washington, D.C. The annual gathering brings together fellows and mentors from leading universities and policy institutions to share research progress, discuss pressing issues in nuclear security, and engage with experts from government and think tanks.
The Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program, administered through NSSPI, supports emerging scholars conducting policy-relevant technical research on nuclear security through a twelve-month fellowship at Texas A&M University. Fellows work closely with faculty mentors Dr. Mansung Yim, NSSPI Director and professor of nuclear engineering, and Dr. Matthew Fuhrmann, professor of political science, to advance understanding of critical nuclear security challenges and produce research that informs policy and practice. The program aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders in nuclear security by fostering impactful, interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges science, technology, and policy.
For the 2025–2026 cohort, two postdoctoral researchers are serving as Stanton Fellows at Texas A&M University. Dr. Solchan Han’s research, “Supporting the U.S. Government’s Oversight of SMR Exports: A Risk-Informed Country-Specific Export Strategy,” focuses on developing frameworks to ensure that the international expansion of small modular reactors (SMRs) proceeds with strong safeguards and security measures that align with IAEA principles. Dr. Milos Travar’s work, “The Rise of HALEU: Could Tomorrow’s Fuel Become Today’s Threat,” explores the policy and technical challenges associated with the use of High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel in next-generation reactors and strategies for mitigating associated proliferation risks.
At the D.C. meeting, the fellows joined colleagues from across the Stanton Foundation’s network of partner institutions to exchange ideas and discuss how their work can contribute to addressing emerging nuclear security challenges. Their participation highlights Texas A&M’s continued role in training the next generation of nuclear security experts and in producing research that supports evidence-based policymaking in an evolving global nuclear landscape.
The Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows Program at Texas A&M is supported by the Stanton Foundation and administered through NSSPI in the Department of Nuclear Engineering.