Engineering at Illinois Engineering at Illinois
Engineering at Illinois

Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering


William E. Burchill
President, American Nuclear Society

William E. Burchill, who earned his master’s degree in NPRE in 1965 and his PhD in 1970, is vice president/president elect of the 11,000-member American Nuclear Society. He will become president of the organization in June 2008.
Burchill recently retired as Head of Texas A&M University’s Nuclear Engineering Department, and said his primary objective is “to strengthen ANS’ role as the preeminent technical and professional representation of the U.S. nuclear community.”
The American Nuclear Society is a not-for-profit, international, scientific and educational organization. It was established by a group of individuals who recognized the need to unify the professional activities within the diverse fields of nuclear science and technology. December 11, 1954, marks the Society's historic beginning at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
ANS has since developed a multifarious membership composed of approximately 11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators representing 1,600 plus corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies. The society is governed by four officers and a board of directors elected by the membership.
ANS core purpose is to promote the awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear science and technology. ANS is the recognized credible advocate for advancing and promoting nuclear science and technology.
Said Burchill, “Through its professional divisions, ANS must provide the broadest spectrum of technical knowledge and experience in nuclear science, engineering, and technology to be found in any professional society. Through its national meetings, topical meetings, executive conferences, and workshops, ANS must provide the most effective and efficient venues for timely exchange of this knowledge and experience. Through its publications, ANS must provide the best opportunities for critical peer review, archives for corporate memory, standards of practices, and objective policy and position statements for use by the public and decision makers. And, ANS must provide opportunities for meaningful involvement of its members at both the national and local levels.”
Burchill has 37 years of experience working for an NSSS vendor, two nuclear utilities, a university, a defense facility and a national laboratory. Within ANS, he has been a member of a division program committee, seven topical meeting program committees, and two executive conference program committees. He has served as chair of two professional divisions, has served on the Board of Directors and the former Executive Committee, and has been an Executive Assistant to a vice president/president. His research interests include: nuclear power, nuclear safety, risk management, reactor regulation, reactor operations, and reactor design.