2015 First-Year Fellow: Rachel Favors '18

This summer, I worked as a First-Year Fellow at the Office of Nuclear Energy. Its primary mission is to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of making major contributions in meeting American energy needs. The Office of International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation works with international partners ranging from advanced fuel cycle countries such as France, Russia and Japan, to those nations considering the development of nuclear energy for the first time on civil nuclear cooperation. It coordinates the international engagement on behalf of the Office of Nuclear Energy’s technical programs.

Rachel Favors '18 and Sarah Lennon '90, her mentor. Sarah Lennon '90 is the Director of the Office of Bilateral Cooperation.

One of my favorite parts of the fellowship experience was attending the weekly Team USA meetings at the White House Conference Center. Team USA is an inter-agency meeting with the Department of Commerce, National Security Council, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of State, and Department of Energy, that focuses on supporting US civil nuclear energy interests abroad and discussing issues that affect American interests. The meetings were a great opportunity to see how the international political environment can affect the civil nuclear energy sector.