Kendra Hullum-Lawson is a role model for women in nuclear sciences.
She was a Special Recognition honoree at the 2019 Women of Color STEM Conference and was selected to participate in the U.S. Women in Nuclear Leadership program.
Some of her accomplishments include leading Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspections, modifications, plant changes, tests, and Component Design Basis Inspections.
In 2016, she obtained a Management Senior Reactor Operator Certification to further her knowledge of plant operations.
Hullum-Lawson started her career at DTE's Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant in 2000 as an associate engineer.
She has more than twenty years of experience in nuclear power plant design, including design and licensing-based control.
DTE Energy is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in developing and managing energy-related businesses and services in the United States and Canada.
Hullum-Lawson has recently led a group of 35 engineers who manage technical modifications of DTE's nuclear power plant design and advocate resolving conditions that affect design and plant performance.
Previously, she was recognized as a Women of Color Technology All-Star and Rising Star and a DTE Trailblazer for her significant career achievements as a Black female holding progressive leadership positions in the nuclear generation.
Jasmine Gilliam won the Women of Color Professional Achievement Award at the 2020 Women of Color STEM Conference.
She is a physical security inspector for Region III at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Gilliam joined the NRC Region III Office in 2007 after graduating from Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering.
Her knowledge and effectiveness were recognized by managers in multiple technical areas. As a result, they frequently requested her participation in inspections.
Her work ethic enabled her to receive two temporary promotions to senior reactor engineer when few such opportunities were available.
"In the nuclear industry, which historically has been limited in gender and racial diversity, Ms. Gilliam demonstrates to others both within our agency and outside our organization that women of color can achieve tremendously positive accomplishments in their careers and for the benefit of the American public," said Darrell J. Roberts, deputy executive director for Materials, Waste Research, State, Tribal, Compliance.
A diversity champion, Gilliam has served as co-chair of the Diversity Management Advisory Committee (DMAC).
The DMAC strives to help the NRC create and support a positive work environment that enables employees to use their diverse talents to achieve its mission.
As part of a two-day training and networking event to mark International Women's Day 2024, women from International Atomic Energy Association programs came together to share their vision for a more inclusive future in nuclear science and technology.
Their statement said that the atomic field needs to become more accessible to women, so they must encourage women worldwide to pursue careers in nuclear science and technology.
They pledged to support, advocate, promote, and practice policies that empower women, ensure gender equality, and enable women to reach their full potential in the nuclear field.
They also pledged help recruit more women from developing countries to join the atomic field, leading to a more diverse nuclear workforce across different countries, cultures, and societies.
