Westinghouse Electric Company’s Dr. Mario Carelli Receives 2011 Special Award From American Nuclear Society (ANS)

PITTSBURGH, July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Westinghouse Electric Company announced that Dr. Mario Carelli has been recognized by the American Nuclear Society (ANS) with its 2011 Special Award for Innovations in Small Modular Reactors (SMR).  He was cited for his unwavering pursuit of design innovations to enhance the safety, performance and economics of SMRs and his tireless international team-building efforts in this area.  Dr. Carelli received the award at the recent ANS Annual Meeting held in Hollywood, Florida.

Dr. Carelli, who has more than 40 years with Westinghouse, currently serves as Chief Scientist for Westinghouse Research & Technology and is responsible for identification and implementation of advanced and revolutionary nuclear technologies.  He is a graduate of the University of Pisa in Italy with a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering. Dr. Carelli, who has held a series of management posts in advanced science and technologies at Westinghouse, is recognized as a worldwide expert in the design of advanced nuclear reactors.  He also serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL), which is one of three Energy Innovation Hubs created by the U.S. Department of Energy to address the nation’s urgent need for more innovative clean energy strategies.

Dr. Kate Jackson, Westinghouse Senior Vice President for Research & Technology and Chief Technology Officer, said of the honor, “This recognition of Dr. Carelli’s fundamental role in the advancement of small modular reactors is well-deserved.  His leadership, knowledge, international activities and lifelong dedication to advanced nuclear reactor design and safety, have contributed to many of the world’s advanced reactor design projects, as well as to today’s evolution in the development of SMRs.”

Dr. Carelli has authored or co-authored 12 patents and more than 400 technical journal articles and conference papers.  He pioneered the development of SMRs by leading the design of the IRIS reactor, recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy NERI Awards in 1999.  He was previously recognized by ANS with election to ANS Fellow and the ANS 2000 Reactor Technology Award for lifelong outstanding contributions to the design and safety of advanced reactors.  He was also the recipient of the 2010 Westinghouse Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest Westinghouse award for individual technical contributions.

The ANS Special Award, established in 1962, recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals involved in the research, analysis, interpretation and/or leadership associated with important nuclear technology topics.  This year's award was focused on "Innovations in Small Modular Reactors."  ANS is a professional organization of engineers and scientists devoted to the applications of nuclear science and technology.  Its 11,000 members come from diverse technical backgrounds, covering the full range of engineering disciplines as well as the physical and biological sciences.

Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation (TKY: 6502), is the world's pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world.  Westinghouse supplied the world's first pressurized water reactor in 1957 in Shippingport, Pa.  Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the United States.

SOURCE Westinghouse Electric Company