Founder’s Award

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Closing on: Jan 16, 2026

Founder’s Award

In 1999, seven people set forth to create an organization that embodied the spirit of young professionals in the nuclear industry. Their goal was to provide an organization that united these young professionals who believe in nuclear science and technology and are working together throughout North America to share their passion. This is the highest award given by NAYGN to an individual. It is presented to a member of NAYGN who exemplifies the efforts of the organization’s Founders.

Note to nominees: The criteria for this award has been updated for 2025.  A rubric is provided to help with creating your award nominations.

Instructions:

Describe the nominee’s exceptional leadership, outstanding participation, and championship of NAYGN’s mission and purpose. The individual should clearly have had a positive impact on NAYGN across all pillars, and specific examples should be provided of why the nominee should receive the highest award in NAYGN. Any impacts to the community and the nominee’s efforts to make the organization more inclusive and equitable should also be included in the submission. More consideration will be given to submissions that are peer nominated and have additional peer testimonials. Email additional testimonials and endorsements to support the submission to awards@naygn.org.

NAYGN’s mission is to provide opportunities for a young generation of nuclear enthusiasts to develop strong leadership and professional skills, create lifelong connections, engage and inform the public, and inspire today’s nuclear technology professionals to meet the challenges of the 21st century. 

The four pillars of NAYGN are Professional Development, Public Information, Networking, and Knowledge Transfer & Retention.

Top Scoring Criteria:

  • Demonstration of exceptional leadership and impact in all pillars
  • Active member at local, regional, and continental level
  • True championship of NAYGN’s mission and purpose
  • Positive community impact
  • Makes the organization more inclusive and equitable
  • Peer recognition

Founder’s Award Grading Rubric

Evaluation Process:

This award is chosen by the Board of Directors and may not be awarded every year. Each criterion is scored independently by reviewers. Final scores are averaged across reviewers to ensure fairness and consistency. In the event of a tie, a democratic vote will take place within the Board of Directors.

NAYGN Award Nomination

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DEI Commitment

This award nomination abides by the NAYGN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:
Diversity and inclusion are at the core of NAYGN’s mission and values. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring an equitable, authentic, and inclusive culture for our members and the nuclear industry. We will focus on growing our relationships with diverse groups while simultaneously building trust, growth, and creativity across all chapters. NAYGN will continue to learn about and celebrate our members’ differences to foster a positive environment. NAYGN actively seeks and welcomes the participation of underrepresented or marginalized groups including but not limited to: women, persons of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons of all ages, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and other communities.

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