From Navy Submarines to MIT: Lauren Fortier’s Mission to Automate Nuclear Energy

Lauren Fortier, a PhD student at MIT, is leveraging her unique background as a former U.S. Navy nuclear plant operator to tackle a critical hurdle in the energy sector. Her work focuses on automating nuclear plant operations, a move that could fundamentally change how the world views and utilizes nuclear power.

Traditional nuclear facilities require intensive manual oversight, which often complicates their scalability and adoption. Fortier is developing intelligent systems capable of managing complex reactor tasks autonomously. By combining her real-world operational insights with cutting-edge academic research, she aims to make nuclear energy safer and more cost-effective through automation.

Her project represents a vital bridge between practical field experience and theoretical innovation. As the world searches for stable, carbon-free energy sources, Fortier’s research into autonomous nuclear operations offers a promising path toward making this powerful energy source a central pillar of the global power grid.