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Biography
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Dr. Rita Baranwal previously led the deployment of the AP300™ Small Modular Reactor, a versatile nuclear reactor capable of generating electricity as well as providing process heat, district heat, hydrogen, and desalinated water. In this role, she engaged with sectors including utilities, oil and gas, manufacturing, and technology, and collaborated with national laboratories, universities, NGOs, and both U.S. and international government agencies.
Prior to that, she served as Chief Technology Officer at Westinghouse, where she led global research and development investments and spearheaded technology strategies to advance innovative nuclear and digital solutions. She was also the Chief Nuclear Officer at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which provides nuclear R&D to more than 80% of the world’s commercial nuclear fleet.
Dr. Baranwal served as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a position for which she was nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In that role, she led DOE’s efforts to support R&D for both existing and advanced nuclear technologies—strengthening the current U.S. reactor fleet, enabling the deployment of next-generation systems, and enhancing U.S. global competitiveness in nuclear energy.
She was the inaugural director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative at Idaho National Laboratory. Under her leadership, GAIN provided the nuclear industry and stakeholders with access to DOE’s cutting-edge R&D capabilities and infrastructure, positively impacting more than 120 entities by accelerating the development and deployment of innovative nuclear technologies.
Before her time at DOE, Dr. Baranwal held several leadership roles at Westinghouse, including Director of Technology Development & Application, where she helped launch the eVinci microreactor and oversaw laboratory operations. She also served as Director of Core Engineering and Manager of Materials and Fuel Rod Design. Earlier in her career, she worked at Bechtel Bettis, Inc., where she conducted R&D in advanced nuclear fuel materials for the U.S. Naval Reactors program.
Dr. Baranwal is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society. She earned her bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and both her M.S. and Ph.D. in the same field from the University of Michigan.