New Chief Nuclear Officer – Karin Feldman

This article highlights Karin Feldman of NuScale, who was promoted to be Interim COO/CNO in 2023.

Following this year’s Women’s History Month, we are celebrating women who have joined the ranks of Chief Nuclear Officers. Despite the great strides toward diversity over the past several decades, women have only recently joined the nuclear C-suite. In 2014, Maria Korsnick [npr.org] became the first woman to be Chief Nuclear Officer while she worked at Exelon Nuclear, and in 2019, Maria Lacal [winus.go-vip.net] of Arizona Public Service became the second woman to be Chief Nuclear Officer. Since then, we have seen a small handful of women promoted to this position. The article below highlights Karin Feldman of NuScale, who was promoted to be Interim COO/CNO in 2023.

Karin Feldman

Prior to joining the NuScale team in 2012, Karin spent 12 years in the aerospace and defense industry. She provided risk planning and assessment support for the U.S. Air Force and NASA before eventually becoming CEO and co-owner of a small business supporting U.S. government and commercial space programs. Karin, who holds nuclear engineering degrees from the University of Michigan (B.S.) and MIT (M.S.),  considers her decision to leave the aerospace industry and return to nuclear to be a pivotal moment in her career. “It was definitely daunting to step away from an area where I had been successful and to start fresh in a new industry, but I think it has made me a stronger contributor to the NuScale team in the long run as I can bring a different perspective to the table.” 

In January 2023, Karin was named Interim COO/CNO of NuScale. (A permanent CNO was named later the same year.) Her passion for NuScale’s mission to deploy new nuclear technologies is, in part, motivated by her desire to make the world a better place for her children. “At NuScale we talk a lot about how the technology we’re developing has the power to change the world.” 

The NuScale chapter of U.S. WIN helps create connections. build relationships, and facilitate positive interactions in their communities. “U.S. WIN outreach efforts can be very impactful when it comes to changing public perceptions of nuclear technology.” Her message to U.S. WIN members? “Take advantage of the network of peers, mentors, and resources offered by U.S. Women in Nuclear. We are stronger together.”