Benjamin McNeely

Background

About Benjamin McNeely

I’m a University of Massachusetts Lowell Chemical Engineering (Nuclear Engineering Option) graduate with experience across both research and commercial nuclear reactor operations. My career in nuclear began at age 18 at the UMass Lowell Research Reactor (UMLRR), a 1 MW open-pool research reactor. There, I earned both my NRC Reactor Operator and Senior Reactor Operator licenses, gaining extensive hands-on experience in reactor operations, the regulatory environment, system troubleshooting, and technical decision-making. During my time at UMLRR, I took on a wide range of responsibilities—everything from painting the walls inside containment to performing fuel movements—reflecting my growth from basic support work to critical licensed operations where I accumulated hundreds of hours of reactor operating time. One of my primary roles was taking ownership of the Fast Neutron Irradiator (FNI) facility, which utilized high-energy prompt neutrons to irradiate materials adjacent to the reactor core. This facility supported world-class Neutron Displacement Damage (NDD) research for clients in the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries—work that deepened my understanding of neutron-material interactions and experimental reactor applications. After graduation, I joined the Operations Department at Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant, a single unit 1,250 MW Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactor. Transitioning from research to large-scale power generation has broadened my technical perspective and exposed me to the complexity of commercial nuclear operations, including in-depth knowledge of the steam turbine power conversion process and integrated plant systems.