Our work is grounded in cutting-edge zero-carbon research, innovative technology development, and deep community engagement. By focusing on equitable and sustainable energy solutions, we bridge the gap between advanced energy technologies and the communities they serve, ensuring that everyone benefits from a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

Decision-Support Tools

Leads: Gabrielle Hoelzle and Kevin Daley
Our tools range from platforms like the Global Fusion Forum, which educates and gathers public input on fusion energy, to PEANuT, a data-driven tool assessing the global readiness for U.S. nuclear technology exports. We also developed tools like PLANET, which focuses on understanding local attitudes toward nuclear energy, and STAND, a siting tool that helps identify communities open to hosting advanced nuclear facilities. Fastest Path to Zero’s tools empower stakeholders—from community leaders to nuclear developers—to make informed, equitable decisions that drive sustainable energy progress. All our tools are publicly available—sign up here and start exploring how they can support your efforts toward a clean energy future.

Community Engagement in Siting Research

Developing place-based understandings of respectful community engagement for consent-based siting
Lead: Aditi Verma
Fastest Path Collaborators: Todd Allen, Gabrielle Hoelzle
Additional Collaborators: Robert Geroux, Eastern Washington University; Majdi Radaideh, University of Michigan
We are developing guiding principles for respectful community engagement that support consent-based siting, grounded in the lived experiences of Native communities. Alongside this, we are creating metrics and indicators that accurately reflect community consent. To further enhance community engagement, we are also working on a generative AI tool that facilitates community-based storytelling, enabling communities to visualize how nuclear infrastructures have impacted their landscapes in the past and how they might shape them in the future. (NEUP-funded)

Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology in a Carbon-Neutral Energy Future: An Analogical Case Study Analysis
Lead: Denia Djokić
Fastest Path Collaborator: Barbara Peitsch
Other Collaborators: Shobita Parthasarathy (Co-PI) and Molly Kleinman, Ford School
Nuclear energy has long provided carbon-free baseload electricity, and advanced nuclear technologies, expected to come online within the decade, promise to address challenges like radioactive waste, safety, proliferation, and costs. However, public hesitancy persists, and effective governance is needed to ensure responsible adoption. This project team, through the Ford School’s Technology Assessment Project, seeks to fill knowledge gaps by examining the sociopolitical, ethical, and equity dimensions of advanced nuclear energy. By analyzing analogical case studies of impactful technologies, the researchers aim to produce recommendations that build public trust and inform future nuclear energy policies, following the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project’s mission of peaceful nuclear science applications.

Engaging Wyoming Communities in an Environmental Justice Approach for Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting
PI: Rachael Budowle, University of Wyoming
Fastest Path Collaborators: Denia Djokić, Aditi Verma,
Other Collaborators: Tara Righetti, L. Steven Smutko, Matthew Henry, Temple Stoellinger, University of Wyoming
TerraPower’s and PacifiCorp’s plan to site a Natrium™ advanced nuclear reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal-fired plant in Wyoming offers a unique and timely opportunity for applied community-based environmental justice research. This project provides an empirical context for studying the interactions between communities, developers, and other elite stakeholders. We are researching ethnographic, collaborative, and legal analyses to inform an adaptable, justice-based, and community-engaged process for siting emerging and advanced nuclear energy technologies. (NEUP-funded.)

Integrating Socially Led Co-design Into Consent-Based Siting of Interim Storage Facilities
PI: Kuhika Gupta (University of Oklahoma)
Fastest Path Collaborators: Todd Allen, Aditi Verma, Denia Djokić
Additional Collaborators: Hank Jenkins-Smith, Carol Silva, and Joseph Ripberger (University of Oklahoma), Shanna Daly (University of Michigan), Paul Wilson and Dominique Brossard (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Ani TerMkrtchyan (New Mexico State University), Joe Carter, Nicholas DiNunzio, Elisabeth Graffy, and Kevin Kautzky (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
This project explores a qualitatively different approach to engaging with potential host communities (PHCs) about siting interim storage facilities (ISFs). This new approach involves active engagement with PHCs to explore the implications of partnering on the co-design of a prospective facility with project engineers. The process is a collaborative engagement between community representatives and project engineers, with both groups learning from each other as they jointly pursue an effective ISF siting process. (NEUP-funded)

Workforce Development

Harper Academy 4 Future Nuclear Engineers
The Harper Academy 4 Future Nuclear Engineers is a four-week residential program at the University of Michigan designed to inspire and prepare high school seniors for careers in nuclear engineering. Through a combination of academic instruction, hands-on projects, leadership development, and mentorship, the program provides students with the tools and experiences needed to succeed in STEM fields. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, Harper Academy empowers the next generation of engineers from diverse backgrounds to explore and shape the future of technology and innovation. Several Fastest Path faculty contribute their expertise to the Harper Academy, helping to inspire and prepare the next generation of engineers to lead in clean energy and nuclear technology. Learn more.

OECD-NEA Global Forum and Rising Stars Workshops 2025
The inaugural OECD-NEA Global Forum Workshop will take place at the University of Michigan from Monday, September 29 to Friday, October 3, 2025. In addition to the main workshop, the NEA Global Forum Rising Stars Workshop will also be held, focusing on welcoming women rising stars in the fields of science, technology, education, and policy into the global nuclear community. This workshop will offer professional development, mentorship opportunities, and networking for young women in the nuclear field. The event will bring together experts to share best practices, coordinate joint programs, and advance nuclear science and technology, education, and policy. Learn more.

The Potential Contribution of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies to the Decarbonization and Economic Development of Japan and the U.S.
Together with the Center for Research on Nuclear Decommissioning at Tohoku University, we hosted a workshop on “The Potential Contribution of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies to the Decarbonization and Economic Development of Japan and the U.S.”, on May 29–31, 2024 in Sendai, Japan. This workshop, supported by the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo, involved not only academic experts, but also advanced nuclear reactor developers, policymakers, and leaders of non-governmental organizations. The goal of this workshop was to introduce the various new nuclear reactor technologies, with an emphasis on SMRs and microreactors, and to determine their role in decarbonization strategies of advanced industrial economies such as Japan and the United States. The workshop also explored the potential economic development aspects of introducing new “green technologies”, and the prospects for job creation. Learn more.

Arts Initiative Engagement
Todd Allen played a key role in integrating the arts with science through the NERS mural project. As part of its ongoing mission to engage diverse communities and support equitable, sustainable energy solutions, Fastest Path helped bridge the gap between the technical world of nuclear science and the broader community. The Initiative collaborated with NERS and the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project to offer students and the public a unique opportunity to visualize the connections between scientific discovery and creative expression, demonstrating that art and science can inspire and inform each other in powerful ways. Learn more.

Course: NERS 490
Taught by Aditi Verma, NERS 490 is a unique course offered at U-M that explores the complex, multidisciplinary challenges associated with next-generation nuclear technologies. Students engage with ‘wicked problems’—issues that intertwine political, economic, ethical, and environmental dimensions—through interactive discussions, case studies, and project-based learning. The course emphasizes critical thinking and collaboration, preparing students to address the societal impacts of nuclear technologies and influence the future of nuclear policy and innovation. A key highlight is the project showcase, where students present creative, thought-provoking work at the intersection of nuclear technology and society. Learn more.

Course: ENGR 100-910
ENGR 100-910, Socially Engaged Design of Nuclear Energy Technologies, is a pioneering Michigan Engineering course led by Aditi Verma and TechComm Lecturer Katie Snyder. This first-year undergraduate course focuses on integrating community engagement into the design of nuclear energy systems, particularly fusion energy. Through workshops with Ann Arbor residents and interviews with their own communities, students gain insights into how values and preferences shape energy choices. The course emphasizes emerging technologies, using virtual reality models and AI prototyping tools to enhance learning. ENGR 100-910 represents a pioneering approach to nuclear engineering education. Learn more. Learn more.