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Insights > Meet the pros: Elizabeth Wonders
Meet the pros: Elizabeth Wonders
02/21/2024
In celebration of Engineers Week, meet Elizabeth Wonders, a senior project manager for advanced nuclear projects and technology based out of nuclear headquarters in Jackson, Miss. She has worked for Entergy Nuclear since 2017.
Wonders, who is originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., researches the changing landscape of nuclear energy and advises Entergy and industry leaders based on her knowledge.
“The opportunities for new nuclear are changing rapidly,” said Wonders. “I love my position since learning about advanced nuclear technology and being a part of the change is so exciting. I am evaluating new small modular reactor designs and the actions we need to take to get into the new nuclear space. Growth and innovation will be key in an ever-changing market.”
Wonders was originally hired as a program engineering supervisor at nuclear headquarters. In 2020, she transitioned to Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, La., where she earned her Senior Reactor Operator license and worked for three years.
In July of 2023, she was hired as a leadership coordinator back at headquarters. Then, an opportunity emerged to be a part of the new nuclear projects team, a position she began in December.
Prior to working for Entergy Nuclear, she worked for seven years for Westinghouse Electric Corporation on the design, construction and licensing of their AP1000 plants. Her broad experience in new nuclear development with Westinghouse and her current fleet experience in operations and engineering at Entergy made her a top candidate for her current role.
Wonders emphasizes the importance of continuing education personally as well as in her career.
“I’ll be at home on my computer and go down a rabbit hole of research with all of the new nuclear advancements and innovations that are happening,” Wonders said. “If we cease to learn, we stop growing. Finding new ways and opportunities to do things and thinking outside of the box are important in the process of becoming the premier utility.”
Wonders explained how her current position relates to Entergy’s goal of producing electricity at an affordable rate for our customers.
“Part of my role is to find out what is the most affordable option for our customers,” she said. “A lot of the new or advanced nuclear designs and technology are linked to building small modular reactors, but we are also researching other nuclear opportunities beyond electricity such as reprocessing spent nuclear fuel or plants that are used to produce both heat and electricity. There’s plenty of options that will benefit our stakeholders. I need to ensure every decision we make will enable Entergy to produce affordable power for everyone.”
Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting entergy-nuclear.com and follow @EntergyNuclear on X/Twitter.
