Our Staff
Meet our leaders
Our Leadership Team
Our student leaders and members are dedicated to fostering curiosity, professionalism, and community within the field of nuclear science at Ohio State.
Vinicius Zanardo Rodrigues
President
Vinicius Zanardo Rodrigues is a Ph.D. student in Nuclear Engineering with a focus on Reliability and Risk Engineering at The Ohio State University. Vinicius strongly believes in the potential of nuclear energy to play a vital role in meeting the world’s energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. Alongside his research, Vinicius serves as the President of the American Nuclear Society Student Section at OSU.
Thales Goncalves da Silva Figueiredo
Vice President
Bio coming soon.
Daniel Layer
Treasurer
Daniel Layer is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University studying Chemical Engineering with a minor in Nuclear Engineering. He is pursuing Honors Research Distinction in Nuclear Engineering, focusing on Reliability and Risk Engineering. His work involves analyzing the safety and reliability of advanced nuclear fuel fabricating systems. Daniel serves as Treasurer of the American Nuclear Society Student Section at OSU and strongly believes nuclear energy plays a key role in achieving clean, reliable energy.
Dr. Dean Wang
Academic Advisor
Dr. Dean Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University. He holds a Ph.D. in reactor physics and fuel management from MIT. His research focuses on mathematical and computational methods for nuclear reactor modeling and simulation, including neutron transport, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and multiphysics coupling.
Leah Kemelgor
Social Chair
Leah Kemelgor is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University studying Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science. She is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Depression Research Laboratory, and her work involves analyzing the therapist-client relationship. Leah is the Social Chair of ANS at OSU.
Christopher (Haven) Beaver
Event Coordinator
Christopher Beaver is an Undergraduate at the Ohio State University earning a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering. He has a passion for energy and sustainability and as such, believes that the energy industry should be both economically and environmentally viable. He is pursing research in reactor design and simulation with the goal of getting a role in the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Christopher Beaver serves as the Event Coordinator of the American Nuclear Society at OSU and hopes to make a positive impact in the nuclear field.
Annelise Helwig
Marketing Chair
Annelise Helwig is an Undergraduate at the Ohio State University earning a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering. She wants to be apart of the development of renewable energy and its accessibility to people of all different backgrounds regardless of economic background and cultural differences. She is currently a research assistant at Ohio State’s Nuclear Reactor. Annelise Helwig serves as the Marketing Coordinator of the American Nuclear Society at OSU and is excited to bring her passion for nuclear to increase understanding for others in her community.
Ella Fischer
Internal Activities Committee
Ella Fischer is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University studying Chemistry with a minor in Nuclear Engineering. She is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Dr. Anne Co’s lab in the Chemistry Department, researching hydrogen isotope separation and speciation. Ella serves as the Internal Activities Chair for the American Nuclear Society at OSU.
Grant Switzer
Internal Coordinator
I am a Nuclear Engineering PhD student, working with Dr. Taiyang Zhang in the Reactor Thermal Hydraulics laboratory. I graduated from OSU in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering. My research focuses on experiments involving multi-phase flow in artificial gravity environments.
Moore Li
Webmaster
I'm a junior CSE student at OSU :)
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