2024 Robert Maher Memorial Scholarship is awarded

Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) and the charitable educational organization Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA) have announced that Micah Holston, a student at Kennesaw State University, is the winner of the 2024 Robert Maher Memorial Scholarship.

The $5,000 scholarship is sponsored by SRMC, the liquid waste contractor for the Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site.

The winner: Holston, a senior from Marietta, Ga., is pursuing a bachelor's degree in physics and political science with minors in nuclear engineering, math, and international affairs. CNTA executive director Allison Hamilton Molnar said the organization is proud to award this scholarship to such a deserving student.

"Micah is unique, talented, and driven to pursue nuclear research, teaching, and decision-making in the political world, which is refreshing and exciting," said Hamilton Molnar. "CNTA is pleased to present him with financial support to continue his education. No doubt he will be an exemplary addition to the nuclear industry's future."

This past school year, Holston served as the co-president of the Kennesaw Nuclear Society (the American Nuclear Society student chapter). He is also the founding vice president of the university's new North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) chapter.

A leader: Holston strengthened participation of Kennesaw State's engineering majors in NAYGN and "broadened the appeal of their work to encompass political science/international affairs majors, imbuing America's next generation of leaders with a pronuclear outlook," according to a CNTA press release.

"Ultimately, nuclear power's future will be determined by politicians and bureaucrats, not scientists and engineers," Holston said. "Therefore, preemptively educating future U.S. government officials on nuclear power's capabilities and securing their buy-in is paramount to fission's future-and perhaps even fusion's future."

Looking ahead: In his post-undergrad career, Holston said he wants to engage in particle accelerator research. Once he finishes a master's degree in either nuclear or electrical engineering, he wants to pursue graduate internships, then employment at a national/military laboratory, and finally complete his Ph.D. in physics.

His plans include a stint at a national lab, followed by teaching at a university. Then, rather than retire after decades at a national lab and in academia, he wants to pivot to a political career, where he would like to be elected to state or national office.

"I stridently advance vitalization of the nuclear industry, paving the way for additional plants to be constructed in the U.S., especially along the eastern seaboard," Holston said. "I will focus legislative efforts on modernizing the electrical grid structured around nuclear plants (perhaps small modular reactors) and promote public education on nuclear power's numerous advantages."

The award: The Robert Maher Memorial Scholarship is a joint project of the CNTA and SRMC. Maher, vice president and general manager for strategic mission development at SRS, passed away in 2002 after a 48-year career at the site. A visionary with a broad view of the site's potential, Maher helped shape SRS, according to CNTA.

The annual scholarship was established in Maher's memory to support students pursuing science and engineering degrees in preparation for careers in the nuclear field. Details on the scholarship can be found online.

About CNTA: The organization is based in Aiken, Ga., and provides information about nuclear topics and educates the public on nuclear issues. For further information, email CNTA.