Dr. Schlegel is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science at Missouri S&T. After earning his Ph.D. from Purdue University, he served as a postdoctoral researcher managing multiple projects and mentoring graduate students—an experience that sparked his interest in academic leadership. Since joining Missouri S&T in 2014, he has built a nationally recognized research program in thermal-hydraulics and multiphase flow, publishing extensively in the field. His innovative, student-centered teaching has earned him multiple honors, including two Outstanding Teaching Awards, the Governor’s Teaching Award, and the Senior Faculty Award from the Mines & Metallurgy Academy. Dr. Schlegel also leads the Powerplex initiative to establish a second research reactor on campus and serves as an elected officer on the Faculty Senate, helping shape the future of the university. 

Wes Myers is an applied geologist with a long-standing interest in underground space applications. He worked for 24 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory in positions that included leader of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, and co-leader of Los Alamos research for the Yucca Mountain Project. He retired in 2004 and subsequently devoted his efforts to promoting two new concepts he developed for siting nuclear power plants: 1) The underground nuclear park, a concept for siting nuclear power plants underground in mined caverns and co-locating, underground and nearby, back-end nuclear-fuel-cycle facilities supporting those power plants. 2) The concept of co-locating small modular reactors at existing or planned underground hydropower plants. He is a Fellow in the Geological Society of America, a member of the American Nuclear Society, and a member of the International Society of Rock Mechanics’ "Commission on Underground Nuclear Power Plants.” He completed his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz in 1973 and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1974.

Sam Nowak is a Co-Founder of OptiRock Group, a geomechanics research and consulting company. Sam started his career as a mining geologist and came to Missouri S&T to earn his Ph.D. in Mining Engineering. Sam's dissertation on fiber optic monitoring and calibration of mine-scale numerical models became the beginning stages for OptiRock Group, which is actively researching fiber optic sensors for mining applications. Sam leads OptiRock Group's efforts in a wide range of projects, from geologic hydrogen, stress measurement, and re-utilization of underground spaces for industrial development.

His work focuses on thermal design, integrated energy systems, and nuclear-industrial systems integration. Before joining INL in 2021, He worked for 5-years in the industry as Director of Engineering at Phase Change Energy Solutions and as a Project Manager at Gas Technology.
He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.