BALTIMORE (April 22, 2024) — Constellation (Nasdaq, CEG), the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy, recently welcomed Miss America 2023 and nuclear engineer Grace Stanke as a new full-time employee.
An outspoken advocate for zero-carbon nuclear energy during her tenure as Miss America, Stanke is now turning her passion into a full-time role as both an engineer with Constellation’s nuclear fuels team and as a company spokesperson for nuclear energy.
In her role on the fuels team, Stanke will be part of a group responsible for designing reactor fuel placement and core design for the company’s 21 nuclear reactors, which generate enough clean, carbon-free energy to power the equivalent of 16 million homes. Stanke, a recent University of Wisconsin-Madison nuclear engineering graduate, was a co-op with Constellation from 2020-2022.
Stanke’s reign as Miss America took her to nuclear plants and clean energy events around the world, including Climate Week in New York, COP28 in Dubai and the International Atomic Energy Association General Conference 2023 in Vienna, as well countless other speeches, panels, educational workshops and appearances. She was also named the “New Face of Nuclear Energy” by the Wall Street Journal in 2023 and included on Forbes’ 30 Under 30-Energy North America 2024.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Grace back to the team as she launches her professional career in nuclear,” said Kathleen Barrón, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Constellation. “Grace was both a natural and unique champion for nuclear energy as Miss America. In her new position with Constellation, she will continue to be a leading voice reaching youth, women and the public at large on nuclear’s critical role in addressing the climate crisis, while she grows her experience in nuclear fuels and reactor core design.”
Stanke will continue her nuclear advocacy at Constellation through speaking engagements, media appearances, social media and direct advocacy with stakeholders and policymakers at every level of government.
Stanke is joining Constellation at a pivotal time for the nuclear industry. Several recent polls have found that Americans’ support for nuclear energy is at the highest levels seen in a decade. While electoral politics are polarized, nuclear has garnered bipartisan support. The last two years have also witnessed the rise of nuclear influencers and documentaries, such as Nuclear Now and Atomic Hope, that counter the deep-seated misperceptions of nuclear energy in popular culture.
“Serving as Miss America presented me with a rare opportunity to share my passion for nuclear energy, dispel commonly held misconceptions and myths, and increase awareness of the environmental, economic and reliability benefits nuclear offers our communities nationwide,” Stanke said. “As the largest nuclear operator in the United States, Constellation is the perfect place to continue that momentum and begin my career.”
Follow Stanke on her journey with Constellation and beyond on her social media channels X and Instagram.
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Dec 12, 2024
