On Oct. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Rudder Forum, the Memorial Student Center Student Conference on National Affairs, or MSC SCONA, held their annual fall program. 

MSC SCONA is in its 71st year as an organization at Texas A&M, making it the oldest student organization involved directly with the MSC. 

Each year since its founding, MSC SCONA has organized and hosted fall programs and spring conferences. Each event brings high-profile speakers to campus to engage in a forum-style discussion that attendees are encouraged to participate in during the question-and-answer portion at the end of each program. 

A central topic is intentionally selected as the focal point of discussion for every fall program, based on relevant national and international dilemmas. 

“Usually we want to see what’s going on in the world and what students are passionate about, and what we think is not being talked about on our college campus,” international affairs graduate student and Vice Chair of Communications Jade Williams said.

MSC SCONA’s website described this year’s fall program as “Securing Power, Safeguarding Nations: The Future of Energy and Security.” More specifically, the discussion focused on nuclear energy and the costs versus the benefits of using it as an energy source. 

Williams said that the complex and controversial subject of nuclear energy is an important issue for students to weigh in on as it directly impacts them at A&M. Recently, new initiatives have started that aim to use nuclear technology to fuel small modular reactors, or SMRs, to power university infrastructure.

“Texas A&M is a technology developer for small modular reactors, or SMRs,” international affairs sophomore and board member Trevor Chesler said. “In fact, the RELLIS campus is building four small modular reactors now.”

Chesler said that the goal of this year’s fall program was to introduce students to the realm of nuclear infrastructure. More specifically, the program focused on discussion of potential risks and benefits of the energy source with industry experts and education of the public on what the future holds for nuclear energy. 

The 2025 fall program commenced with an introductory statement from international affairs junior and chair Caroline McCall. She welcomed the audience for their attendance, introduced the theme of the event and opened the floor for the panel to introduce themselves and open with their thoughts on nuclear energy. 

Kenneth Peddicord, Ph.D., an A&M professor emeritus and senior professor on nuclear energy, added his thoughts on the importance of holding events over national affairs. Early on in the discussion, Peddicord assumed the role of discussion moderator, and introduced the next panelist, Ray Rothrock ‘77. 

A former student of both A&M and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rothrock has since become a seasoned expert in nuclear technology and cyber security, with decades of experience in Silicon Valley and at Venrock, a venture capital firm. 

Rothrock opened by elaborating on his experience with over a dozen nuclear investment deals, and said that nuclear energy is a safe form of power and a new frontier of development for the United States. 

Next, Texas state Rep. Cody Harris ‘06 (R-08) was introduced by Peddicord. Harris explained his role in writing legislation with the Texas Nuclear Caucus and advocating for the widespread use of nuclear energy. 

He also noted the importance of MSC SCONA’s fall program and encouraged the audience to continue discussions beyond the walls of the university. 

Before the final panelist spoke, Harris sparked a discussion about the current disagreement in East Texas over the allocation of ground water. Harris said that other re-usable sources should be considered in addition to water, and that nuclear energy will be a necessary input for any of these renewable energy sources, to ensure efficiency of energy allocation.

Peddicord added that Harris has been instrumental in the ongoing nuclear energy discussion and a crucial player on the nuclear frontier for Texas. 

Then, Judge Phillip Spenrath of Wharton County was given the floor. Spenrath explained that Wharton County and others in the Sugarland area depend on nuclear power. He said that although efficient, nuclear power plants require expensive upkeep to power local infrastructure. 

With nuclear energy being a topic of conversation not only in Wharton county but many communities across Texas, Spenrath urged the Aggies in attendance to get involved in their local communities. Not only in conversations over nuclear power, but others that directly impact all Bryan-College Station residents. 

Peddicord nodded in agreement, then added that nuclear power is an invaluable source of energy but a very misunderstood topic. Following his statement, the floor was opened for the audience to ask questions.

The first student to approach the microphone addressed Rothrock specifically and asked about the impact of SMRs on supply-chain manufacturing. In response, Rothrock explained how the development of SMRs could cause a plateau in the nuclear supply chain as suppliers transition to factory-based manufacturing instead of larger scale production; a transition which will take place as nuclear energy’s influence expands to power state infrastructure. 

Another student, who noted that he is currently completing his capstone project on nuclear energy, followed with a question about how to address concerns about nuclear energy. Harris answered the question by explaining that oftentimes in nuclear discussions, the most extreme incidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima are highlighted as case studies for why expanding the use of nuclear energy might be bad policy. 

Harris stressed the importance of having nuclear conversations with the community outside of A&M’s walls, to educate others about nuclear energy. Harris said that even though those high-profile accidents don’t accurately reflect the nature of nuclear energy as a power source. 

The World Nuclear Association supports this claim and even found that the risks of using nuclear energy are declining as effective regulations and sufficient oversight measures are implemented in the industry. 

“Change doesn’t come from just one big mission, but from hundreds of smaller interactions,” Spenrath said, to build off of Harris’ response. Spenrath hopes that from these discussions that the stigma will slowly be shaken from the topic of nuclear energy. 

The fall program wrapped up with a closing statement from McCall, who thanked the panelists for their time and their involvement in the ongoing nuclear discussions across Texas and the nation.