2016 | ANNUAL REPORT 29 In 2016,Yang became chairman of the NSUF Users Organization, which was set up in 2010 to provide a formal and clear channel for the exchange of information, advice, and best practices between investigators and NSUF management. In this position, he has turned his attention to what can be done to increase membership and promote engagement. At the next Users Week in 2018, Yang said he hopes to see the focus expanded beyond materials, capturing a bigger audience. “I think this should be a central piece for nuclear R&D,” he said. Some objectives to bring this about include more scientific and technical presentations to balance the educa- tion and training lectures, reaching out to the nuclear industry and recruiting more of its leaders to speak. Live conferencing has also been suggested as a way to reach out to partner facilities. The NSUF Users Organization is also teaming up with the American Nuclear Society, sponsoring and presenting at its student conferences, and encouraging current members to help with recruiting through social media applications such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Allen saidYang is a great example of the type of professional the NSUF hopes to develop. “He’s a smart scientist, good at generating business, and a good mentor,” he said. The same year he became the NSUF Users Organization chairman,Yang received his tenure and promotion to associate professor at University of Florida in 2016. In March 2017, the university’s training reactor received its license renewal from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, allowing the training reactor to remain in operation until March 2037. For more information on the NSUF Users Organization, please visit the NSUF website at https://nsuf.inl.gov. “[The ATR National Scientific User Facility] gave universities access to a lot of equipment and opened up partnership opportunities,” — Dr.Todd Allen, the first ATR NSUF director