The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has appointed Andrea Kock to lead its Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), effective Monday, Sept. 29.
Kock served as Region I administrator in King of Prussia, Penn. and most recently has been leading the NMSS as its acting head. She initially joined the NRC in 1996 as a radiation specialist in Region III.
During Kock’s time with NRC, she served in many senior roles including deputy division director for site safety and environmental analysis in the then-Office of New Reactors and the deputy office director for engineering in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
“We are pleased to welcome Andrea back to NRC headquarters, where she can leverage her incredible experience and lead the important changes ahead for the agency,” NRC Chairman David Wright said in its Tuesday press release.
NMSS is in charge of licensing and regulation of facilities associated with the processing, transport and handling of nuclear materials. The office oversees uranium recovery activities and fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors, NRC said.
Before joining the NRC, Kock previously worked as a Department of Energy health physics fellow. Kock has received a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology and a master’s degree in environmental health science with a concentration in radiological health from the University of Michigan.