Spotlight on Nonproliferation (Women's History Month Edition): Annelise Atkinson

What is your role here at NNSA? How does it align to our mission?

I am a Foreign Affairs Specialist and Program Manager in the Office of Nuclear Material Removal. I try to stop bad people from using nuclear materials in improvised nuclear devices. Our office does this by securing and getting rid of those vulnerable materials worldwide.

What led you to a career in nuclear security?

Originally, I joined the Department of Energy out of my passion to address climate change. I worked in the wind industry and came to DOE in the Deputy Secretary’s office. Through that experience, I learned about the nuclear security work at DOE. I visited the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, met with experts at our national labs, and was in the office the day the final shipment from the U.S.-Russia Highly Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement was delivered to the United States. I saw firsthand the commitment of public servants who dedicated their lives to the nuclear security mission. I had great mentors who encouraged me to pursue a career in this field and supported my decision to go to graduate school and apply for the NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program. I was delighted to be selected for the Office of Nuclear Material Removal.

What is the best part about your job?

Knowing that the work we do is not hypothetical and truly makes a difference. We achieve tangible results that contribute to minimizing the threat of nuclear terrorism.

What did you study in school and how did it impact you personally and professionally?

As an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, I was a political science geek with a double major in international relations. My studies centered on political leadership and influence in the Balkans. My favorite classes were led by writers at the University of Iowa’s Writers' Workshop and the Chair of Cinema and Comparative Literature. I loved finding the intersection between literature and political rhetoric, and how political leaders draw from collective experience memorialized in written and oral tradition as a tool for persuasion and confidence building. Later, I observed in the media how Iran’s leaders referenced literature and poetry on the sidelines of the JCPOA negotiations.

I waited nearly a decade after finishing my bachelor’s degree before I attended graduate school. I studied Nonproliferation and Terrorism studies and International Relations at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Half of my graduate courses were taught in Russia at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. I learned a lot from the global perspectives of my classmates. Today, I hold this experience close and am reminded to check myself to make sure that I am not approaching my work through too American a lens.

How has your personal background/experience shaped your work?

I am originally from a small town in Iowa. I am the daughter of a retired farmer and minister and grew up with three sisters. My parents always opened our home to those who did not have family nearby and we often had dozens of college students and members of the community at our house on weekends and holidays. My parents always made our life about people and that carried over into my career.

At NNSA, we have a national security mission to protect people from radiological and nuclear terrorism. But the mission for the people goes further: to secure good talent, cultivate a good environment for our technical teams at the laboratories, develop relationships with foreign counterparts to gain trust, and collaborate with fellow program managers to solve our greatest challenges.

Tell us a little about yourself – a fun fact, a personal hobby, and/or accolades received.

I love to garden! I grew French radishes and arugula last fall for the first time and my dining room is filled with indoor plants under full spectrum light, until I can transplant them outdoors. We are currently growing Cherokee Purple and federle tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, Silver Queen okra, eggplant, red onion, and we’ll get the carrots and blue corn later this spring. My crocuses and double-folded daffodils already bloomed and my ranunculus and tiger lilies are coming up. I also have two peony plants that I hope grow a few blooms this year.

What is your proudest accomplishment while working at (conducting research sponsored by) NNSA?

Completing the 2021 plutonium removal from the International Atomic Energy Agency was a big deal. It was the first removal that I led, and the team completed it during the pandemic while the country was in lockdown.

How is NNSA different from other organizations you've worked for?

I previously worked for DOE and the Small Business Administration. At both, I worked in the front office for leadership, so the difference is more about the type of office I worked in. Working in a program office is different from front office experiences. While they were fast-paced and high-pressure, in the program office it is your own work that goes back up the chain. At NNSA, we know what is on the line if we do not get it right and that provides motivation.

What advice do you have for young women and girls interested in a career like yours?

It is easy as a young woman to give up or talk yourself out of something before you even begin. The bar can seem so high for entry, and it is easy to compare yourself to others who accomplished so much. My advice is to not give up, to keep trying, and to not compare yourself to others. There is so much work to do in nuclear security and you have unique skills and experience that can be used in this space. Knowledge is power. The more you can learn from others already in the field, the more likely you can find a place where your skills align with your interests.

Who is a woman (or who are some women) that inspire/s you and why?

There are so many! I admire NNSA’s Principal Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Kasia Mendelsohn and learned so much from her earlier in my career while working in the Deputy Secretary’s office. She was always calm and collected and knew her facts when she briefed. If she did not know something, she’d come back quickly with the answer.

I also worked with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Director Rebecca Hersman on a paper that created a new metaphor for escalation dynamics in a multi-polar world. She has a way of connecting the dots that I did not know could be connected. Director Hersman is one of the most driven people I’ve ever met.

Yet another woman who inspires me is my own Office Director, Tiffany Blanchard-Case. She completed the largest multi-year nuclear material removal campaign to the United States. She is extremely thorough and persuasive when it comes to negotiating with our foreign partners.

Beyond these nuclear rockstars, the woman that inspires me most is my mom, Dawn Plooster. She is from rural America, but is so knowledgeable about history, culture, and global issues. She is an avid reader (I think she’s read every biography that exists on America’s presidents and first ladies!), a former nurse, and incredible writer. Most importantly, she cares for people.