WNU Staff

Sama Bilbao y León
President
Sama-Bilbao-y-Leon-(2).png Sama Bilbao y León assumed the role of Director General of the World Nuclear Association in 2020. In the same year, she assumed the position of President of the World Nuclear University. Previously, Sama was Head of the Division of Nuclear Technology Development and Economics at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. She has also been the Director of Nuclear Engineering Programs and Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a programme which she was key in creating and developing.

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Isis Leslie
Director
Isis-Leslie-1-3.pngIsis Leslie was appointed Director of World Nuclear University in August 2021. In her role, Isis leads WNU’s strategic direction in its mission to provide world-leading nuclear training and development for a global network of organizations and educational institutions. Isis previously held the position of Programme Coordinator for WNU's Summer Institute between 2009 and 2014, and was also Staff Director for both the World Nuclear Association's Security Working Group as well as the Sustainable Used Fuel Management Working Group. Isis has a professional background in international nuclear security and non-proliferation, and has previously worked with nuclear research and safety institutions, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), World Institute of Nuclear Security (WINS), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as a contractor for Tetra Tech. Read a Q&A with Isis.

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Raquel Heredia Silva
Training Manager
Raquel-Heredia-Silva-headshot.pngRaquel joined WNU as Training Manager in April 2022. She has previously worked as a data analyst, development & business consultant, and research assistant. Additionally, she has undertaken entrepreneurial and advocacy activities. Through these various roles, she has developed comprehensive skills in nuclear communications, project management, development and leadership. Her advocacy work has focused on championing diversity and inclusion and nuclear science and technology as a critical force for development.
Her academic background is in sustainable development engineering, specialising in Nuclear Energy; she holds a Master's in Development Studies, where she focused on the socio-political impacts of low-carbon energy transitions.

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Karyna Zamani
Junior Training Programme Coordinator
Karyna-Zamani-headshot.pngKaryna Zamani joined the World Nuclear University in March 2022 as the Junior Training Programme Coordinator. Karyna comes from a professional background in communications and market research. After graduating from the University of Bristol in Spanish and Russian (BA), she took on a position with TradeTech Energy as an international contract administrator and commercial market analyst, preparing studies on the developing SMR market and calculating future demand for uranium and HALEU fuel. Karyna brings a fresh perspective to the WNU team to work on providing high-quality training and education for professionals in the nuclear industry.

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