The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is giving its 2024 John S. Foster, Jr. Medal to Franklin Miller, lab Director Kim Budil announced Monday in a press release.
Miller’s career in the U.S. government spans over 31 years. He has served in roles such as the special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for defense policy and arms control on the National Security Council, was responsible for nuclear deterrence and strategic arms reductions.
Miller is the ninth recipient of the Foster award and would be honored in Livermore Oct. 30. The Foster award, named after the fourth director of Lawrence Livermore, honors nuclear security and military strategy professionals and rewards them with $25,000 cash.
Jill Hruby, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, spoke at a reception this week “celebrating the civil nuclear cooperation between Poland and the United States, according to a post by the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw on the website X.
Also in attendance was Patrick Fragman, chief executive officer of nuclear supplier Westinghouse, and Craig Albert, chief operating officer of contractor Bechtel. Both Bechtel and Westinghouse were contracted to develop Poland’s first nuclear power plant with three AP1000 reactors, U.S. ambassador to Poland Mark Przezinski said on X.
“There are abundant opportunities for further growth in our civil nuclear cooperation, and we are excited to explore them together,” Przezinski said.
George Bernier III, a former congressional affairs officer for the National Nuclear Security Administration under President George W. Bush, died of pancreatic cancer Aug. 6 in Newton, Mass., according to an obituary posted online. He was 59 years old.
Bernier’s career included 30 years in Washington, eight of which were spent as a legislative assistant to Senator Rick Santorum (R-Penn.), a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to Bernier’s bio on the website for policy strategy firm Van Scoyoc Associates.
Bernier received a bachelor’s degree from Denison University, and received a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
