Mirela Gavrilas, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, will officially assume the role of executive director for operations on July 28.
In this capacity, she will serve as the chief operating officer and oversee NRC’s administrative and operational functions, the agency said Wednesday.
NRC Chair Christopher Hanson said Gavrilas will bring to the role her technical expertise, management and communications skills and ability to transform work processes and metrics.
“She is well poised to lead the NRC staff as we tackle challenges and embrace new opportunities, particularly after the recent passage of the ADVANCE Act,” added Hanson.
Since 2020, Gavrillas has served as director of NSIR, where she oversees the development and implementation of security and emergency preparedness policy.
She first joined NRC in 2004 as an engineer within the agency’s Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
Before NRC, the former MIT post-doctoral fellow served as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland at College Park.