2023 PONI Summer Conference

July 26, 2023 • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT

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The 2023 Summer Conference has concluded. Visit the PONI microsite to access the conference slide decks.

The Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) will host its 2023 Summer Conference at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on July 26. Registration for the conference is now closed.

Due to lab security, foreign nationals are required to submit additional registration information. Registering for the conference does not imply approval. You will receive a final confirmation email once you are approved to visit Lawrence Livermore. 

Why Attend? 

The PONI Conference Series is unique in its focus on rising experts and young professionals in the nuclear field. The Conference Series draws emerging thought leaders from across the nuclear enterprise and provides them with a visible platform for sharing their thinking on a range of nuclear issues.

PONI conferences provide excellent opportunities for rising professionals to present and receive feedback on their research from a diverse group of experts and stakeholders in the nuclear community. Our conferences are also great opportunities to build connections with academics, national lab representatives, military officials, policymakers, and industry representatives across the nuclear enterprise.  

This event is made possible through the generous support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and U.S. national nuclear laboratories

 

Conference Agenda


Conference Check In/Breakfast

8:40 am

Conference Welcome

9:00 am

Dr. Brad Roberts, Director, Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

LLNL Overview

9:15 am

Dr. Charles Ball, Associate Chief of Staff, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 

Break

9:45 am

PANEL 1: Developments in The Nonproliferation Regime

10:00 am

Moderator: Reja Younis, Associate Fellow, Project on Nuclear Issues 

 

Deterrence: The Demise of the NPT

Rebecca Pantani

 

The Non-Proliferation Treaty: Evaluating its Effectiveness and Exploring Future Paths for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation 

Ian Fleming Zhou  

 

Assessing Tritium and Nuclear Capability: New Paths for Arms Control and Deterrence Harmonization 

Taylor Loy 

 

Why control arms? Exploring Views on Technology in Deterrence, Arms Control, and Disarmament 

Tim Thies

Lunch

11:30 am

Keynote Address

12:30 pm

Dr. Huban Gowadia, Global Security Principal Associate Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

PANEL 2: Arms Control on the Korean Peninsula

1:30 pm

Moderator: Paige Gasser, Fellow, Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory   

 

Wrong Hope? Obama’s Strategic Patience and North Korean Regime Collapse 

Daeyeon Lee 

 

Science is Defense: A Strategic Analysis of North Korea's International Scientific Collaborations 

Tricia White 

 

The Status of North Korea's Fissile Material Production  

Sulgiye Park

Break

2:45 pm

PANEL 3: Emerging Technologies and Arms Control

3:00 pm

Moderator: Dr. Andrew Reddie, Associate Professor, University of California, Berkley  

 

Beyond Old Paradigms: Rethinking Cold War Lessons for Strategic Stability in Space  

Shreya Lad  

 

The Impact of Nuclear Disinformation on the Nuclear Sphere 

Nataliia Klos  

 

Arms Control Treaties: Possibilities and the Future

Surya Nallapati  

 

Game Theory and Game Play: Solving Riddles of 21st Century Deterrence 

James Fielder  

Closing Remarks

4:30 pm

Dr. Heather Williams, Director, Project on Nuclear Issues 

Reception

4:45 pm

Contact Information

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Williams
Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, International Security Program
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Joseph Rodgers
Associate Director and Associate Fellow, Project on Nuclear Issues
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Lachlan MacKenzie
Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Project on Nuclear Issues