Sean Gonderman is 2022 Atlantic Council Millennium fellow and a science manager at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) in the nuclear technologies and materials (NTM) division, where he has been employed since 2017. Over the course of his employment, Gonderman has been heavily involved with the development of GA-EMS’ SiGA technology, an engineered silicon-carbide-ceramic matrix composite for extreme environments. At present, he leads a team of scientists and engineers tasked with adapting SiGA technology to replace existing zircaloy fuel technology in commercial nuclear reactors to provide improved safety and enhanced performance to utilities. In addition to this work, Gonderman also leads the characterization group within NTM. This team is an integral part of the NTM development ecosystem as it provides high fidelity characterization and performance assessments of advanced materials developed for extreme environments and advanced energy systems. Prior to his time with GA-EMS, Gonderman worked in the area of fusion energy where he earned his PhD in nuclear engineering from Purdue University for his work on advanced materials for fusion applications. He also received a master’s degree in nuclear engineering and bachelors degrees in nuclear engineering and applied mathematics from Purdue University, and is the author or co-author of over twenty articles on advanced materials for energy applications.