Kenneth R. Balkey, P.E., to Address General Session
The National Board has announced Kenneth R. Balkey, P.E., will address the General Session this May at the 82nd General Meeting in Miami. His presentation, Safety – An Integral Part of the Energy Grand Challenge, will address the topic of safety across a number of energy sectors supported by National Board and ASME Standards and Certification. At last year’s meeting, Mr. Balkey presented an update on the progress made at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In addition to this main topic, Mr. Balkey will also discuss what is now occurring at the Fukushima plant.
Kenneth R. Balkey is an ASME fellow and senior vice president for ASME Standards and Certification. He is also chair of the ASME Council on Standards and Certification. Mr. Balkey is a consulting engineer with Westinghouse Electric Company in Pittsburgh and has accumulated nearly 40 years in the nuclear power industry. As senior consulting engineer, he provides consultation and advises on developments in technology related to codes and standards and risk management initiatives.
He has produced more than 140 publications and documents relating to risk evaluations of the integrity of piping, vessels, and structures, and the performance of components using state-of-the-art probabilistic assessment techniques. He holds two patents related to reactor pressure vessel integrity and risk-informed inspection of heat exchangers.
He is the recipient of ASME’s Dedicated Service Award (1991), the Bernard F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award (2002), the Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Medal (2008), and several other awards from ASME, Westinghouse, and other institutions. His most recent distinction is that of ASME Fellow.
A professional engineer, Mr. Balkey earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh where he currently serves as an adjunct faculty member.