Grace Vanderhei

Grace Vanderhei is a Nuclear Fuels Engineer and Clean Energy Advocate at Constellation and was Miss America in 2023. A knowledgeable scientist, expert communicator, and growing influential figure, Grace brings technical expertise in science, maths and leadership to each of her speaking engagements.

During the completion of her Nuclear Engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Grace was an undergraduate research assistant at the university and the Reactor Technology Integration Lab. In 2020, she served as a Nuclear Fuels Vendor Independent Co-Op for Exelon Nuclear, assisting with the development of vendor-independent methods projects, before continuing the role at Constellation. In 2022, she began to promote the importance and education of nuclear energy’s role in a clean and more reliable energy future across 26 US States and eight nations as part of her time as Miss Wisconsin and later as Miss America. Since 2024, Grace has been a Nuclear Fuels Engineer and Clean Energy Advocate at Constellation, where she supports the operation of multiple nuclear power plants across the United States and contributes to efforts in the restart of a historically significant nuclear reactor.

Due to her flourishing career, Grace has been recognised as the ‘new face of nuclear energy’ by the Wall Street Journal and labelled as one of four women leading America’s energy transition by CNET. She was also featured on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list and is a two-time TEDx speaker, having delivered the talks ‘‘That’s Rad: Nuclear Normalisation’ and ‘Nuclear Energy’s Major Role in the AI Transition’.

Alongside her professional work, Grace is currently undertaking an MBA at Arizona State University and is in the process of writing a book on learning and optimisation as a skill. With clarity, knowledge, and passion, Grace resonates with audiences through her perspective that change happens when individuals break barriers, communicate clearly and purposefully, and use their experiences to take meaningful action to benefit future generations.