Organizational skills and attention to detail matter in the nuclear industry. “Nuclear is unique in that it can take a physically small power source and provide electricity for people safely, reliably, and efficiently,” says Lauren. “We employ the best and the brightest to ensure that we are technically accurate.”

Her career path with the company kicked off straight out of college with an internship in the Nuclear Analysis and Fuel Department. From there, she worked in several aspects of the nuclear field including projects, risk assessment, fuel performance, and safety analysis. 

Reflecting back on engineering school at the University of Virginia, she recalls being only one of two or three women in any of her classes. But, she says the prevalence of women in nuclear is improving. 

“Dominion has really invested in seeking out a diverse workforce,” says Lauren. “I’ve had male management approach me directly and say, ‘what do we need to do to get women in our department and how do we retain them?’” 

Dominion Energy’s active participation in national organization, Women in Nuclear, or “WIN” also serves as a ‘supportive rally’ to Lauren, providing professional development, mentoring, and various opportunities. 

Who does someone like Lauren find inspiring? She had an easy answer: Marie Curie, a two-time Nobel Prize winner also known as ‘the mother of radiation’. Curie’s discovery of radium and polonium made huge contributions to nuclear energy, and also to eventually finding treatments for cancer. 

As a mother, Lauren hopes she can serve as a similar inspiration to her nearly four-year-old daughter, Elena. 

“It’s my hope,” says Lauren, “that through the roles I take, that I’m paving a way for her and other young women to one day also be able to achieve their goals in life with whatever they want to be.”