William Severe

William Severe spent most of his more than forty-year career in the interface between science and policy. With a degree in physics, he held scientific positions at Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Laboratories as well as policy/foreign affairs postings at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.S. Department of State.  While at IAEA he was a member of the Subsidiary Arrangements Negotiating Team for concluding nuclear safeguards agreements with Member States and supported the Hexapartite Working Group for developing enrichment facility safeguards.  Later, as a Foreign Affairs Officer with the of Department of State, he coordinated and managed the execution of Project Vinca, which removed high enriched uranium (HEU) from a nuclear facility in Serbia – eliminating one of the U.S. Government’s highest priority nuclear threats at that time.  He was also Deputy Chief Negotiator for the U.S.-Russia High Enriched Uranium Transparency Program, which enabled the down-blending of over 500 tons of HEU from Russian nuclear weapons for use in civilian nuclear power production.  Mr. Severe is currently an Independent Consultant and may be reached at billsevere505@gmail.com.