The Honorable William D. Magwood, IV was sworn in as a Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on April 1, 2010, to an initial term ending on June 30, 2010, and a reappointment term ending June 30, 2015.

Mr. Magwood has a distinguished career in the nuclear field and in public service.  He was the longest-serving head of the United States' civilian nuclear technology program, serving two Presidents and five Secretaries of Energy.

Mr. Magwood served seven years as the Director of Nuclear Energy with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where he was the senior nuclear technology official in the United States Government.  He oversaw the restoration of the Federal nuclear technology program and led the creation of "Nuclear Power 2010," “Generation IV,” and other innovative initiatives—including successful efforts that helped reverse the decline in American nuclear technology education.  During his tenure at DOE, Mr. Magwood was recognized as a strong advocate of international technology cooperation and served as Chairman of both the Generation IV International Forum and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Steering Committee on Nuclear Energy. 

Since joining the NRC, he has continued his advocacy for both U.S. science and technology education and strong international cooperation.  He has also sought to assure transparency and improve the agency’s openness to public participation.  As an NRC Commissioner, Mr. Magwood has been a strong defender of the NRC’s regulatory independence and adherence to the principle that regulations should be based firmly on scientific and technical facts.  From his nomination as a Commissioner, Mr. Magwood has remained committed to his promise to carry out his responsibilities “in a manner that earns the public’s trust, and always doing the right thing even when the right thing isn’t easy.” 

Prior to his appointments at DOE, Mr. Magwood managed electric utility research and nuclear policy programs at the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C.  Before that, he was a scientist at Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Mr. Magwood holds a B.S. degree in physics and a B.A. degree in English from Carnegie-Mellon University.  He also holds an M.F.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.