Eric Loewen is an advanced reactor innovator and holder of 40 patents, but never neglects to support the next generation.
The first time I “sat down” with Eric Loewen, he was driving a couple of us to a local popular fast food joint, HWY 55. While he was in the front seat of his Honda pick-up discussing nuclear policy with his co-pilot Luisa Corredor (one of Eric’s “Edisons” — GE-speak for entry-level engineering program), I was in the backseat aimlessly tapping away on his lap-drum with two drumsticks as instructed.
First rule when riding with Eric: when you are in the backseat, you are the designated drummer.
“Play us your favorite song,” he requested as I calmly panicked and wondered if my limited experience playing the clarinet in fourth grade would be enough to carry me through the 10-minute car ride.
“Focus on keeping a beat,” he continued. “Slow and steady.”
I silently repeated the words to myself feeling intimidated in his presence. Here I was, only two-weeks into the new communications job, grabbing burgers and custard with the 12-year GE Veteran who held the title Chief Consulting Engineer for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
But Eric wasn’t just the effective and experienced engineer his LinkedIn profile led me to believe, he was The Man Who Could End Global Warming, an influencer and thought-leader on The Future of Nuclear Energy, and recently the recipient of the 2018 Continental SENSEI Awards, which honored him as a mentor in industry who has gone above and beyond to help young nuclear employees thrive in their careers.
Over a mint chocolate M&M milkshake, I learned he has a daughter that was recently wed, is supported and loved deeply by his wife, has a devoted passion to music, and a past in opening his home to foster children for years at a time.
But for those who work directly with Eric, there is so much more. His fellow engineers would tell you working with him and knowing him personally is a rite of passage.
“Eric goes above and beyond as a mentor with his dedication to our growth and development,” Maria Pfeffer, customer project manager at Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), wrote in his nomination for the SENSEI Award. “Eric has an innate ability to find and foster the best qualities of his mentees.”
The trust Eric instills in his younger colleagues is unparalleled and unprecedented, especially in a heavily regulated industry like nuclear. He fosters individual relationships with each engineer he mentors, immersing them in one-of-a-kind design work and high-profile customer projects — playing to their strengths and engaging their weaknesses as an opportunity for growth.
When I asked for a list of all the engineers that have worked with Eric, I was told it would be a chore to retrieve as the list is extensive and doesn’t really exist. Maria, who met Eric when she started at the company eight years ago, said Eric will work with anyone who listens or has an idea.
“His passion for exciting young engineering and imparting his knowledge is unlike any other,” she said.
Maria has experienced Eric’s ambitious nature first-hand. Among other things Eric is deeply passionate about, he has a soft spot for registered patents. He constantly taps his network of engineers when he has an idea and asks if anyone is interested in contributing. He then invites the engineers to a “patent invention lunch,” where they sketch their wildest ideas on a paper napkin at HWY 55 down the road from GE Wilmington.
Maria has worked directly with Eric on a patent to morph pipes underneath buildings to withstand a seismic event, an idea that would prevent pipe breaks and subsequent leaks during earthquakes. This past year, the patent was issued.
Encouraged by Maria’s success, I looked in the U.S. Patent Database and searched “Eric Loewen” just to see what I could find. I was astonished to see over 40 patents supported by Eric, with the credit given to names less senior than him.
“You’ll notice he never files alone. He always pulls in someone else for help, and it is usually a young engineer,” Maria said.
Derek Bass, systems engineer at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), knows this to be especially true. Eric’s inclusive nature has inspired Derek to go all in on GEH’s latest and greatest PRISM technology, which is positioned to save the future of nuclear fuel.
It didn’t take long on the job for me to understand just how important PRISM is. Short for Power Reactor Innovative Small Module, PRISM is designed to eat used nuclear material like plutonium and repurpose it into electrical energy.
According to Derek, if it wasn’t for Eric, ground-breaking technology like GEH’s Versatile Test Reactor (using PRISM technology) would not exist and spent nuclear fuel would sit idle for over 300,000 years — hindering advancements in the nuclear fuel industry for decades to come.
It is Eric’s tenacity that shows engineers like Derek that no task is too big. Derek specifically recalls when Eric flew to California to save a building the Department of Energy wanted to demolish, which held vital pump components integral to the PRISM design. Thanks to Eric’s convincing nature and expertise, the parts were saved and are embedded in the technology today making it smarter than ever before.
“He has a way of convincing people to make the right business decisions,” Derek recounted. “He builds coalitions and gets things done. He would be a very effective politician, but not a peacock.”
Eric’s ability to master numerous subjects is unlike anything I’ve seen before. With a background in chemistry, Eric has an uncanny ability to get up to speed on any topic Nuclear and speak eloquently to influence key stakeholders.
“But he also recognizes when there are other people that know their stuff,” Derek shared recalling his early days working on PRISM. “He isn’t always the smartest person in the room and he recognizes that. He champions people and it makes the people that work for him want to work smarter.”
Eric not only teaches, but also inspires and empowers young engineers to stand on their own. He goes the extra mile getting the extra 20 percent out of everyone that works with him.
And when you’re not working with Eric, you’re skateboarding with him outside his home in historical Hampstead, Wilmington. Depending on the weather, he may invite you to go kite surfing or paddle boarding at Wrightsville Beach. He also never rides solo and will always be the first to invite your spouse or in-laws to join in on the adventure.
“He’s the neighbor everyone wishes they had,” Derek said. Eric will invite his trusted colleagues into his home to enjoy a cocktail and welcome marines into his family for Thanksgiving or Christmas. And he’ll do it all while remembering everything you tell him, down to the nickname you were called in grade school.
To many Eric is an expert in industry, a former congressional fellow, the intelligent fuels guy. But at GEH, he’s the man that will drive you down to HWY 55, eat whatever the waiter/waitress feels like bringing, and get to know what makes you tick.
He will build you up, support you and let you fly. And at the end of the day, you’re left with a feeling unlike any other: inspired, enlightened and ready to take on your next big adventure.
