Grace Stanke Vanderhei is a nuclear engineer, public speaker and sustainability advocate recognised for reshaping how zero-carbon energy is understood and discussed. Widely known as Former Miss America 2023, Grace used an internationally visible platform to elevate informed climate dialogue and champion nuclear power as a practical solution to decarbonisation. Her work brings credibility to sustainability conversations by combining frontline engineering expertise with an ability to engage diverse audiences, from policymakers to future scientists.
Grace graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison while completing her year as Miss America. She is currently employed as a Nuclear Fuels Engineer and Clean Energy Advocate at Constellation Energy, working within pressurised water reactor core design across the nation’s largest nuclear fleet. Her role focuses on fuel performance, safety margins and extending the operational lifespan of existing nuclear assets, a critical yet often underestimated sustainability strategy. Alongside her engineering career, Grace is pursuing a Master of Business Administration in International Business at Arizona State University, strengthening her ability to align clean energy solutions with commercial and global strategy.
Within Constellation, Grace holds the position of Lead Cycle Manager for the Crane Clean Energy Center restart cycle, formerly known as Three Mile Island Unit 1. She also serves as Cycle Manager for the Braidwood Unit 2 fuel vendor transition reload, while supporting reload planning for Byron Unit 2. These responsibilities place her at the centre of complex projects that protect grid reliability while delivering large-scale zero-carbon electricity. Earlier in her career, Grace completed nuclear engineering co-operative roles at Exelon and Constellation, contributing to vendor independent methods, reactor simulation modelling and low-power physics testing, experiences that underpin her practical, systems-level understanding of sustainable energy infrastructure.
Alongside her technical work, Grace is an established Public and Keynote Speaker on sustainability, energy transition and women in STEM. During her tenure as Miss America, she travelled over 270,000 miles internationally, speaking at climate summits, universities, industry conferences and policy forums, including COP28. She was recognised as the ‘New Face of Nuclear Energy’ by the Wall Street Journal, named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy list, and identified by CNET as one of four women leading America’s energy transition. Grace’s keynotes translate complex engineering into accessible insight, often using relatable explanations such as describing nuclear power as ‘fancy hot rocks that boil water’, leaving audiences informed, confident and better equipped to engage with sustainable energy decisions.
