Board of Directors
Madalina Stefanic
President, Founder, Member of the Board of Directors, and Leader of the Mentorship Program
Madalina Stefanic is the President of the Black Sea Women in Nuclear (BSWN) network, a platform empowering women in the nuclear domain across the Black Sea region and beyond.
With 15 years of expertise in human resources and over 37 years of experience in the nuclear field at Nuclearelectrica, Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, she is a driving force in promoting professional growth in the sector.
Her notable achievements with BSWN include leading an annual mentoring program for young and mid-career professionals, now in its second edition. The first edition (2023–2024) united 7 mentors with 9 mentees, while the second (2024–2025) grew to 18 mentors and 35 mentees. Under her leadership, alongside her dedicated team, BSWN fosters collaboration, innovation, and leadership, inspiring women to shape the future of nuclear science and technology.
Valeriia Gergiieva
Vice President, Member of the Board of Directors, Leader of the BSWN Initiatives Black Sea Experts NucTalks and Professional Skills Building Opportunities Program
Valeriia Gergiieva holds a PhD in Political Science. Currently, Dr. Gergiieva is a Visiting Fellow working on the ‘Arms Control and Emerging Technologies’ project at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) at the University of Hamburg. Valeriia is a non-resident research fellow at Odesa Center for Nonproliferation. In Fall 2019, she was a Visiting Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation (CNS) in Monterey. Dr. Gergiieva is a member of the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN) and Black Sea Nonproliferation Professional Exchange. In her research she focuses on Nonproliferation, Disarmament and nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea.
Ali Alkış
General Secretary, Member of the Board of Directors, and Leader of the Communication Team
Ali Alkis is a nuclear security professional, currently pursuing his PhD in the field in Türkiye. He is a Junior Associate Fellow at the Research Division of the NATO Defense College, where he collaborates with next-generation leaders and scholars through conferences, seminars, and professional development activities. In this role, he contributes to research on defense policy and strategic studies, enhancing his expertise in international security matters.
As the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s (NTI) Emerging Nuclear Security Leader and the WINS Ambassador to Türkiye, Ali is at the forefront of critical issues related to nuclear security, nonproliferation, nuclear terrorism, and nuclear piracy. His extensive research and leadership in these areas contribute to the global discourse on nuclear security.
Ali is also an active member of Harvard University’s Ukraine Nuclear Security Working Group, which operates under the Managing the Atom (MTA) program. He contributes to high-impact research on nuclear policy and regional security challenges and actively participates in the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy initiative as the Gender Champion of the OdCNP, advocating for greater diversity and inclusivity in the field.
Previously, Ali served as a Nuclear Scholar in the UK’s Nuclear Security Culture Programme, implemented by King’s College London, where he honed his expertise in nuclear security culture and policy.
His insights into Turkish nuclear and foreign policies are widely recognized, and his thought leadership is increasingly acknowledged through his numerous published articles, book chapters, interviews, and op-eds. Committed to raising public awareness on nuclear security matters, Ali actively engages with the broader community through his social media platforms. His work continues to make an impact on both national and international nuclear security policy discussions.
Founders and Previous Leadership
Margarita Kalinina-Pohl
Margarita Kalinina-Pohl is the Program Director for CBRN Security at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
She has 26 years of experience working in nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear/radiological security, including managing the CNS Representative Office in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Throughout her career at CNS, she has designed and led a wide range of training and capacity-building activities for nonproliferation experts and training courses for international professional audiences, including the CNS Visiting Fellows Program. She spearheaded her Center’s work promoting and empowering women in nuclear, including training courses for women in STEM in Africa and Latin America.
She founded the Black Sea Women in Nuclear and Women in Nuclear Central Asia networks, and she recently helped establish a network for women in CBRN security in the Middle East.
Her research interests include the history and legacies of Soviet WMD programs, as well as current nuclear energy developments. Her research focuses on the security of radioactive sources in contested territories and the use of OSINT in radioactive sources search and recovery. She serves on the International Nuclear Security Forum Advisory Board, and she represents her organization at the IAEA’s International Nuclear Security Education Network and Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GP).
Nataliia Klos
Former President and Founder of the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network
Natalia Klos is a nuclear security expert with 19 years of experience in the field of physical protection, including at the IAEA, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Nataliia holds a Master’s degree in Nuclear Security and Public Administration, and finished her fellowship program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey, California, USA
Co-Chair of the Initiative Sharing Initiative on Assistance to Ukraine in Radiation and Nuclear Security within the Global Partnership Against Spread of Weapon and Material of mass Destruction in 2017-2022. Permanent Representsative of Ukraine on the Global Partnership meeings in 2015-2022. Chairwoman of Working Group No. III Promoting the Development of Nuclear Security in IAEA International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN). IAEA IPPAS mission, nuclear security culture expert.
Shorena Lortkipanidze
Former Vice-President and Founder the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network
Shorena is the Founder and a Board Member of the Civil Council on Defense and Security, a non-governmental organization in Tbilisi, where she leads a network of experts interested in nuclear security and nonproliferation. Shorena also lectures at Tbilisi State University and is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on international development assistance and state-building. Her professional interests include foreign policy, defense and security policy, security sector reform, nuclear security and nonproliferation, peace and conflict studies, gender and diversity. Previously, Shorena worked as an Advisor at the Defense and Security Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. Shorena is World Bank-IFC international accountability mechanism dispute resolution specialist/mediator.
Country Coordinators
Desislava Spassova
Desislava Spassova is a legal expert with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Since the beginning of her career in 2016, she has been focusing on international and national legal frameworks regulating nuclear security. Desislava has an extensive educational background, including a Master’s degree in Law from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and various specialized courses from prestigious academic institutions such as the Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge and the International School of Nuclear Law.
Desislava has contributed to numerous IAEA missions and workshops worldwide, focusing on the development of teaching materials, promotion of international nuclear security instruments and helping IAEA Member States in drafting their national nuclear laws.
In addition to her practical experience as an IAEA legal expert, Desislava has been an active member of the academic community. She has been teaching International and National Legal Frameworks for Nuclear Security, an obligatory discipline in the master program in nuclear security at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is also a PhD candidate in political economics at the same university where she has been contributing to the develepment of a new science called crypto economics.
She is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting adherence to nuclear security legal norms globally.
Ina Grigalashvili
Ina Grigalashvili is an International Project Manager and Legal Expert specializing in radiation protection, nuclear security, and nonproliferation. At Georgia’s Agency of Nuclear and Radiation Safety, she manages international cooperation with the IAEA, EU, and other partners and serves as the country’s National Liaison Officer to the IAEA.
She holds a Master’s in Public International Law, is a graduate of the International School of Nuclear Law, and is a Certified Nuclear Security Professional. Ina has been an active member of BSWN since 2021.
Balan Ionel
Head of National Agency for Regulation of Nuclear and Radiological Activities (NARNRA), Ph.D. of the Republic of Moldova.
Dr. Balan holds a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the State University of Moldova (2000). Dr. Balan has almost two decades of experience radiochemistry and in gamma spectroscopy analysis, including uranium and plutonium enrichment determination.
Dr. Balan joined NARNRA in 2007 and he was of a leader of numerous international technical cooperation projects provided by IAEA and other foreign parties. Dr. Balan was responsible for coordination of nuclear safety and security activities connected with searching and consolidation of orphan radioactive sources. He is one the national experts of the International Technical Working Group in Nuclear Forensics (ITWG) and a Leader of Mobile Expert Support Team.
He has extensive experience in searching for and identifying radioactive (nuclear) materials out of regulatory control.
Laura Moscu Thijov
BSWN Romania Coordinator
Laura Moscu Thijov is a Project Director for the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF), a pioneering project that is the first of its kind in Europe and the third globally. Under her leadership, the CTRF is currently in the implementation phase, focusing on design, equipment procurement, and construction activities.
In 2024, Laura oversaw the commencement of construction work, including the completion of excavation activities, and the integration of 22 new team members who are undergoing a comprehensive training program. This program includes general training at the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, specific theoretical training, and practical training in South Korea at the Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility.Laura is dedicated to driving sustainable development and innovation within the nuclear sector. She emphasizes the importance of the CTRF project in contributing to economic, social, and environmental benefits for the community, while also positioning Romania as a European hub for tritium production, crucial for fusion reactors. Through her leadership, the CTRF exemplifies Nuclearelectrica’s commitment to sustainability and nuclear security, ensuring a safer and more efficient energy future.
Ali Alkış
Muhammed Ali Alkış (Türkiye) is the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) Ambassador to Türkiye and a PhD candidate at Hacettepe University, Türkiye. In addition, he is a Research Affiliate and the Gender Champion at the Odesa Center for Non-proliferation. He is also a member of the US-Black Sea Non-proliferation Professional Exchange and the Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network. Formerly, he was a Nuclear Scholar in the UK’s Nuclear Security Culture Programme, implemented by the King’s College, London.
His research interests are nuclear security, non-proliferation and nuclear terrorism, as well as Turkish nuclear and foreign policies. He is an active contributor to the nuclear security community, promoting collaboration via knowledge sharing, participating in various nuclear security related workshops, events, and meetups, as well as publishing in national, regional, and international forums. He has various articles, book chapters, interviews and op-eds publications with key publishers such as the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the International Journal of Nuclear Security, Elsevier, the Journal of Nuclear Sciences, the Stimson Center and the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium. Ali is also an active member of social media and regularly posts nuclear security information through his publicly available accounts.
Alona Samsonenko
Alona is a Leading Engineer in the George Kuzmich Training Center of Physical Protection and Accounting and Control on Nuclear Material Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
She has 12 years of experience in teaching disciplines in the field of physical protection, accounting and control of nuclear materials in advanced training courses for nuclear workers in Ukraine
She has master’s degree in Nuclear Security of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, study Jurisprudence in the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.
She participates in King’s College London Internship program an in various IAEA international courses and workshops.
Research interests: nuclear energy, regulation of physical protection and accounting and control of nuclear materials.
Atiyah Hijriyanthi
BSWN International Coordinator
Atiyah Hijriyanti is an undergraduate student at the Jenderal Soedirman University, Indonesia, studying International Relations. She is specializing in global security, nuclear studies, and strategic diplomacy. Since joining BSWN in 2023 as a mentee, she has actively researched nuclear issues with International Relations, including as a speaker at the 2024 First Annual Regional Conference.
Atiyah is a Junior Researcher and Teaching Assistant, engaged in academic research and international conferences. She previously served as Editorial and Writing Coordinator for International Relations Pedia (2022–2024) at KOMAHI Unsoed, mentoring young researchers and curating scholarly content. Her practical diplomatic experience includes participation in programs organized by foreign embassies, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the UN in Indonesia. She has also contributed to Indonesia-India relations as a speaker and winner of the International Gita Mahotsav held by The Embassy of Republic of India for Indonesia.
Atiyah has further expanded her global engagement through collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), young generation from various countries, and prominent scholars such as Amitav Acharya. With a strong foundation in international security, environmental studies, and terrorism research, she continues to refine her expertise through research, discussions, and collaboration.
Communication Team
Sathchidha Pachiappan
BSWN Communications Officer
Sathchidha Pachiappan is a student currently pursuing a Specialising Master’s in Nuclear Safeguards at Politecnico di Milano. She has a background in political science with a Master’s degree in International Security Politics from Université Catholique de Lille, where her thesis examined ‘Strategy and Crisis Management in Nuclear South Asia’. In addition to nuclear politics, her interests lie in international human rights and terrorism. Since 2024 Sathchidha has been affiliated with Black Sea Women in Nuclear network as part of the communication team. Besides her academic activities, Sathchidha has experience in digital advocacy and project management.