Basak Sarac-Lesavre

Başak Saraç-Lesavre is a Research Fellow in Virginia Tech’s Department of Science, Technology, and Society and Department of Social Anthropology. Her work bridges Science and Technology Studies (STS), nuclear anthropology, and economic sociology, focusing on nuclear waste management, intergenerational responsibilities, and temporal valuation. She holds a PhD from the Centre de Sociologie de l’Innovation (ENSMP, Paris) and has held visiting fellowships at Harvard University and a temporary assistant professorship at ENSMP. Current research explores robotic technologies for nuclear waste handling and examines the challenges of long-term societal obligations in advanced industrial contexts.

• Education: PhD in STS (ENSMP, Paris), MRes (LSE)
• Key Projects: NSF-funded post-Fukushima nuclear emergency response research; book project Nuclear Remains: On Temporality, Valuation, and Responsibility

Her research interrogates how societies confront technical, ethical, and financial challenges posed by enduring nuclear legacies. Recent publications analyze international nuclear policy responses, valuation methodologies in energy systems, and the sociological implications of deep time in waste management.

Funding Sources: French National Centre for Scientific Research, Fulbright Commission, National Science Foundation, Paris Sciences et Lettres.