Oak Ridge Today

Celebrate 50th anniversary of moon landing

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Julie Rhyne

Tamke-Allan Observatory will begin its summer public stargazing with a 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing on Saturday, July 6. The gates will open at 7:30 p.m., and a public lecture will be presented at 8 p.m. by guest lecturer Julie Rhyne, a press release said.

July marks the 50th anniversary of landing humans on the moon, the press release said. NASA’s Project Apollo, the program developed to land people on the moon, represented the “remarkable efforts of engineers, scientists, and many various industries around the country working together to accomplish one of the greatest feats in human history,” the press release said.

It said the July 6 presentation will provide an overview of the spacecraft and the Apollo missions. There will be pictures and memorabilia, moon globes, and hands-on learning about the Saturn V rocket that launched men to the moon, the release said.

[Read more…]

Shen of ORHS participating in USA Biology Olympiad Finals

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Photo of Henry Shen courtesy of Oak Ridge High School teacher Sharon Thomas.

Henry Shen of Oak Ridge High School is among 20 students participating in the USA Biology Olympiad National Finals in California.

The Center for Excellence in Education announced Shen’s participation in the 17th Annual USA Biology Olympiad National Finals. The competition is hosted by the University of California San Diego on its campus.

“We look forward to hosting the USA Biology Olympiad finalists, and welcome the energy and drive that these stellar students bring to this national event anthedo campus,” said Kit Pogliano, ean of UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences. “The biological research and teaching facilities at UC San Diego and our surrounding institutions provide an ideal location to host this program and to prepare biology superstars from around the country for the international competition.”

The finalists, including Shen, are participating from June 22 to July 6 at UC San Diego for 10 days of biology instruction that includes laboratory training and conceptual understanding, followed by two days of testing, a press release said.

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Butterfly Festival is Aug. 3

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will have its fourth annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, August 3. Highlights will include a release of monarch butterflies, the UT Insect Zoo, speakers, and children’s activities.

The festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 3 at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and its surrounding grounds at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The charge is $5 per carload, a press release said. This is a change from previous years. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine, the release said.

[Read more…]

Millennial Nuclear Caucus in Oak Ridge on Friday

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A Millennial Nuclear Caucus is scheduled in Oak Ridge on Friday. It will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy in conjunction with co-sponsors, and it is scheduled from 7:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the New Hope Center at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Scarboro Road.

The Millennial Nuclear Caucuses are a series of events that bring together the next generation of leaders in nuclear innovation, a media advisory said.

“They feature discussions on the path forward for the nuclear industry and the role innovative technology will play,” the advisory said. “Participants at the events represent the full spectrum of the nuclear field, including young leaders supporting the existing fleet, those designing small modular and advanced reactors, and those advocating for a thriving nuclear future.”

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ORISE employee inducted into UT Educator’s Hall of Honor

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Craig Layman, right, accepts the Educators Hall of Honor award from Bob Kesling, lead announcer on the Vol Radio Network, who served as Master of Ceremony at the awards banquet. (Submitted photo)

Craig Layman, actively involved in preparing the next generation of STEM professionals for occupations related to science and engineering, was recently inducted into the University of Tennessee Educators Hall of Honor.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Layman, associate director of workforce development for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at Oak Ridge Associated Universities, was among six new members added to the Hall of Honor by UT’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services during ceremonies at the Holiday Inn-World’s Fair Park in Knoxville.

The UT Educators Hall of Honor was established to recognize educators who have made profound differences in their students’ lives and the community. The program also generates an endowed scholarship fund to assist students in the process of becoming teachers. [Read more…]

Roane State students serve, learn in Costa Rica and Panama

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Students in the World Cultures and Serving Learning class taught by Dave Rath and Cody Miller gather around the more than 500 pounds of school supplies, toiletries, and clothing collected for impoverished children in Costa Rica and Panama. From left: Gracie May, Chloe Pierce, Jason Wasilewski, Stephanie Anderson, Jan Joyal, Earl Davis, Lexie Perotti, Amber Meter, Lizet Palacios, Tamara Richardson, April Brannon, Apolonia Garcia, Alyssa McCullah, Jocelyn Middleton, Cody Miller, and kneeling, Dave Rath. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State faculty Dave Rath and Cody Miller faced an ironic dilemma.

They had more contributions for impoverished children in Costa Rica and Panama than they had space set aside to fly down to those Central American countries.

“We’ll find a way,” Rath vowed. “Before we leave your hard work in Tennessee, we’ll find a way,” he told their students.

Rath and Miller and 14 students in their World Cultures and Service Learning class recently packed up large cardboard boxes of shoes, toothbrushes, school supplies, and a myriad of other items to transport to remote areas of the two countries during the trip, May 8-17.

This year’s supply drive was the biggest yet, Rath said. [Read more…]

Roane State student artists display work, earn honors

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Pictured are three of the winners of Roane State’s annual Juried Student Art show. From left: Steve Williams, best of show; Talitha Chafin, second place; and Archie Clark, honorable mention. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and other mixed media work showcasing the artists’ talents, imaginations, and creative visions were on display during Roane State’s 2019 Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition.

Stunning black-and-white photos, a solargram revealing the sun’s path through the sky over the course of months, and a giant wire spider dangling from a wall were among those judged by an artist who has exhibited internationally.

The 31 selections were on display in April in the O’Brien Art Gallery, located on the college’s main campus in Roane County.

“This is a great opportunity for students to get practice with submitting and exhibiting in a juried exhibition that culminates with a celebration of their hard work over the past year,” Roane State Art Professor Stacy Jacobs said. [Read more…]

Roane State alumnus shared experiences with environmental health technology students

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UCOR Radiological Protection Manager Rodney Bauman, left, and Roane State graduate Brad Ross, the UCOR field radiological project manager, recently spoke to the college’s Environmental Health Technology class. (Submitted photo)

A Roane State Community College graduate returned to his alma mater and spoke to students in associate professor Dan Hyder’s Safety and Emergency Response class.

UCOR field radiological protection manager Brad Ross was joined by the contractor’s radiological protection manager, Rodney Bauman, for the talk at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus.

“They spoke to my class about the field of health physics,” Hyder said. “They discussed the risks associated with radiation, the different types of careers and working environments, the history of the field, the positives of working in health physics, and how to prepare for a career and obtain employment.”

Ross is a graduate of Roane State’s environmental health technology program, and he has worked more than 25 years in health physics in Oak Ridge, Hyder said. [Read more…]

Roane State’s Stephens honored for her work

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DeAnna Stephens

Roane State Community College assistant professor of English DeAnna Stephens earned two honors this spring.

Stephens won the poetry competition at the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival.

She also received first place in the fiction category at the Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference Awards Banquet.

Stephens said she was very excited when informed in mid-March that she was a finalist in the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival. Before she won, Stephens said she hadn’t planned to attend the event.

Things changed, especially since the recognition included a $1,000 prize, a free pass to the festival, and the opportunity to read her poems to an appreciative audience, a press release said. [Read more…]

Ninth graduating class of Youth Leadership Oak Ridge

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The 2018-2019 Youth Leadership Oak Ridge Class recently celebrated with a graduation ceremony. Youth Leadership Oak Ridge is a program of the Center for Leadership and Community Development, an affiliated organization of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (Submitted photo)

Youth Leadership Oak Ridge, a program of the Center for Leadership and Community Development, an organization affiliated with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, recently had a graduation ceremony for its 2018/2019 class. The celebration was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Gene Patterson of Consolidated Nuclear Security offered the keynote speech, a press release said.

Youth Leadership Oak Ridge was started as the community project of the 2009 Leadership Oak Ridge class. Patterned after the adult program, but revised to reflect the interests of high school students, the program has just completed its ninth year, the press release said.

The class met most Wednesdays after school during the school year and covered topics related to personal skills development, entrepreneurship, government, and quality of life, the press release said. Each area of focus provided for interactive activities as well as advice and guidance from experts in those areas. [Read more…]

‘Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge’ activity book for sale with proceeds benefitting ADFAC

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Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC executive director; Becky Hook, ADFAC school supply coordinator and activity book chair; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC board of directors and committee member. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Looking for a great summer activity for your family or perhaps visiting relatives? ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) has the answer, a press release said.

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” is an activity book designed to present the history of Oak Ridge through pictures and activities for children ages 5-13, the press release said. Art work, poems, puzzles, and short stories created by students from Oak Ridge schools were submitted for publication. Area adult artists and photographers also donated their services to benefit ADFAC.

Developed in conjunction with ADFAC’s 30th anniversary and Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, “The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” gives a pictorial history of the city and includes organizations of interest to children. Graphic designer Ariana Rector created the cover, which highlights Oak Ridge’s historically significant accomplishments in a timeline from black and white to color, the press release said. She is also credited with illustrating many of the coloring pages and compiling the submitted works. [Read more…]

ORAU awards 36 research grants to junior faculty at member universities

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

ORAU has awarded competitive research grants totaling $180,000 to 36 junior faculty from its member institutions. The annual grants are made through the company’s Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program that provides funds to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty, a press release said.

The recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2019-2020 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the ORAU award with an additional $5,000, making the total prize worth $10,000 for each winner, the press release said. Winners may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue research, or travel to professional meetings and conferences.

Since the program’s inception, ORAU has awarded 734 grants totaling more than $3.4 million. Including the matching funds from member institutions, ORAU has facilitated grants worth more than $6.9 million, the press release said. [Read more…]