Oak Ridge Today

ORAU and American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation formalize partnership to advance Manhattan Project 2.0

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Oak Ridge, Tenn. — To conclude Nuclear Science Week, ORAU and the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation (AMSEF) formalized their commitment to advancing nuclear science education by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This partnership is designed to support the development of the next generation of nuclear professionals, ensuring Oak Ridge and the United States maintain their leadership role on the global stage in the nuclear sector.

Meghan Millwood, ORAU president and CEO, and Alan Lowe, AMSEF executive director and CEO, signed the MOU to establish a collaborative framework between the organizations. By leveraging existing education and training resources, the partnership addresses the critical need for workforce development in the nuclear field. ORAU’s Tennessee Nuclear Energy Workforce Center (T-NEWC) is uniquely positioned to drive this mission forward, preparing the nation to meet the demands of a growing and evolving nuclear workforce.

“Our world is experiencing a nuclear renaissance that many in Oak Ridge are calling the Manhattan Project 2.0, and ORAU is part of the solution needed to help ready our workforce for the challenges,” Millwood said. “This partnership also aligns with our ORAU STEM Accelerator, which was created to develop and accelerate solutions to address U.S. STEM workforce gaps. Together with AMSE, we’re building on our strengths, aligning education and workforce development in key STEM areas, such as nuclear science, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.”

“Both AMSE and ORAU were founded in the immediate post-World War II era as a part of the original Manhattan Project’s legacy,” Lowe added. “In fact, ORAU managed our museum for the Atomic Energy Commission, now the Department of Energy. We’re thrilled to be working together so closely again as we align our efforts to preserve Oak Ridge’s history and help produce highly skilled workers for the future.”

The signed MOU is a three-year agreement with strategies for collaboration that include:
• AMSE utilizing space at ORAU’s main campus to conduct educational programming and also providing the opportunity for AMSE representatives to be co-located with the ORAU T-NEWC facility.
• Joint efforts by ORAU and AMSE educators to develop K-12 workforce initiatives.
• Programming focused on science, engineering and historical communications.
• Hosting summer camps and workshops.
• Offering joint tours of ORAU’s Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity.

This partnership represents an innovative approach to addressing the big picture of the challenges that lay ahead for this nuclear renaissance. By leveraging people, facilities and existing training programs, while also identifying new opportunities and infrastructure, the agreement aims to streamline the nuclear workforce pipeline and help position Oak Ridge as a hub for nuclear education and innovation.

AMSEF, working in cooperation with the Department of Energy, is responsible for the operations of AMSE and the K-25 Atomic History Campus, and works to advance the mission of both institutions.
ORAU integrates academia, government and industry to advance the nation’s learning, health and scientific knowledge to build a better world. Through our specialized teams of subject matter experts, decades of experience, and collaborations with our consortium of more than 160 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU is a recognized leader when the priorities of our federal, state, local, and commercial customers require innovative solutions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ORAU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and government contractor. For more information, visit https://www.orau.org/.

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Pictured in Photo: ORAU President and CEO Meghan Millwood and AMSE CEO and Executive Director Alan Lowe sign the MOU.

Presidential museum, Baker Center director featured at AMSE meeting Thursday

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Alan Lowe

Alan Lowe

Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, will be the featured speaker this week in the third of a series of community meetings on the future of the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The community meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 9, at AMSE.

Lowe was previously founding director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Thursday’s meeting has been organized by the City of Oak Ridge and the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation. Lowe’s presentation is titled “The Path Forward for AMSE: Lessons Learned from a Life in Museums.” [Read more…]

Presidential museum, heritage tourism experts to be featured in AMSE meetings

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Alan Lowe

Alan Lowe

The director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas will be featured in a community meeting in October on the future of the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

During that Thursday, October 9 meeting, Alan Lowe will discuss the process of developing and managing facilities that function as both research libraries and historical museum attractions, a press release said.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located inside the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In his role as director, Lowe oversees millions of presidential records as well as exhibits related to the important issues and events of the Bush Administration, a press release said. [Read more…]