Oak Ridge Today

Wilson Huang wins first place at state Junior Science, Humanities Symposium

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Oak Ridge High School participants with Tammy Carneim. (Submitted photo by Tammy Carneim)

Oak Ridge High School participants with Tammy Carneim. (Submitted photo by Tammy Carneim)

 

By Holly Cross of Oak Ridge Schools

Several Oak Ridge High School students participated in the Tennessee Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park in Knoxville on February 23-24. The symposium is sponsored by the United States departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and it is administered by the Academy of Applied Science in cooperation with the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory also sponsors this event for the region.

Wilson Huang presented at the 11:10 a.m. time slot in Session I on Friday, February 24, with the topic, “Designing Acoustically-Driven Microrobots to Stimulate Active Matter.” Logan Rumbaugh presented at the 1:50 p.m. time slot in Session II on Friday, February 24, with the topic, “Modeling Collective Motion with Periodic Obstacles.”

Poster sessions from students at Oak Ridge High School included Ryan Armstrong presenting “Quantifying the Evolution of Gas from Li-ion Battery Materials” and Dylan Payne presenting “Correcting image distortion from an SEM.” Tammy Carneim is the school’s official teacher sponsor. [Read more…]

Saturday: Enjoy ‘La Bohème,’ ‘Falstaff,’ ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ vocals—also Beethoven, Schumann

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University of Tennessee Opera Singers are, from left to right, Darius Thomas, Alexandria Shiner, Jack Francis, Breyon Ewing, Paul Bryson, Tyler Padgett, Marya Barry, Joshua Allen, and Ryan Colbert (vocal coordinator). Not pictured are Lisa Griggs and Cheryl Scappaticci of Music Arts. (Submitted photo)

University of Tennessee Opera Singers are, from left to right, Darius Thomas, Alexandria Shiner, Jack Francis, Breyon Ewing, Paul Bryson, Tyler Padgett, Marya Barry, Joshua Allen, and Ryan Colbert (vocal coordinator). Not pictured are Lisa Griggs and Cheryl Scappaticci of Music Arts. (Submitted photo)

 

By Dale Gedcke

In addition to Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture” and Schumann’s “Spring Symphony,” the March 4 concert by the Oak Ridge Philharmonia will offer a special treat, with favorite opera selections from Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte,” Verdi’s “Falstaff,” and Puccini’s “La Bohème,” sung by University of Tennessee students currently studying voice.

Lisa Griggs and Cheryl Scappaticci of Music Arts in Oak Ridge will be joining the UT singers for those opera excerpts, and will also perform the humorous “Cat Duet (Duetto buffo di due gatti),” written by Robert Lucas de Pearsall (1825) as a parody on Rossini’s “Otello” and “Katte-Cavatine” by Weyse.

This is an excellent opportunity to experience a live performance of the most enjoyable parts of these operas, without having to invest in each entire opera. The cast of UT singers comprises Darius Thomas, Alexandria Shiner, Jack Francis, Breyon Ewing, Paul Bryson, Tyler Padgett, Marya Barry, and Joshua Allen. In addition to singing two roles, Ryan Colbert organized and directed the singers for this performance. [Read more…]

Mason leaving ORNL for Battelle

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Thom Mason May 23 2016

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason is pictured above on Monday, May 23, 2016, in Chattanooga. (File photo by ORNL)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:05 p.m.

Thom Mason, the director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 2007, is leaving the lab for a job at Battelle.

Mason announced the move in an email to employees on Friday morning.

He will become senior vice president for laboratory operations at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio. Battelle, in partnership with the University of Tennessee, has managed and operated ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy since April 2000.

“I’m privileged to take on the challenges that lie ahead,” Mason said. [Read more…]

UT, NOAA to collaborate on atmospheric sciences research

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Taylor Eighmy, UT vice chancellor for research and engagement, left, and Bruce Baker, director of NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, headquartered in Oak Ridge, right, sign a memorandum of agreement in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

Taylor Eighmy, left, UT vice chancellor for research and engagement, and Bruce Baker, right, director of NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, which has headquarters in Oak Ridge, sign a memorandum of agreement in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

 

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, or ATDD, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Air Resources Laboratory to advance collaborative research in atmospheric sciences. ATDD has headquarters in Oak Ridge.

The agreement was signed Wednesday, February 15, at ATDD headquarters in Oak Ridge, and it will help with joint efforts to advance understanding of air pollution, atmospheric transport processes, and weather on a regional and national level, a press release said. It also will create educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to collect scientific data, develop models and simulations, and transition research to applications and commercial use.

“The mission of the collaboration will be to train the next generation of scientists and engineers and provide the best available atmospheric data and scientific analysis to the global scientific community, to local and national decision makers, and to the general public,” said Bruce Baker, director of the ATDD. [Read more…]

Alan Williams named 2017 Front Page Follies honoree

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Alan Williams

Alan Williams

 

Alan Williams, Local 8 News and CW anchor and a 37-year veteran in the broadcast business, will be the honoree at the 39th annual Front Page Follies on June 17.

The Front Page Foundation will present the dinner and show that each year roasts state and local newsmakers at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds will fund journalism and broadcasting scholarships presented in Williams’ honor at the University of Tennessee and a media studies scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College.

“Alan Williams is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings both a professional approach and a personal touch to the news he reports,” said Frank Murphy, Front Page Foundation president.

“Alan can tell sports stories with insights he gained as an SEC athlete, then cover an entertainment event with the experience of a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Country Music Association,” Murphy said. “He knows the community well because he’s worked here more than 30 years, and he’s been an active community volunteer. That kind of perspective has meant a lot to his East Tennessee audience, and we’re proud to name Alan Williams this year’s scholarship honoree.” [Read more…]

Bill Bass of UT’s ‘Body Farm’ to give Feb. 21 lecture at Pellissippi State

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Bill Bass

Bill Bass

Bill Bass, a forensic anthropologist who founded the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, more popularly known as “The Body Farm,” will give a lecture at Pellissippi State Community College in Hardin Valley on February 21.

His program is titled “Forensic Law Enforcement Field Operations.” It is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, in the Goins Auditorium in the Goins Building at Pellissippi State Community College. His talk will address research and field work throughout his career and more recently at the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, a press release said.

Bass is best known for his research on human osteology and human decomposition. He has assisted federal, local, and non-U.S. authorities in the identification of human remains, the press release said. He is the author of numerous best-selling books and will have some books for sale, which he will sign. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Civic Music Association has new choral director

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Jaclyn Johnson

Jaclyn Johnson

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association has a new choral director, Jaclyn Johnson.

A press release said Johnson has made it her life goal to share her passion for music with ensembles and audiences around the world. Before completing her doctoral degree in choral conducting at the University of Michigan, Johnson had a thriving career as a high school choral educator and church musician, the press release said.

Ensembles under her direction have received numerous honors and awards, including performances at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference (2011), Western Division Conference (2010), and Central Division Conference (2014), the press release said. In 2014, Johnson represented the United States as an international exchange conductor to China. She is currently the associate director of choral activities at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

“I am honored to be the new choral director for ORCMA and to work with such brilliant individuals,” Johnson said in the press release. “Oak Ridge has a rich and unique musical history, and I aspire to further this excellence with inspiring and exciting programs. We welcome any new members who have a passion for singing!” [Read more…]

Haslam visits ORNL to highlight state’s role in discovering tennessine

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Bill Haslam at ORNL Tennessine Martin McDonald Thom Mason ORHS Students

Principal Martin McDonald, left, and students from Oak Ridge High School accepted the first new chart of the periodic table featuring element tennessine and signed by Governor Bill Haslam, right, and ORNL Director Thom Mason, second from left. To mark the discovery of tennessine, UT-Battelle is donating a new chart to all public middle and high schools in Tennessee. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam visited the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Friday to congratulate the ORNL team involved in the discovery of the element tennessine, named in recognition of the vital contributions of the state of Tennessee to the international search for new superheavy elements.

UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of ORNL, is marking the discovery by providing more than 1,000 public middle schools and high schools in Tennessee with new charts of the periodic table. Tennessine—the official name for element 117—completes the seventh row of the table and the column of elements classified as halogens.

The charts will include the signatures of Haslam and ORNL Director Thom Mason.

“We had two very significant announcements in Tennessee this fall as it relates to science,” Haslam said. “In October, the Nation’s Report Card announced that Tennessee students are the fastest improving in the nation in science, and in November, Tennessee became only the second state to be recognized in the periodic table of elements. Having an element named in our honor is further evidence of the scientific excellence that exists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and other institutions throughout our state, and by UT-Battelle donating new periodic tables to every middle and high school in Tennessee, students can feel proud of our state’s important role in the scientific community and inspired to play a role in its future.” [Read more…]

Cybersecurity brown bag lunches start Tuesday in Oak Ridge

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The Cyber and Information Security Consortium, or CISC, and the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy have partnered together to hold monthly brown bag lunches to hear talks on key topics regarding cybersecurity.

The first official lunch will take place next week in the UT Outreach Center in Oak Ridge.

The second lunch will be held on February 17 in the Toyota Auditorium at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy on UT’s campus. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has global warming, climate change program Thursday

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Joanne Logan

Joanne Logan

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present a program on global warming and climate change on Thursday in Oak Ridge.

The program, titled “It’s all in the Timing: Impacts of Global Warming on Ecosystems and Phenology,” is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, January 19, in the City Room at Roane State Community College.

It will be presented by Joanne Logan, who is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee and a renowned expert on the subject, a press release said. Logan is an associate professor in the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science. She has studied applied and agricultural climatology for 30 years, and she directs the undergraduate program in environmental and soil siences, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORNL: Crystallization method offers new option for carbon capture from air

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carbon_dioxide_direct_air_capture2-custelcean

Using X-ray diffraction, ORNL’s Radu Custelcean analyzed the molecular structure of the simple guanidine compound and was surprised to find carbonate, a crystal that forms when carbon dioxide from air reacts with water. (Image credit: ORNL/Genevieve Martin)

 

By Sara Shoemaker, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found a simple, reliable process to capture carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, offering a new option for carbon capture and storage strategies to combat global warming.

Ambient air is air that completely surrounds.

Initially, the ORNL team was studying methods to remove environmental contaminants such as sulfate, chromate, or phosphate from water. To remove those negatively charged ions, the researchers synthesized a simple compound known as guanidine designed to bind strongly to the contaminants and form insoluble crystals that are easily separated from water.

In the process, they discovered a method to capture and release carbon dioxide that requires minimal energy and chemical input. Their results are published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League: Making Sense of the Election

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Jon Shefner

Jon Shefner

Submitted

Since the presidential election, a variety of explanations have emerged for the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, a win that surprised many political analysts and pollsters. These explanations have addressed demographic, cultural, and political shifts.

Jon Shefner, head of the Sociology Department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will examine these explanations, offer his own analysis, and think about the way forward in this new political landscape at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, January 3. The lunch is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]