Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Folk Dancers offer free lessons at library

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Folk Dancing Lessons at Oak Ridge Public Library

The Oak Ridge Folk Dancers will offer a three-part workshop in the Library Auditorium to introduce participants to the joy of folk dancing and provide free lessons, a press release said.

The classes will take place on the following Monday evenings: Jan. 27, Feb. 3, and Feb. 10 from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Adults and supervised children (8 years of age and older) are welcome to attend.

“No prior dance experience is necessary, no partner is needed, and the only equipment required is comfortable clothes and shoes!” the press release said. [Read more…]

Sewer rehab work continues, starting this week

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Starting this week, a city contractor will be rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and roadways.

The work will be done by Hurst Excavating. Affected homeowners should have received color-coordinated (orange and purple) letters and door hangers providing general information with contractor contact information, a press release said.

Below is a list of the streets where work will be conducted this week. The weather could cause schedule changes. [Read more…]

Get the facts about the Affordable Care Act at the Library on Saturday

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The Oak Ridge Public Library will host an objective and educational presentation on the Affordable Care Act on Saturday afternoon, a press release said.

Jim Nelson, an Oak Ridge resident, retired chemical engineer, and healthcare activist, has been researching the Affordable Care Act since 2009, the release said. He has collected a lot of information from various sources (including but not limited to) the Kaiser Family Foundation, Enroll America, and Families USA.

“Come to the presentation and discover resources to help you see where you fit in, what you need to apply in the Marketplace, the 10 essential health benefits, and ways to apply for coverage in the Marketplace,” the release said. [Read more…]

Christen leads ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences

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Hans M. Christen

Hans M. Christen

Hans M. Christen of Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been named director of ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, one of the five DOE Nanoscale Science Research Centers.

Christen joined ORNL in 2000 and led the Thin Films and Nanostructures group from 2006 to 2013. In 2013, he became associate director within the Materials Science and Technology Division and has managed the DOE Materials Sciences and Engineering Program since 2011.

His research has focused on the effects of epitaxial strain, spatial confinement, and interfacial mechanisms on the properties of complex-oxide thin films, in particular ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and multiferroic perovskites. He has authored more than 150 scientific publications and several patents, is a fellow of the American Physical Society, and has served on a number of National Science Foundation and DOE review panels. [Read more…]

ORNL-UT researchers invent ‘sideways’ approach to 2-D hybrid materials

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heterostructure-anping

ORNL and UT researchers have invented a method to merge different 2-dimensional materials into a seamless layer. This colorized scanning tunneling microscope image shows a single-atom sheet composed of graphene (seen in blue) combined with hexagonal boron nitride (seen in yellow).

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville have pioneered a new technique for forming a two-dimensional, single-atom sheet of two different materials with a seamless boundary.

The study, published in the journal Science, could enable the use of new types of 2-D hybrid materials in technological applications and fundamental research.

By rethinking a traditional method of growing materials, the researchers combined two compounds—graphene and boron nitride—into a single layer only one atom thick. Graphene, which consists of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal, honeycomb-like rings, has attracted waves of attention because of its high strength and electronic properties. [Read more…]

Guitar lessons at Senior Center on Fridays, meeting today to gauge interest in banjo lessons

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Guitar Lessons at Oak Ridge Senior Center

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will be offering free guitar lessons for senior citizens age 50 and older on Fridays beginning Jan. 10.

Beginners will start at 9 a.m., and more advanced students will follow. The only requirement is to bring your own guitar.

Seniors of all skill levels are encouraged to come out and join in the fun.

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will also be holding a meeting to find out about community interest in banjo lessons. The lessons will be provided free of charge to seniors age 50 and over. All that is needed is a banjo and a willingness to learn. [Read more…]

ORNL researchers, UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair elected APS fellows

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ORNL APS Fellows

From left, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers Michael S. Smith and Viatcheslav V. Danilov and University of Tennessee-ORNL Governor’s Chair Steven Zinkle have been elected fellows of the American Physical Society. (Submitted photo)

Two researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a University of Tennessee-ORNL Governor’s Chair professor have been elected fellows of the American Physical Society.

The ORNL researchers are Viatcheslav V. Danilov of the Research Accelerator Division and Michael Scott Smith of the Physics Division. Steven J. Zinkle, formerly of ORNL and now a UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair, was recognized for his work during a 28-year career at the national laboratory.

Danilov was recognized by his APS peers “for fundamental and creative solutions to a wide range of accelerator physics issues, including laser stripping ring injection, integrable beam dynamics, space charge and instabilities.” [Read more…]

League of Women Voters to conduct free workshop on parliamentary procedures

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge has a Saturday morning workshop on parliamentary procedures as governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.

“Anyone interested in learning how to make your organization’s meetings stay on track, accomplish goals, and give participants a feeling they’ve had a chance to express themselves is welcome to attend,” a press release said.

The workshop is free and open to the public, and it is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center. [Read more…]

English classes for speakers of other languages to start Wednesday

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English classes for speakers of other languages will be offered free of charge at Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge beginning Wednesday.

The classes will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. A key orientation and assessment session is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7. It’s required and will place students at appropriate class levels, a press release said.

Grace Lutheran is participating in the classes as a member of the newly formed ESOL Community and Clinch Valley Collaborative, the release said. [Read more…]

Tuesday presentation by UT professor to focus on science, ethics, war

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Jeffrey Kovac

Jeffrey Kovac

A University of Tennessee professor will discuss science and war-related research during a Tuesday presentation in Oak Ridge. (Note: This presentation was canceled due to the weather and could be rescheduled later.)

Jeffrey Kovac, a UT chemistry professor and director of undergraduate studies, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday.

“Science and the military have had a long and often mutually beneficial relationship, a relationship that is seldom questioned,” a press release said. “But because scientists are simultaneously professionals, citizens of a particular country, and human beings, sometimes with strong religious convictions, they are subject to conflicting moral and practical demands. In this presentation, Dr. Kovac will examine the question of whether scientists should engage in war-related research and, if so, under what circumstances.” [Read more…]

Business owner to speak to Altrusa Club on enduring value of antiques

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Angela Galen

Angela Galen

Angela Galen, owner of the Antique Market of Clinton, will be the guest speaker at the Altrusa Club luncheon meeting on Wednesday  at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge, and she will discuss how to keep antiques alive for future generations.

Galen will also play a lively round of “What in the world is it?” using some antiques she will bring along, a press release said. The audience will have the opportunity to speculate as to the intended function of the object.

Instrumental in organizing the Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton, Galen has held the office of president for a total of four years, and for the past three years has been one of the main organizers of the Clinch River Spring Antique Fair, which draws thousands of people to Anderson County each May, the release said. [Read more…]

Painter, archaeologist to discuss growing up in Oak Ridge, 1951-1976

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Nick Fielder

Nick Fielder

A painter and former state archeologist will discuss his experiences growing up in Oak Ridge from 1951 to 1976 during a Thursday evening meeting.

Nick Fielder served as the Tennessee State Archeologist from 1983 to 2008. His Thursday evening presentation to the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association is titled “Growing up radioactive in Oak Ridge: My adventures from 1951 to 1976. A slide-illustrated lecture by Nick Fielder.”

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at the American Museum of Science and Energy. [Read more…]