Roane State Community College will offer extended business hours to help students get ready for the fall semester. [Read more…]
Forensic anthropologist Bill Bass, founder of ‘Body Farm,’ to speak at Children’s Museum
Bill Bass
The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will host a benefit presentation this fall by William “Bill†Bass, author, renowned forensic anthropologist, and founder of the “Body Farm,†the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee.
Bass will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 28, at the Museum, discussing the science behind the novel “Bones of Betrayal,†set in Oak Ridge, and answering questions from the audience. Frank Murphy, host of the afternoon show on Classic Hits 93.1 WNOX, will serve as emcee at the event.
The novel by Jefferson Bass, a collaboration between Bass and co-author Jon Jefferson, is a murder mystery set in Oak Ridge featuring a forensic anthropologist searching for clues to the death of a prominent scientist, a press release said. [Read more…]
UT Board approves Oak Ridge Institute
An Oak Ridge Institute approved in June is expected to foster a stronger, more coordinated relationship between the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
In June, the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved a resolution creating the Institute, which will be at the University of Tennessee. It will move five joint UT and ORNL programs under a single administrative “umbrella,” the university reported.
It will allow the coordinated expansion of graduate education programs to prepare scientists and engineers for a global economy that demands interdisciplinary problem-solving, teamwork, and innovation, according to a resolution proposing the Institute.
“Coordination of joint efforts through ORI (Oak Ridge Institute) will promote greater focus, efficiency, and accountability; ensure innovative education, training, and workforce development; and provide flexibility to respond to emerging research challenges and the potential of disruptive technologies,” the resolution said.
The Oak Ridge Institute will build on the “track record of success” established by ORNL and UT, the resolution said. It will be led by an executive director who will pursue interdisciplinary research and workforce development in emerging fields.
[Read more…]Roane State Foundation welcomes seven new board members
The Roane State Foundation has named seven new members to its board of directors, and they bring diverse backgrounds and talents to the organization, Executive Director Scott Niermann said.
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
The Roane State Foundation has named seven new members to its board of directors, and they bring diverse backgrounds and talents to the organization, Executive Director Scott Niermann said.
“We are very grateful to have them aboard and supporting our efforts across the region,” he said.
New board members are Mike Belbeck, executive vice president of operations for Covenant Health; Vickie K. Duncan, co-owner of the Duncan Family Automotive Group; Philip Hall, pharmacist and owner of Hall Family Pharmacy in Jamestown; the Rev. Ron Jordan, retired executive minister of First Baptist Church of Lenoir City; Pepe Perron, director of Camp Nakanawa in Cumberland County; Pat Row, retired from SAIC; and Ted Wampler Jr., president and chief executive officer of Wampler’s Farm Sausage Co.
Established in 1979, the Roane State Foundation supports the college with capital projects, equipment, educational programs, and scholarships. Board members are elected by a nominating committee and approved by the full board. [Read more…]
Roane State student, 43, ‘happy to go to college,’ thanks to Reconnect grant
Earl Davis
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
Shortly after his 40th birthday, Morgan County resident Earl Davis had an epiphany.
“Looking ahead 20 years, I didn’t see myself with a pitchfork in my hands doing heavy labor,” the Lancing resident said. In the past, he worked at a chicken farm and as a prison guard.
So Davis, who graduated from Wartburg Central High School in 1994, started saving his money to pay for college tuition.
“Then I found out about the Reconnect program,” he said. That’s the state’s grant program where adults can attend a community college tuition-free. [Read more…]
Celebrate 50th anniversary of moon landing
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
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.â€
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.
[Read more…]Butterfly Festival is Aug. 3
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…]ORISE employee inducted into UT Educator’s Hall of Honor
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
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
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
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…]
