Oak Ridge Today

Roane State professor to discuss his Pluto flyby involvement

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Ted Stryk, ORICL lecturer

Ted Stryk

In July 2015, the world learned about the flyby of Pluto and its moons by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft.

Ted Stryk, associate professor of philosophy and English at Roane State Community College, is participating in the geology and geophysics investigation of Pluto and its moons for the New Horizons team.

He will discuss the latest findings and the story behind his involvement in probing the dwarf planet and its satellites as the next presenter in the Roane State–Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning Intergenerational Lecture Series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Stryk will deliver his talk at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in the City Room, A-111, in the Coffey-McNally Building at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge Branch Campus on Briarcliff Avenue.

“The Pluto flyby occurred 50 years to the day after the first planet, Mars, was imaged close up by Mariner 4,” Stryk said. “The flyby marks the completion of the initial reconnaissance of our solar system as we saw it on the eve of the space age. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge students experience success at Southern Appalachian Science, Engineering Fair

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Gabe Vacliuc with Poster and Trophy

Oak Ridge High School student Gabe Vacaliuc earned first place for his project titled “dQCuts: Simplifying Molecular Dynamics Datasets Using Higher Order Statistical Signatures” under the mentorship of Arvind Ramanathan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Vacaliuc is pictured above with his poster and trophy at the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair at the University of Tennessee earlier this month. (Submitted photo)

 

Seventeen research students from Oak Ridge High School competed in the 64th Annual Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair hosted at the University of Tennessee. The competition was held April 4-7 with the awards ceremony on Thursday evening. There were 52 Senior Division projects in competition.

All 17 students are a part of either the Experimental Scientific Research, or ESR, course or Math, Science, and Computer Science Thesis course at ORHS. The ESR course is led by Sharon Thomas and Thesis is led by Tammy Carneim and Jessica Williams.

Gabe Vacaliuc earned first place for his project titled “dQCuts: Simplifying Molecular Dynamics Datasets Using Higher Order Statistical Signatures” under the mentorship of Arvind Ramanathan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Along with a $1,000 scholarship and trophy, Vacaliuc will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, in May to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

“SASEF was a great experience because I was able to get substantial feedback in a professional setting,” Vacaliuc said. “I’m so grateful to SASEF for the opportunity to represent my school at ISEF in May.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge native, longtime Hollywood photographer George Holz to speak at UT

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

George Holz

George Holz

 

Photographer George Holz—who was born in Oak Ridge, attended the University of Tennessee, and is known for his fashion and celebrity photographs—will return to UT to speak about his work at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.

His talk will be in the auditorium of the UT College of Nursing at 1200 Volunteer Boulevard in Knoxville. It’s sponsored by the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media, and it is free and open to the public.

Holz will be talking about his new book, “Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits.”

Holz was born and raised in Oak Ridge and attended UT for two years in the mid-1970s, working as a photographer for the Daily Beacon and the Volunteer Yearbook.

After attending UT, Holz graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and assisted for noted fashion photographer, Helmut Newton, who became his mentor. [Read more…]

Roane State Education Department to host open houses

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Roane-State-Coffey-McNally-Building

The Roane State Community College campus in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by Roane State)

The Roane State Community College Education Department will host open houses this month for anyone interested in becoming a K-12 teacher.

An open house at the college’s Roane County campus, 276 Patton Lane in Harriman, will be held on Monday, April 18 at 6 p.m. Visitors will meet in Room 224 in the O’Brien Humanities Building.

An open house at the college’s Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave., will be held on Tuesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. The event will be held in Room 336 in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building. [Read more…]

Three Oak Ridge High School students selected as Haslam Scholar finalists

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Elisabeth Gallmeier

Elisabeth Gallmeier (Photo from University of Tennessee/2016 Haslam Scholars Finalists)

Three students from Oak Ridge High School were selected as Haslam Scholar finalists this year. This is the highest number of Haslam Scholar finalists from any high school in the state.

The three Oak Ridge finalists are:

  1. Elisabeth Gallmeier, who is pursuing a degree in physics. She has recently been doing research with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, creating statistical modeling programs to aid hydrocarbon exploration and prediction analyses to examine shale play production.
  2. Oumar Souleymane Diallo, who is interested in the nuclear, mechanical, and biomedical engineering fields. His interests are broad and include sculpting, modern art, video editing, cooking. and computer science.
  3. Lewis Wang, who plans to prepare for a career in business administration. He enjoys competitive soccer and volunteer work, including serving as chairman of Oak Ridge’s Youth Advisory Board. He has been involved in developing projects such as the water awareness program for the disadvantaged youth and managing concessions during the city Halloween party to raise money for Mission of Hope.

“We are very proud of our students and the incredible work they do in our schools,” an Oak Ridge Schools press release said. [Read more…]

Talk on ISIS is Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Rihab Sawah

Rihab Sawah

The Islamic State, its historical roots, and the ways ISIS differs from the Islamic religion will be explained in a talk at 3 p.m. Thursday in the City Room (A-111) of the Coffey-McNally Building, Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge Campus, a press release said.

Rihab Sawah, a Syrian native and professor of physics at St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley in Ferguson, Missouri, will deliver the lecture, a press release said. Sawah holds an M.A. degree in Islamic/Arabic science history. She teaches an introductory course on Islam at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

Her lecture, presented by Roane State’s International Education Department and the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning (ORICL), is free and open to the public.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Bluegrass music featured in benefit for Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Follow-Chaos-Evening-of-Bluegrass-Colton-Stout-Memorial-Scholarship-2016-1

Bluegrass music and barbecue will be featured in a scholarship benefit show in Oak Ridge on April 8.

The show is titled “Follow Chaos: An Evening of Bluegrass.” It’s at the historic Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge at 7 p.m. Friday, April 8.

The show will feature area bluegrass musicians Mason T. and Carl Capps, and Hardin Valley Thunder.

“This special night is a benefit for the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship and promises to be an evening of homegrown, finger-picking musicianship, and finger-licking cuisine with catering by Buddy’s Barbecue,” a press release said.

Established in 2014, the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship helps selected students obtain their EMT-Advanced Certification. For students, this evening’s benefit concert is confirmation that everyday offers an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better, the press release said.

Colton Stout served admirably as a Campbell County EMT-IV, was a proud member of the Anderson County Rescue Squad, and a firefighter with Marlow Volunteer Fire Department. Helping others was vitally important to Colton, and it is the Colton Stout Memorial Scholarship’s mission to carry on his commitment to helping others by awarding scholarships each year to individuals who share similar goals of service. [Read more…]

Roane State lectures to address differences between Islam, Islamic State (ISIS)

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Rihab Sawah

Rihab Sawah

Scholar Rihab Sawah from St. Louis Community College will discuss differences between Islam and the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, on Thursday, March 31, at Roane State Community College’s Roane and Oak Ridge campuses.

The Roane County lecture will be held at 11:30 a.m. in room 101 in the O’Brien Humanities Building on the main campus in Harriman, 276 Patton Lane. The Oak Ridge lecture will be held at 3 p.m. in the City Room at the Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave.

The lectures, presented by Roane State’s International Education Department and the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, or ORICL, are free and open to the public.

The presentations will define Islam and the Islamic State and will contrast 12 main points that highlight the diverging point of view of ISIS in relation to Islam. Sawah will also present the historical roots of a movement such as ISIS and explain why the movement misuses Islamic ideology and how it serves ISIS leaders’ aim to establish their influence in the region. [Read more…]

Anderson County secures Tennessee College of Applied Technology facility

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Commission learned Monday night that the county has been chosen by the state to be the next home of a Tennessee College of Applied Technology—or TCAT. TCATs are training facilities aimed at improving the skill levels of members of Tennessee’s workforce and are seen by potential industries as great training grounds for potential employees.

Anderson County Economic Development Association President Tim Thompson told commissioners Monday that his organization and the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce have been working hard on securing the facility for more than a year and that the county had beaten out Blount County.

Thompson credited the owners of the former Hensley’s IGA grocery store in Andersonville and SL Tennessee in the I-75 Industrial park for their roles in making the TCAT a reality. The Hensley owners have agreed to donate the vacant 20,000-square foot store to the state to renovate and use as a temporary training facility for a period of about two years. The temporary facility will be needed while the state builds the new College of Applied Technology on a seven-acre parcel of land donated for the project by SL Tennessee. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has spring plant sale in April

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

UT-Arboretum-Spring-Plant-Sale

​The ​2016 University of Tennessee Arboretum Society Spring Plant Sale will be held April 15 and 16 on the grounds of the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. The 15th is a members-only sale, but you may choose to join the Society on the spot to attend the sale on that date. (Photo courtesy UTIA)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s 50th annual Spring Plant Sale will gather the best of four local nurseries in one location in Oak Ridge in April.

Beaver Creek and Riverdale Nurseries from Knoxville, Sunlight Gardens from Andersonville, and East Fork Nursery from Sevierville will be offering a large and varied selection of shrubs, trees, wildflowers, perennials, annuals, and edibles, a press release said. Brad Greenwood Designs will have unique botanically themed copper garden ornaments and steel features for the home and yard. Dano’s Hot Dogs, with an expanded menu, will again be at this event.

Back by popular demand, the Society will be offering ‘The Rising Sun” Redbud. This new Redbud displays brilliant, golden tangerine and lime-colored, heart-shaped foliage all summer and was a quick sell-out plant last year. The Society will also be offering a limited supply of another new redbud tree: “Alley Cat.” “Alley Cat” was literally discovered in an alley in Kentucky and has beautiful green and white variegated foliage that is stable and scorch-resistant, the press release said. [Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building

Roane State Community College is having a job fair from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building at the Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Employers are invited to participate in a March 30 job fair at Roane State Community College for students who are pursuing careers in health care and plan to graduate this year.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, March 30, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, which is at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. Setup begins at 11 a.m. in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building.

Employers are asked to register by March 18. There is no registration fee. To register, visit www.roanestate.edu/jobfair. [Read more…]

TVC announces sessions, speakers for 2016 Summit at Tennessee Tech

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TVA 2016 National Summit

On June 1-2, more than 300 community, academic, and government leaders from the five-state region will gather at Tennessee Tech University for the 2016 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit to focus attention on the vital role entrepreneurs provide in turning the brain power and technologies from the region’s universities and federal programs into new business start-ups and the expansion of existing businesses.

The Summit is themed “Where Entrepreneurs and Technology Meet.” The event will be hosted by Tennessee Tech University President Phil Oldham in cooperation with U.S. Representative Diane Black.

The Summit will include two main sessions. [Read more…]