Oak Ridge Today

ORHS has 11 seniors named National Merit semifinalists

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Oak Ridge High School National Merit Semifinalists

Eleven seniors at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists. Ten are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Eleven seniors from the Class of 2014 at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists.

Semifinalists are students who score in the top 1 percent in their state on the PSAT, or preliminary SAT test. The students took the test as juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or NMSQT, a press release said.

The students are pictured at left. [Read more…]

ORHS students commended in 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program

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Oak Ridge High School Commended Students

Ten of the 11 Commended Students at Oak Ridge High School are pictured above. From left in the front row are ORHS Principal David Bryant and students Sydney Buckner, Maria Dazevedo, and Vicki Huang. In the second row are Natalie Cross, Jane Abernathy, and Andrew Skipper. In the top row are Warren LaForest, Ian Barclay, Riley Fitchpatrick, and Nicholas Goldstein. Not pictured is Dasha Morin.

Eleven Oak Ridge High School students have been named Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students are Jane L. Abernathy, Ian A. Barclay, Sydney N. Buckner, Natalie R. Cross, Maria M. Dazevedo, Riley M. Fitchpatrick, Nicholas Goldstein, Dasha N. Gorin, Vicki Huang, Warren J. Laforest, and Andrew D Skipper.

ORHS Principal David Bryant will present a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, to these scholastically talented seniors, a press release said. [Read more…]

Tennessee officials announce commitment to increase teacher pay

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

Tennessee officials on Thursday announced a goal of becoming the fastest-improving state in the nation when it comes to teacher salaries.

The announcement was made by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman.

“We’re asking our students to be the fastest improving in the nation in education achievement, and the data is showing that we’re making real progress,” Haslam said in a press release. “Teachers are the single most important factor in student achievement, and higher accountability for teachers and proven results should be met with better rewards.” [Read more…]

Street Painting Festival: Come watch artists chalk the walks

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Pink Roses

A “Pink Roses” drawing at an earlier Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival. (Submitted photo)

The 14th annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival is drawing near—it will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (rain day on Sunday) at the Oak Ridge Campus of Roane State Community College.

Dozens of artists will be brushing up on their skills as they transform concrete sidewalk squares into colorful chalk paintings. The public is invited to this free festival organized by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge to provide scholarships for Roane State students.

While would-be Rembrandts are chalking the walks, young children will enjoy free activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Kid Zone. [Read more…]

Learn more about Roane State’s AMTEC job training program Oct. 7, 14

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Anyone interested in Roane State Community College’s Advanced Materials Training and Education Center—a no-cost, high-tech job training program for those who are unemployed or underemployed—is invited to upcoming meetings at the college’s Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility and at the Oak Ridge campus.

The meeting at the Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility at 214 Nave St. will be held Monday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.

The meeting at the Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Ave will be held Monday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. in the Nook (back room inside Anderson’s Grille). [Read more…]

Work by Roane State art professor selected for exhibition on Hilton Head Island

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Bryan Wilkerson Sculpture on Hilton Head Island

The description of Bryan Wilkerson’s “Faux Rest,” on exhibit through Dec. 31 at Hilton Head Island’s Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, notes that the piece features “four perforated ‘walls’ that balance shadow with solid form, creating a seek-and-find interplay of positive and negative space against the open field setting.” (Submitted photo)

A work by Roane State Community College associate professor of art Bryan Wilkerson has been selected for exhibition during the renowned Public Art Exhibition on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Wilkerson’s entry, “Faux Rest,” will be on exhibit through Dec. 31 at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. Twenty outdoor sculptures were chosen from more than 500 submissions for the Public Art Exhibition, presented by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.

A nationally recognized jury will review the pieces and select one for purchase to be installed on Hilton Head Island. [Read more…]

Roane State ACE program hosts presentation on composites in the construction industry

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An expert on replacing traditional construction materials with composite materials spoke to representatives from the construction industry during a forum hosted by Roane State Community College’s Advanced Composite Employment program.

Isaac Diggs, president of Longhouse Enterprise Group, has more than 30 years of experience in civil construction projects. ACE and the East Tennessee Economic Council partnered to host Diggs’ Sept. 24 presentation at the University of Tennessee Outreach Center. The event is an example of how the ACE program raises awareness about the potential for composite materials in a variety of industries. [Read more…]

UT receives DOE funds, ORNL help for spent nuclear fuel studies

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KNOXVILLE—The question of what to do with spent nuclear fuel in the U.S. has never been definitively answered. A University of Tennessee in Knoxville professor has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new capabilities for evaluating potential alternatives to directly disposing of used fuel.

The award is part of the DOE’s 2013 Nuclear Energy University Programs which is awarding $42 million to 38 American universities and colleges for nuclear energy research and development projects focused on developing innovative solutions.

A proposal by Steven Skutnik, assistant professor in nuclear engineering, was awarded $755,000 to develop new capabilities for a fuel cycle simulator called CYCLUS by building on an Oak Ridge National Laboratory software package for nuclear fuel modeling called ORIGEN. [Read more…]

School board accepts extra $250K to avoid funding loss, school shutdown

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education in two separate meetings on Monday quickly approved a budget amendment that accepts an extra $250,000 from the city, avoiding a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and averting an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The additional funding had been requested by the school board, and it was approved by the Oak Ridge City Council in a 4-1-1 vote during a special meeting last week. After the council approved the extra money, the school board then had to amend its budget in two separate votes, or readings. Education officials are now expected to send the amended school system budget to state officials by Sept. 30. [Read more…]

Education Foundation awards Lawler Scholarship

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Ben Gavin

Benjamin Gavin

Benjamin Gavin has a life goal of visiting every country in the world. His studies abroad during his junior year of college will allow him to check off several countries on his list.

The International Relations Club at Oak Ridge High School generated his interest in international affairs, and the Dr. Adrian R. Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship provided a $1,000 scholarship to assist him in his studies abroad.

Gavin is spending this semester in Ho Chi Minh City, where he will have opportunities to study economics, humanities, and Asian religions. His studies took him to Tunisia this summer, where he researched the effects of the Arab Spring. Next spring, Gavin will head to Tokyo, Japan, to explore the language, history, politics and culture of that country. [Read more…]

Professor to discuss embryos; ‘troubled ground’ between science, society

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Jane Maienschein

Jane Maienschein

The 16th Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series on Thursday, Oct. 3, will feature Professor Jane Maienschein, director of the Center for Biology and Society at Arizona State University.

She will give a talk titled “Embryos Under the Microscope: Negotiating Contested Ground Between Science and Society.”

The event is sponsored by Friends of ORNL. It is free of charge and will be held at the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 S. Tulane Ave. in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Schol board to hear about budget, capital improvements, Common Core

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education is scheduled to hear presentations on the budget process for next year, capital improvement plans, and Common Core standards during a six-hour retreat on Thursday.

The retreat, which also includes presentations on other topics, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the School Administration Building Conference Room at 304 New York Ave. See the agenda here: School Board Retreat Agenda.