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Y-12 hosts eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Posted at 6:29 pm March 12, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex

Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex

 

The Y-12 National Security Complex says it is helping to open doors and close the gender gap in engineering fields.

In February, Y-12 hosted its eighth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering at the site’s New Hope Center. The one-day event, held in conjunction with Engineers Week, gave young female students an opportunity to discover and explore science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) careers alongside Y-12 and Uranium Processing Facility Project scientists and engineers, a press release said.

More than 300 middle- and high-school students from seven area counties attended this year’s event. About 100 engineers, scientists, and other volunteers—most from Y-12, the Uranium Processing Facility Project, and the Oak Ridge chapter of Women in Nuclear—supported the event, which encouraged students to connect their math and science skills to careers in STEM fields, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, engineering, Introduce a Girl to Engineering, science technology engineering and math, STEM, uranium processing facility, Women in Nuclear, Y-12 National Security Complex

Oak Ridge Schools first in state to earn AdvancED STEM certification for all elementary, middle schools

Posted at 10:22 am July 10, 2017
By Holly Cross Leave a Comment

Students at Jefferson Middle School collaboratively plan problem-based learning (PBL). (Submitted photo)

Students at Jefferson Middle School collaboratively plan problem-based learning (PBL). (Submitted photo)

 

Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in the state to earn AdvancED STEM certification for all of its elementary and middle schools, a press release said.

AdvancED uses a research-based framework and criteria for the awareness, continuous improvement, and assessment of the quality, rigor, and substance of STEM educational programs, the press release said. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

In the spring of 2016, three Oak Ridge elementary schools earned AdvancED STEM certification: Glenwood, Linden, and Woodland. These schools were the first in the district to demonstrate the capacity to prepare students for STEM fields of study and work, the press release said.

In the spring of 2017, three more schools in Oak Ridge received this distinction: Willow Brook Elementary, Jefferson Middle, and Robertsville Middle.

“Our district is the first in the state to certify every elementary and middle school in the district,” the press release said. “We are committed to preparing our learners for the careers of tomorrow by perpetuating their enthusiasm for STEM disciplines today. Our focus on STEM demonstrates our continued commitment to ensure every Oak Ridge student is prepared for college, career, and life success.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: AdvancED STEM, AdvancED STEM Certification, engineering, Glenwood, Jefferson Middle School, K-12 STEM, K-12 STEM teaching and learning, Linden, mathematics, Oak Ridge Schools, Oak Rige, Robertsville Middle School, science, STEM, STEM-based learning, technology, Willow Brook Elementary School, Woodland

Roane State staff encourages girls to pursue engineering

Posted at 8:28 pm March 29, 2017
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Roane State mechatronics director Gordon Williams shows students how to operate a robotic arm during the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” event at Y-12’s New Hope Center. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

Roane State mechatronics director Gordon Williams shows students how to operate a robotic arm during the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” event at Y-12’s New Hope Center. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

 

Two Roane State staff members helped introduce more than 200 high school girls to the world of engineering during an event at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Showing the students how to operate a robotic arm was Gordon Williams, director of the college’s mechatronics program. Kim Harris, director of Workforce Training and Placement at Roane State, assisted in the presentation.

The demonstration was part of “Introduce a Girl to Engineering,” a program held February 23 at Y-12’s New Hope Center.

Students from 15 area schools participated in the event conducted in concert with “Girl Day,” an initiative founded by DiscoverE, formerly the National Engineers Week Foundation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, DiscoverE, engineering, Girl Day, Gordon Williams, Introduce a Girl to Engineering, Kim Harris, mechatronics, Roane State, STEM, Workforce Training and Placement, Y-12 National Security Complex

Centrus, ORNL agree on $25 million contract for work on gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology

Posted at 6:45 pm September 22, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

Six months after signing one contract, Centrus Energy Corporation and UT-Battelle LLC have agreed on a new contract for engineering and testing work on technology that uses gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Enriched uranium can be used in nuclear power plants and in nuclear weapons, as fuel for nuclear naval vessels, and to ensure a tritium supply, which is needed to maintain the effectiveness of America’s nuclear deterrent, a press release said.

The new Centrus Energy-UT-Battelle contract is valued at about $25 million, and it runs through September 30, 2017. Under this new contract, Centrus scientists, engineers, and operators will “use the company’s unique facilities in Oak Ridge to develop and test technology improvements to reduce costs, improve manufacturability, and enhance the long-term reliability of U.S. uranium enrichment technology,” the press release said.

UT-Battelle operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The uranium enrichment technology is known as the American Centrifuge technology. It’s expected to support future national security and energy security needs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Centrifuge, centrifuge technology, Centrus Energy, Centrus Energy Corporation, engineering, enrich uranium, gas centrifuge, gas centrifuges, Larry B. Cutlip, nuclear fuel, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, testing, U.S. Department of Energy, uranium enrichment, UT-Battelle, UT-Battelle LLC

UT-ORNL breakthrough aims to improve tech gadgets, TVs

Posted at 1:54 pm December 28, 2015
By University of Tennessee Leave a Comment

Ramki-Kalyanaraman

Ramki Kalyanaraman

Whether at home, work, or play, touchscreen devices have quickly become one of the hallmarks of the modern world.

Phones, tablets, computers, and even televisions use the technology, which relies on substances known as transparent conductive films. All but a small fraction of those films are made from a particular class of oxides that, although they do the job very effectively, contain rare and costly elements.

Now, thanks to a breakthrough led by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, that problem could soon be in the past.

“The electronics industry relies heavily on the use of Indium metal for the many situations requiring the right balance of transparency and current carrying ability,” said UT Professor Ramki Kalyanaraman. “While Indium is scarce, our new material contains elements that are far more abundant such as iron, terbium, and dysprosium.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, dysprosium, engineering, Indium, iron, materials science, nature, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Quantum Information Science Group, Ramki Kalyanaraman, terbium, University of Tennessee, UT, UT-ORNL Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education

Homeland Security seeking faculty, grads, undergrads for summer 2015 research

Posted at 11:29 am November 22, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students interested in participating in one of its 10-week programs in summer 2016, including its Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions and its Homeland Security—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HS-STEM) Summer Internship Program. The deadlines for applying for both programs occur in December 2015.

Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions

The Summer Research Team Program provides faculty and student teams from Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) with opportunities to conduct research at the university-based DHS Centers of Excellence.

Faculty members and students currently teaching or enrolled at an MSI in a discipline, major, or concentration directly related to a homeland security STEM research area are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, and each team must be comprised of one faculty member and up to two students (undergraduate and/or graduate level).

Applications and supporting materials must be submitted via the online application system by December 20 at https://www.zintellect.com/Posting/Details/1503. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: and Mathematics, and Mathematics Summer Internship Program, DHS, engineering, Homeland Security—Science, HS-STEM, Minority Serving Institutions, MSI, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, ORISE, research, Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions, technology, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

ORAU awards $32,000 in education grants to area schools

Posted at 10:33 pm September 11, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Clinton City Schools and ORAU Education Grants 2015

Clinton City Schools education grant winners are pictured above. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

ORAU awarded 28 teachers from nine East Tennessee schools more than $32,000 in grant money during the 14th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

The grant money will be used to purchase educational materials and equipment—such as Chromebooks, microscopes, meteorology kits, and more—to help teachers continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards, and enhance the learning experience of their students, a press release said.

Since beginning this program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $410,000 to area schools for projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, programs.

“ORAU is honored to support our community by helping our schools secure the tools they need to capture and maintain students’ attention on these critical subjects,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators continue to show an impressive dedication to teaching, and we welcome the opportunity to show them how much we appreciate their dedication and hard work.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Andy Page, Briceville Elementary School, Chromebook, Clinton Elementary School, Dave Duncan, Dutch Valley Elementary, education grants, educational materials, engineering, Eric Abelquist, Fairview Elementary School, grant money, Lake City Middle School, mathematics, mobile computer lab, North Clinton Elementary School, ORAU, ORAU Education Grants, Promethean ACTIVboard, Robertsville Middle School, schools, science, STEM, technology, Willow Brook Elementary School

Oak Ridge Robotics Academy teaches robotics engineering in week-long camp

Posted at 11:19 am July 20, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Josie Fellers and Olivia Jones

Josie Fellers and teammate Olivia Jones assemble their robot’s arm at the ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

More than two dozen students from across East Tennessee recently spent a week designing, building, and programming robots during the Oak Ridge Robotics Academy.

Held at ORAU’s Center for Science Education, the week-long, free camp was led by Instructors Tad Douce and Ed Goodwin, both co-directors of the National Robotics Challenge, with help from Kayla Canario, the 2011 Extreme Classroom Makeover contest runner-up and the technology coordinator for Bearden Middle School.

The 6th annual ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy included 26 students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades.

Students were randomly placed into teams and faced daily engineering challenges such as programming their robots to solve a maze without being controlled or designing an arm to pick up a tennis ball.

“We call it a robotics academy, but it’s really an engineering academy,” Douce said. “Our main goal is to get the students to work with others, think logically and solve problems.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Bearded Middle School, Center for Science Educaiton, East Tennessee, Ed Goodwin, engineering, Extreme Classroom Makeover, Josie Fellers, Kayla Canario, National Robotics Challenge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Robotics Academy, ORAU, ORNL, Robertsville Middle School, robotics, robotics engineering, Tad Douce

Curran at ORNL receives SAE Foundation industry leadership award

Posted at 2:39 pm May 23, 2015
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Scott Curran and SAE Leadership Award

Stefan Pischinger Young Industry Leadership Award winner Scott Curran, center, is congratulated by SAE Foundation Board Chairman Mazen Hammoud of Ford Motor Company and Patrick Hupperich, FEV North America Inc. president and CEO. (Photo: SAE Foundation)

 

Scott Curran, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has received the Society for Automotive Engineers Foundation’s 2015 Stefan Pischinger Young Industry Leadership Award.

The award, given this week at this year’s SAE Foundation Annual Celebration in Detroit, highlights early career individuals who demonstrate leadership potential and promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-based researched in their respective fields. The SAE Foundation is the charitable branch of the SAE International professional society.

A recipient of three engineering degrees from the University of Tennessee, Curran has been an active member of the SAE since his college days and has been involved in DOE’s Advanced Vehicle Technical Competition as both a student and an advisor. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Advanced Vehicle Technical Competition, DOE, Energy Transportation and Science Division, engineering, Forest R. McFarland Award, mathematics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, SAE, SAE Foundation, SAE Foundation Annual Celebration, SAE International, science, Scott Curran, Society for Automotive Engineers Foundation, Stefan Pischinger Young Industry Leadership Award, STEM, technology, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle

UCOR awards 33 mini-grants for local school projects

Posted at 7:32 pm May 18, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

UCOR, the U.S. Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor at the Oak Ridge Reservation, has announced the 33 winners of the UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program.

UCOR is a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC.

The company said one of its primary objectives is to support and encourage education initiatives.

“The Mini-Grant Program was designed to recognize and support excellence in teaching by providing funds to assist classroom teachers for specific projects or curricula, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, classroom teachers, DOE, engineering, Ken Rueter, math, mini-grant, science, STEM, technology, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program

New summer STEM Camp at Robertsville Middle School: Invention Project

Posted at 11:35 am May 10, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Robertsville Middle School is offering Invention Project, a brand new STEM summer camp for rising sixth- to eighth-graders from June 8-12.

Invention Project builds on the great success of the Camp Invention STEM program last summer, a press release said. STEM is an acronym that means science, technology, engineering, and math, but it is also an interdisciplinary educational approach that blends these fields, which are deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively.

The Invention Project summer camp features a variety of entertaining and educational STEM challenges to engage the inventor, artist, and entrepreneur in each participant, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2015, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Summer Camps Tagged With: Camp Invention, engineering, Invention Project, math, Oak Ridge Schools, RMS, Robertsville Middle School, science, STEM, STEM camp, STEM summer camp, summer camp, technology

Roane State students awarded NASA scholarships; more available for summer, fall

Posted at 10:53 am May 10, 2015
By Roane State Community College Leave a Comment

Jeffrey Burks

Jeffrey Burks

Roane State Community College student Jeffrey Burks earned his GED six months before he started college. He’s on his way to a mechanical engineering degree.

A typical workday for Blake Stewart lasts 15 hours—job in the morning, classes at night.

Corey Stafford works to pay for school. Any help with costs, he said, is a relief.

Burks, Stewart, and Stafford are all receiving extra financial assistance with their college education. They are the first recipients of $1,250 NASA scholarships awarded to Roane State students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. More NASA scholarships are available for summer semester and for fall semester. Students in STEM majors are encouraged to apply. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Top Stories Tagged With: Aisin, Blake Stewart, Cleveland State Community College, Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility, Columbia State Community College, Corey Stafford, engineering, Jeffrey Burks, math, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, Michelle Love, NASA, NASA scholarships, Northeast State Community College, Pellissippi State Community College, pre-engineering, Roane State, Roane State Community College, robots, scholarships, science, STEM, STEM majors, technology, Tennessee Community College Space Grant Consortium, Tennessee Tech

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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