Oak Ridge Today

Roane State alumnus shared experiences with environmental health technology students

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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…]

Health Physics Society names ORAU’s Davis as recipient of Elda E. Anderson Award

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ORAU Health Physicist Jason Davis and his wife, Samantha, display the 2017 Elda E. Anderson Award he received at the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting. (Photo by ORAU)

ORAU Health Physicist Jason Davis and his wife, Samantha, display the 2017 Elda E. Anderson Award he received at the Health Physics Society Annual Meeting. (Photo by ORAU)

 

RALEIGH, N.C.—The Health Physics Society has named Jason Davis, an ORAU health physicist, as the 2017 recipient of the Elda E. Anderson Award, an annual honor bestowed to one of its young members for excellence in research or development, discovery or invention, or significant contributions to the health physics profession.

The award was presented to Davis during the 62nd annual meeting of the Health Physics Society, July 9-13 in Raleigh.

Davis joined ORAU in 2009 to work on projects associated with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). As a member of the NIOSH Special Exposure Cohort team, Davis researches the historic monitoring practices of sites to determine whether sufficient information exists to adequately bound radiation exposures to employees, a press release said. He communicates this information, along with analyses of the methods to bound radiation doses using the data available, through evaluation reports, project reports, and white papers.

At ORAU, Davis works closely with Eric W. Abelquist, executive vice president and chief research officer. Abelquist is a former recipient of the Elda E. Anderson Award and is the new president of the Health Physics Society national organization. Davis recently assisted Abelquist in the execution of the Radiation Protection Research Needs Workshop held earlier this year and has helped organize a Visiting Faculty Research Program pilot that will be completed in August. [Read more…]

Overall number of health physics degrees drops to lowest level in more than decade

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Despite number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees decreasing, number of doctorate degrees increased significantly

The overall number of students who graduated in 2015 with health physics degrees dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade. This is according to the latest annual study conducted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which surveyed 22 health physics programs, representing nearly all such programs at the nation’s universities.

The report, titled “Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2015 Data,” showed that a total of 136 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees were granted between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015.

Table 1. Health Physics Degrees, 2006-2015

[Read more…]

ORAU awarded $7 million NRC training contract

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Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

The Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100 is pictured above.

Federal contractor to deliver both classroom and online training for agency’s health physicists

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has awarded Oak Ridge Associated Universities a five-year, $7.3 million contract to support radiation training activities for the agency. ORAU has assisted the NRC with similar training since 1992.

“We are pleased that NRC has chosen ORAU to continue supporting training for its employees as they carry out their critical mission of ensuring the safety of our nation’s nuclear facilities,” said Andy Page, ORAU president and chief executive officer. “Our team of health physicists have built in-depth knowledge of radiation sciences that extends back to our founding in 1946 as the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise through our long-standing partnership with the NRC.” [Read more…]

Spotlight: ORAU’s Abelquist authors 2nd edition of ‘Decommissioning Health Physics’

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Eric Abelquist

Eric Abelquist

Revised handbook provides experienced guidance on technical issues of radiation decommissioning projects

As one of the original authors of the “Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM),” Oak Ridge Associated Universities Executive Vice President Eric Abelquist released updated information on the cleanup of radioactive sites in the second edition of a new handbook geared toward those involved in characterization or remediation efforts.

Extensively revised and updated, the second edition of “Decommissioning Health Physics: A Handbook for MARSSIM Users” covers release criteria, survey instrumentation, detection sensitivity, statistics, dose modeling, and survey procedures. The handbook is published by CRC Press, a division of the Taylor and Francis Group.

Abelquist served as a member of the multi-agency committee representing the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who produced the MARSSIM to provide guidance to federal agencies, states, site owners, contractors, and other private entities on how to demonstrate that their site is in compliance with a radiation dose or risk-based regulation, otherwise known as a release criterion. [Read more…]

ORISE: Number of health physics degrees up for undergrads, down for grads

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Enrollment data suggests current trend likely to continue in 2014 and 2015

The number of college students graduating with majors in health physics has increased slightly for bachelor’s degrees, but decreased for both master’s and doctoral candidates.

The report, titled “Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2013 Data,” surveyed 22 academic programs with enrollment and degree data between Sept. 1, 2012, and Aug. 31, 2013, including both students majoring in health physics or those enrolled in an option program equivalent to a major.

Undergraduate degrees increase while graduate degrees fall slightly [Read more…]