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With director search under way, Jeff Smith leads ORNL for now

Posted at 3:30 pm January 19, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Jeff Smith

While UT-Battelle searches for a new director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it has appointed former chief operating officer Jeff Smith to serve as interim lab director.

Smith retired in April 2021. He had been ORNL’s chief operating officer when UT-Battelle began managing ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy in 2000, and he served in the position until his retirement.

To help find the next lab director, UT-Battelle has hired executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

The company will help find a successor to Thomas Zacharia, who retired at the end of 2022 after a 35-year career at ORNL, including five years as director.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: director search, executive search, Jeff Smith, Lou Von Thaer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Randy Boyd, Russell Reynolds Associates, Thomas Zacharia, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle

President appoints ORNL researcher to National Science Board

Posted at 11:08 pm January 18, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Image courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Note: This story was updated at 2 p.m. Jan. 22.

President Joe Biden will appoint Merlin Theodore of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the National Science Board, the White House said in an announcement last week.

Theodore is the first full-time researcher from a national laboratory to serve on the National Science Board, the governing board for the National Science Foundation, according to ORNL.

“Merlin’s appointment to the National Science Board is indicative of her accomplishments as a researcher, her contributions to national missions, and her advocacy for women and minorities in science,” said interim ORNL Director Jeff Smith.

Theodore is one of eight new board members. The National Science Board is made up of 25 members appointed by the president, and they serve six-year terms.

The National Science Board pursues the goals and function of the NSF, including the duty to “recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of research and education in science and engineering,” according to the White House news release.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Science, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: advanced manufacturing, Jeff Smith, Joe Biden, material research, National Science Board, National Science Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, University of Tennessee

ORNL names operations deputy

Posted at 1:24 am March 29, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Alan Icenhour has been named deputy for operations at ORNL. (Photo credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy)

Alan Icenhour has been named deputy for operations at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He will succeed Jeff Smith, who is retiring this spring after serving in the role since UT-Battelle began operating the lab in 2000, a press release said.

Icenhour joined ORNL in 1990 as an engineer, and he served most recently as associate laboratory director for the Isotope Science and Engineering Directorate. He led the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate from 2014 until the isotopes directorate was formed in October 2020. Icenhour has held a variety of other leadership positions as well as an assignment as senior technical adviser to the National Nuclear Security Administration, the press release said.

“Alan is a disciplined, thoughtful leader with broad experience at ORNL and proven success in a variety of roles,” ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia said in the press release said. “His ability to evaluate complex problems, find creative solutions, and build highly productive relationships will ensure the operational excellence necessary to support world-leading research and development.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Alan Icenhour, Jeff Smith, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Thomas Zacharia, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle

UT-Battelle Development Corp. contributes $500,000 for proposed airport

Posted at 12:20 pm March 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above is Jeff Smith, president of UT-Battelle Development Corporation and vice chair of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge said it has received a $500,000 contribution from the UT-Battelle Development Corporation to help with the planned airport at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

The contribution is meant to provide funding that can be used to secure state and/or federal grants that require a local funding match, a city press release said.

Thomas Zacharia, president and chief executive officer of UT-Battelle and director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Jeff Smith, president of UT-Battelle Development Corporation, presented the contribution to Oak Ridge City Council at its March 8 meeting. Smith is also vice chair of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.

“I believe the presence of a new airport will be a key differentiator for this community because it supports existing trends so clearly: The airport will make Oak Ridge more attractive to companies and professionals interested in low-cost, high-quality communities with easy access to other cities,” Zacharia said, according to the press release.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: airport, City of Oak Ridge, Jeff Smith, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge airport, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Thomas Zacharia, UT-Battelle, UT-Battelle Development Corporation, Warren Gooch

FAA conditionally approves Oak Ridge Airport

Posted at 5:06 pm July 1, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

This is an aerial image of the current layout plan for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority)

The Federal Aviation Administration provided a conditional approval for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport in a February letter, a consultant said Thursday.

The conditions included in the February 22 letter included the completion of a benefit cost analysis and an environmental assessment for the airport property, project consultant Billy Stair said.

In response to the conditional approval, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority’s board of directors approved a work authorization for CHA Consulting Inc. during a June 19 meeting. CHA Consulting, which has an office in Louisville, will provide professional services for “qualifications development and agency scoping” for the design, environmental assessment, and benefit cost analysis for the proposed airport.

“This puts in motion the process for undertaking the BCA (benefit cost analysis) and EA (environmental assessment),” Stair said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Becky Huckaby, benefit cost analysis, Bill Barley, Billy Stair, CHA Consulting Inc., environmental assessment, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Heritage Center, Jeff Smith, K-25 site, Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, MKAA, Oak Ridge airport, U.S. Department of Energy

Alexander: Senate confirms Smith of ORNL, three others to TVA Board

Posted at 11:57 am December 22, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:40 p.m.

Jeff Smith, deputy lab director for operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been confirmed to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors.

The confirmations—there were a total of four to the TVA Board, including Smith—were announced by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander in a press release Friday.

Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, has said that Smith is an “outstanding choice” to serve on the board of the nation’s largest public utility.

Alexander introduced Smith at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in November, the press release said. Alexander said that Smith will make an excellent TVA board member because of his “expertise in nuclear energy, his background in management of a large facility, and his understanding of large construction projects.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Bob Corker, Jeff Smith, Lamar Alexander, Nuclear Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors, TVA, TVA board, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Jeff Smith of ORNL nominated to serve on TVA Board

Posted at 12:26 pm September 21, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m.

Jeff Smith, deputy director for operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been nominated to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors, officials said Thursday.

The nomination by President Donald Trump was announced by the White House.

U.S. senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Tennessee Republicans, supported Smith’s nomination in statements on Thursday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Bob Corker, Donald Trump, Jeff Smith, Lamar Alexander, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors, TVA

UT-Battelle fulfills $250,000 pledge to Emory Valley Center campaign

Posted at 5:16 pm January 12, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Emory Valley Center and UT-Battelle Check Jan 2017

On hand for UT-Battelle’s check presentation at the new facility construction site are, from left to right, Shirley Raines, Emory Valley Center board vice president; Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell, EVC capital co-chairs; Jennifer Enderson, EVC president; ORNL’s Jeff Smith and Leigha Humphries; Tennessee senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally; and Janet Wood, EVC vice president of community engagement. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

UT-Battelle, the managing contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, made the final installment of a $250,000 pledge by presenting a $50,000 check in late December to the Emory Valley Center, a community facility that serves people with disabilities, a press release said.

UT-Battelle made the pledge in 2011 when the Emory Valley Center, which provides services and support for adults and children with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, began a building program to replace its aging structure. The center’s new building is now under construction.

ORNL Deputy Director for Operations Jeff Smith and Community Relations Manager Leigha Humphries presented the check to Jennifer Enderson, the center’s president. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Health, Nonprofits, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Dottie Thompson, Emory Valley Center, Gene Caldwell, Janet Wood, Jeff Smith, Jennifer Enderson, Ken Yager, Leigha Humphries, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Randy McNally, Shirley Raines, U.S. Department of Energy, UT-Battelle

Environmental assessment for Oak Ridge airport finds no significant impact

Posted at 2:54 pm March 1, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Oak Ridge Airport Development Plan

The Heritage Center airport development plan is pictured above in a file image from August 2015. (Cropped image from DOE Draft Environmental Assessment)

 

An environmental assessment has been completed for the transfer of 170 acres at Heritage Center for a general aviation airport in west Oak Ridge, and the assessment found no significant impact, officials said Tuesday.

The assessment was completed by the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. The land would be transferred to the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.

In August, officials said conditions are subject to change, but plans then called for starting construction on the airport at the former K-25 site in 2018. An estimate at that time said the airport could cost between $30 million and $40 million.

The airport would have a 5,000-foot runway that would accommodate general aviation aircraft including corporate jets, private airplanes, and emergency medical services aircraft. A development plan shows the airport at the south side of Heritage Center along Oak Ridge Turnpike, or State Route 58. [Read more…]

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Office, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: airport, Becky Huckaby, Bill Marrison, DOE, Downtown Island, general aviation airport, Heritage Center, Jeff Smith, K-25 site, McGhee Tyson, Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, MKAA, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Sue Cange, U.S. Department of Energy

Airport could cost $30-$40 million, construction could start in 2018

Posted at 1:41 pm August 20, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Airport Property Transfer Session

Oak Ridge resident and pilot Jerry Depew, center, talks to Billy Stair, a consultant for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, during an information session on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2015, to discuss a proposed property transfer for a general aviation airport at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 4:36 p.m.

Conditions are subject to change, but current plans call for starting construction on a general aviation airport at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site, in 2018. The current estimate range says the airport could cost between $30 million and $40 million, officials said Wednesday.

Work on an airport master plan is just starting, and it could take 12 months to complete, said Bill Marrison, president of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. He said that plan will provide more details on subjects like cost and schedule.

The Oak Ridge airport would the third for the MKAA, which would own the site. The other two are McGhee Tyson in Blount County and Downtown Island in Knoxville.

Marrison said the Oak Ridge airport would be a reliever airport and help relieve congestion at the other two airports. He said McGhee Tyson is at capacity and there is no hangar space available, and Downtown Island has 100 people on its waiting list. [Read more…]

Filed Under: DOE, East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Knoxville, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: 10 Simple Steps to Improve Your Linked In Profile, airport, Becky Huckaby, Bill Marrison, Bob Pryor, Brooklyn Metropolitan Center, DOE, Heritage Center, Jeff Smith, K-25 site, MKAA, Oak Ridge airport, Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association, property transfer, Sue Cange, U.S. Department of Energy, Wheat

Student at UT’s Bredesen Center wins $50,000 ORNL prize

Posted at 4:18 pm May 2, 2014
By University of Tennessee Leave a Comment

Andrew Lepore Big Idea ORNL Check

Bredesen Center student Andrew Lepore stands with the $50,000 check he won as part of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Next Big Idea competition. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

KNOXVILLE—With the first set of Bredesen Center graduates at the University of Tennessee set to receive their doctorates next week, students who will be in the next wave of graduates are already finding success.

Andrew Lepore, working out of the Materials Science and Technology Division through the center, recently won a prestigious Oak Ridge National Laboratory-related prize at the Next Big Idea competition. Lepore is on track to receive his doctorate in 2016.

“For him to go in there against some more seasoned researchers, against students who are further along, and come out with one of the three awards speaks highly of him and of the quality of students we have here,” said Bredesen Center Director Lee Riedinger. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Science, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Andrew Lepore, Bredesen Center, doctorates, graduates, Jeff Smith, Lee Riedinger, Materials Science and Technology Division, Next Big Idea, ORNL, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Thom Mason, University of Tennessee

Six companies receive ORNL small business awards

Posted at 10:53 am March 17, 2014
By Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leave a Comment

Six East Tennessee companies doing business with Oak Ridge National Laboratory received 2014 ORNL Small Business Impact Awards from the laboratory Friday morning at a meeting of the East Tennessee Economic Council.

“This is the first time the awards have gone exclusively to regional companies,” ORNL Deputy Director for Operations Jeff Smith said. “Recognizing these firms at ETEC highlights their importance to the economic development of the region, as well as their contribution to our laboratory operations.”

The companies were recognized by ORNL’s Small Business Programs Office in categories emphasizing their specific capabilities and contributions. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories Tagged With: A&W Office Supply, Above and Beyond Award, Applied Industrial Technologies, awards, Brad Dunsmore, Cadre5 LLC, Cassandra McGee Stuart, Cornerstone Equipment and Supply, East Tennessee Economic Council, ETEC, Innovator Award, Jeff Smith, KDK Consulting Inc., LeAnne Stribley, Machined Products Company Inc., Marketplace Award, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Partnership Award, Rising Star Award, Small Business Advocate Award, Small Business Impact Awards, Small Business Programs Office

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Classifieds

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...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

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

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