Oak Ridge Today

Roane State employees receive excellence awards

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Four Roane State Community College employees have been recognized as winners of the prestigious Excellence Award bestowed by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. (Photo by RSCC)

Four Roane State Community College employees have been recognized as winners of the prestigious Excellence Award bestowed by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development.

NISOD has been named the country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators by the American Association of Community Colleges, a press release said. The organization is more than 40 years old and provides faculty-focused programs and resources.

Honorees were nominated by their academic deans as well as Vice President of Student Learning Diane Ward and Roane State President Chris Whaley. Faculty and staff members chosen for the honor must demonstrate an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues, the press release said.

The following RSCC employees were recognized this year:

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Children’s Museum Gala celebrates 1970s

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Jack Funari and John Brown

Jack Funari, also known as “Saxophone Jack,” and John Brown will perform at the Children’s Museum 40th Birthday Gala on Friday, Dec. 6. (Submitted photo)

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will celebrate its origins in the 1970s when guests gather for the 40th Birthday Gala at the museum on Friday, Dec. 6. The theme will be “Rocketing through the 70s!” in honor of the March 11, 1973, birth of the museum and the Rocket Room play area that delights children of all ages.

Guests will hop aboard the “Soul Train,” with the museum decked out as Knoxville’s Southern Terminal, as they enjoy the folk, rock, and pop culture of the 1970s.

Saxophone Jack and Friends will entertain guests with the music from the 1970s, and guests are invited to dress as their favorite characters of that era. Jack Furnari, also known as Saxophone Jack, has been in the Knoxville and East Tennessee music scene for more than 30 years. [Read more…]

Y-12 technology brings licensee recognition

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The pairing of an environmentally friendly solvent invented and patented by the Y‑12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge with the business acumen of its licensee Scott Manley has gained recognition in two recent competitions.

Manley owns RockinBoat LLC, a South Carolina start-up that in 2011 obtained sole commercial rights to manufacture and market the solvent RonJohn. Teknikem, the chemical division of RockinBoat LLC, offers the solvent as its sole technology. Initially developed at Y-12 by Ron Simandl and John Brown for use in dismantling weapons parts, the 2011 R&D 100 Award–winning technology can completely strip adhesives and finishes from a variety of surfaces with advantages not afforded by other commercially available solvents.

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