Oak Ridge Today

Humphries named ORISE group manager for ORNL office

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Leigha Humphries
Leigha Humphries

Leigha Humphries has been named group manager for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

In her role, Humphries will provide leadership and development oversight for STEM-based workforce development and education programs averaging up to 2,000 research participants a year and an equal number of mentors, a press release said. (STEM is an acronym referring to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.) In addition, Humphries will also represent ORISE at external venues, including professional meetings and site visits with potential and current customers.

“We’re excited for Leigha to take on this role as she possesses extensive management and stakeholder engagement experience within the communications and human resources sectors,” said ORISE Director Jim Vosburg. “Her addition to the ORISE team will further strengthen the management of our research participation programs by helping to ensure continuity between ORNL and ORISE.”

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Selected for space launch, Robertsville satellite gets boost from ORNL

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Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space. On Friday, March 9, 2018, the $70,000 science project got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Celebrating above by saying "NASA, we are a go!" are RMS students, teacher Todd Livesay, ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, and other Oak Ridge Schools staff and project volunteers. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space. On Friday, March 9, 2018, the $70,000 science project got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Celebrating above by saying “NASA, we are a go!” are RMS students, teacher Todd Livesay, ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, and other Oak Ridge Schools staff and project volunteers. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m. March 11.

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space.

On Friday, the $70,000 science project, which started about three years ago, got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Robertsville satellite, which will orbit a few hundred miles above Earth, will use a small camera to try to take pictures of forest regrowth in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg. That area burned in forest fires fed by high winds after Thanksgiving 2016, killing 14 people and damaging or destroying more than 2,500 homes and businesses.

The RMS satellite, named RamSat, will use a radio to relay its images and other data back to Earth.

A project proposal was submitted to NASA in November, and Oak Ridge Schools learned this month that the RMS proposal had been accepted.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for the students!” said Peter Thornton, one of the RamSat team leaders from ORNL. “They will now have the chance to design, build, carry out, and own a satellite mission.” [Read more…]

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

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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…]

UT-Battelle provides scholarships for Roane State Middle College students from Roane County high schools

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Roane State President Chris Whaley is joined by Middle College students and Roane State faculty to accept a scholarship check from Leigha Humphries, protocol and community relations manager with UT-Battelle. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

 

Ten Roane County students participating in Roane State Community College’s Middle College have received $3,400 annual scholarships thanks to UT-Battelle.

Roane State’s Middle College program allows high school students to take college classes in their junior and senior years and then graduate with their associate degrees and their diplomas. Middle College graduates are then able to complete their bachelor’s degrees just two years after finishing high school.

Middle College students pay for tuition through a combination of out-of-pocket funds, use of the Tennessee dual enrollment grant (funded by the state lottery), and private scholarships. The UT-Battelle Scholarship was established in fall 2015 and is awarded to one Middle College student from each high school in Roane County. [Read more…]