Oak Ridge Today

ORISE report shows nuclear engineering graduation rates rebounding in 2015 after brief decline

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Increases seen in undergraduate and master degrees, while number of doctorate degrees awarded declined

After briefly declining in 2014 following five straight years of continual increases, the number of college students graduating with majors in nuclear engineering has rebounded. This is according to an annual study conducted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education which surveyed 35 U.S. universities with nuclear engineering programs. The report, titled “Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2015 Data,” includes degrees granted between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015.

Overall number of nuclear engineering degrees increases

According to the report, 652 students received bachelor’s degrees with majors in nuclear engineering in 2015—a 4 percent increase over 2014 and just 0.5 percent lower than 2013. This is the second highest number of bachelor’s degrees reported since 1984; however, it remains 23 percent below the peak years in the 1970s.

The number of nuclear engineering master’s degrees awarded in 2015 increased by 13 percent over 2014 and is nearly identical to the number reported for 2013. The 363 master’s degrees awarded in 2015 are the highest since the 1980s. [Read more…]

ORISE building earns EPA’s Energy Star certification for energy efficiency

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORISE-EPA-Energy-Star-Certification-1

From left to right are Director of Facilities and Transportation Department Chad Becker, Facilities Management Services Manager Eddy Whitson, and Sustainability Manager Kevin Fritts display the new EPA Energy Star certification for the ORISE Facilities and Transportation Department office in background behind them. (Photo by ORAU)

 

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education’s Facilities and Transportation Department office building, managed by ORAU, has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification, which signifies that the building, located off Bethel Valley Road in Oak Ridge, performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy-efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

“We are pleased to accept the EPA’s Energy Star certification in recognition of ORISE’s energy-efficiency efforts,” said ORISE Director and ORAU President Andy Page. “Through this achievement along with our corporate office building earning the first new, gold-level LEED-certified office building in Tennessee, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

The EPA works with organizations to help them save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making their buildings more energy-efficient, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORAU receives $1.4 billion DOE contract to manage ORISE

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

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

 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science has awarded a $1.4 billion contract to Oak Ridge Associated Universities to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

The initial contract term will be through September 30, 2020. The department recognizes superior performance through phased extensions beyond the initial term of the contract for up to a total of five more years, if the contractor meets performance criteria developed by DOE, a press release said.

ORISE supports DOE’s mission to advance scientific and technical workforce development and education and research programs by creating opportunities for collaboration through partnerships with DOE facilities, other federal agencies, the academic community, and industry, the press release said. Specifically, ORISE’s objectives are: [Read more…]

Cedar Springs Homeschool wins DOE Tennessee Science Bowl

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Cedar-Springs-Homeschool-Tennessee-Science-Bowl-Feb-27-2016

Winning first place in the 2016 Tennessee Science Bowl is Cedar Springs Homeschool of Knoxville. Pictured left to right with their trophy are Lily Turaski, Josiah Boyle, Tara Conway, Tyler Fulghum, Wesleigh Wright, and Coach Dee Dee Turaski. (DOE photo courtesy Lynn Freeny)

 

Cedar Springs Homeschool advances to National Science Bowl 

Countless hours studying math and science paid off for some exceptionally bright students from Cedar Springs Homeschool. They were first-place winners in the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl this past weekend.

Cedar Springs Homeschool competed against 58 other high school teams on Saturday, February 27, to place first in the annual competition. The schools edged out its competition by successfully answering challenging questions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space science, and energy.

Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third largest regional competition. The regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country. As the first-place team, Cedar Springs Homeschool receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., April 28-May 2, as well as a $1,000 cash prize and a first-place trophy. [Read more…]

ORISE accepting grad, undergrad applications for Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Women and minorities encouraged to apply; deadline is Dec. 21, 2015

ORISE is currently accepting applications for the 2016 Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program, or MLEF, which is a 10-week summer program for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The MLEF Program provides students who are U.S. citizens with the opportunity to gain and develop research skills by training under the mentorship of program officials and scientists within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. This program is open to currently enrolled full-time degree-seeking students in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) program at an accredited college or university at the bachelor’s (sophomore or higher), master’s, or doctoral level with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Participants will support Office of Fossil Energy mission-related research while gaining insight into how DOE is working to meet the energy challenges of the future. Although all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, the goal of the program is to improve the opportunities for women and minority students in the STEM fields.

The summer program may place students at one of several possible sites, including: [Read more…]

Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis program accepting apps for 2016

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Opportunity provides students with research experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis, or NESLS, program is accepting applications for spring and summer 2016.

NESLS is a cooperative research initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory administered through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and geared toward students working in nuclear engineering and science. NESLS offers students on-the-job educational and research opportunities at a multidisciplinary national laboratory.

Research areas of interest may include nuclear security technologies; nuclear systems analysis, design, and safety; and fuels, isotopes, and nuclear materials. Other features of the internship include: [Read more…]

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

Posted at
By 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…]

Beryllium laboratory achieves accreditation from College of American Pathologists

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Beryllium Testing at ORISE

The College of American Pathologists, or CAP, has accredited the beryllium laboratory in Oak Ridge for the third time since the laboratory’s first accreditation in 2009. The laboratory is managed by ORAU for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

The laboratory is one of only three labs nationwide that performs the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test. This test determines if a patient has developed a sensitization to beryllium, which could evolve into chronic beryllium disease. Exposure to the lightweight metal is often encountered by inhaling beryllium dust particulates in an industrial workplace setting.

During the CAP accreditation process, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control procedures for the preceding two years. This includes examining staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and records, and overall management. The CAP accreditation program was established in the early 1960s and remains one of the most stringent lab certification programs recognized by the federal government. [Read more…]

ORAU’s Timmerman receives DOE Small Business Award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Heidi Timmerman and John Hale III Small Business Award

Heidi Timmerman, director of Procurement and Contracts Administration at ORAU, left, receives the Facility Management Contractor Procurement Director of the Year award for fiscal year 2014 from John Hale III, director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for DOE. (Submitted photo)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy presented ORAU’s Heidi Timmerman with its Facility Management Contractor Procurement Director of the Year award for fiscal year 2014 at the 14th Annual DOE Small Business Forum and Expo in Phoenix on Wednesday.

The award recognizes ORAU’s subcontracting achievements with small business suppliers used to support work performed under the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education contract that ORAU (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) manages for DOE.

In FY14, ORAU committed to awarding 71 percent of its subcontracts in support of ORISE work to small businesses, and it exceeded that goal when more than 78 percent of subcontracts were awarded to small businesses, a press release said. [Read more…]

Balajee named director of Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Lab at REAC/TS

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Adayabalam Balajee

Adayabalam Balajee

Research scientist brings more than 20 years of laboratory expertise to the position

Adayabalam Balajee has been named the director of the Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Laboratory, which is operated as part of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, or REAC/TS, at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

In his new position, Balajee will manage the operations and staff at the CBL, which is one of only two labs in the U.S. where chromosome abnormality analysis is used for ionizing radiation dose assessment, a press release said. The process for this analysis starts with a blood sample from someone who a physician thinks may have been exposed to radiation.

Prior to joining the CBL, Balajee held the position of research scientist at the Center for Radiological Research, Department of Radiation Oncology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, where he had been employed since 1999. Balajee also spent five years as a visiting fellow at the Gerontology Research Center at the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore. [Read more…]

Dainiak named director of REAC/TS

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Nicholas Dainiak

Nicholas Dainiak

Radiation response specialist has more than 35 years of medical expertise

Nicholas Dainiak has been named director of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, or REAC/TS, at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

A deployable asset of the U.S. Department of Energy, REAC/TS provides 24/7 emergency medical response for incidents involving radiation anywhere in the world, a press release said. REAC/TS also provides direct support for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Emergency Operations and the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, or FRMAC.

Adding to its depth of radiation response and consultation capabilities, REAC/TS is uniquely qualified to teach medical personnel, health physicists, first responders, and occupational health professionals about radiation emergency medicine, the release said. REAC/TS also operates an acytogenetic biodosimetry laboratory, one of only two in the U.S., where chromosome aberration analysis is used for ionizing radiation dose assessment. [Read more…]

Memphis school wins DOE Tennessee Science Bowl

Posted at
By 2 Comments

DOE Science Bowl Winners 2015

Tennessee Lausanne Collegiate School of Memphis first-place winners pictured above at the Blount County campus of Pellissippi State Community College are Prashanth Raj, Ted Letsou, Tony Chen, Raghav Ranga, and Rishab Jain, with their trophy. (DOE photo/Lynn Freeny)

 

Countless hours studying math and science has paid off for some exceptionally bright students from one college preparatory academy—the Lausanne Collegiate School of Memphis—who won the Tennessee Science Bowl this past weekend. Lausanne’s Team 1 competed against 53 other high school teams on February 27-28 to place first in the annual competition.

Lausanne edged out their competition by successfully answering a host of challenging questions in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space science, and energy.

Held at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus, the Tennessee Science Bowl is the nation’s third-largest regional competition. The regional bowl prepares students to compete nationally with other exceptional students from schools across the country. [Read more…]