Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge man dies in apparent biking accident on Haw Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Michael Biegalski

Michael Biegalski (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:45 p.m. Dec. 23.

An Oak Ridge man died in what appears to be a tragic mountain biking accident at Haw Ridge on Saturday, authorities said.

Two hikers found the body of Michael Biegalski, 38, near a hiking trail at Haw Ridge at about 4:34 p.m. Saturday, Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said.

The hikers met Oak Ridge Police Department officers at a trailhead, and they guided officers to the body, which was about 300 yards from Old Edgemoor Road. The officers confirmed that Biegalski was deceased, and they called the coroner and criminal investigations division to process the area around the accident, Akagi said. The Oak Ridge Fire Department also responded and helped transport the body. [Read more…]

ORNL’s Goyal elected fellow of National Academy of Inventors

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Amit Goyal

Amit Goyal

The National Academy of Inventors has elected Amit Goyal as a fellow. Goyal is a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The organization recognized Goyal for “having demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”

The National Academy of Inventors was founded in 2010 with goals that include celebrating and encouraging inventors, enhancing awareness of technology and innovation, and communicating the work of its members to benefit society.

Goyal, a member of ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division, is an international leader in the field of energy and electronic materials, particularly high-temperature superconducting materials. He has more than 80 issued patents. [Read more…]

ORNL’s James Hack elected fellow of American Meteorological Society

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

James Hack

James Hack

The American Meteorological Society has elected James Hack as a 2015 fellow.

Hack, who is the director of the National Center for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was cited for his “outstanding contributions to advancing the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society.”

Hack came to ORNL in 2007 after positions at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He also held adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Colorado at Boulder. [Read more…]

Remembered as a model community volunteer, Myrick died Sunday

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Tim and Teresa Myrick with ADFAC Bow Tie Award

Tim Myrick, left, received the 2014 Bill Wilcox Bow Tie Award from ADFAC on Oct. 30. Pictured with Myrick at Y-12’s New Hope Center is his wife Teresa. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Note: This story was last updated at 3:30 p.m.

Tim Myrick, one of the area’s most active community volunteers, died Sunday morning. He was at home with his wife Teresa by his side.

Friends are remembering him as a model community leader and volunteer. Myrick, who had been battling prostate cancer, had provided decades of service to the church and to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, as well as to Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County. He played a key role in the renovation of Oak Ridge High School and modernization work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In 2012, he and Teresa pledged $25,000 to the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation’s “Making the Critical Difference” campaign for grants and scholarships.

“We sure lost a strong advocate for our community,” said friend D. Ray Smith, who serves on both the ADFAC and Habitat for Humanity boards. [Read more…]

Piper, Prine win 2014 Postma Young Professional Medals

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Cortney Piper and Betsy Prine

Cortney Piper, left, and Betsy Prine, right (Photo courtesy East Tennessee Economic Council)

Submitted

Cortney Piper and Betsy Prine received Postma Young Professional Medals on Friday at the East Tennessee Economic Council’s annual year-end celebration.

The Postma Medal was created by the East Tennessee Economic Council to honor the accomplishments of young professionals who have made an impact and fostered a community culture in the region. Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory director Herman Postma epitomized this spirit during his life, and his wife Pat continues the tradition of service today through her involvement in the Oak Ridge community. Pat Postma made the award presentation at the Council’s annual meeting on Friday at the DoubleTree Hotel. [Read more…]

Mason, Coffey receive 2014 Muddy Boot Awards

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Thom Mason and David Coffey

Thom Mason, left, and David Coffey, right (Photo courtesy East Tennessee Economic Council)

Submitted

Two titans of East Tennessee’s business community were honored Friday with the Muddy Boot Award, given by the East Tennessee Economic Council in an ongoing tribute to individuals who through their work and activities build a better community.

This year’s honorees were Thom Mason, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and leader of other  state and local organizations, and David Coffey, a serial entrepreneur, past member of the Tennessee General Assembly, and a leader in promoting better education in the state.

ETEC also presented two Postma Young Professional Medals. Betsy Prine, a vice president of Gilmartin Engineering Services, and Cortney Piper, principal of Piper Communications, received the medals. The Economic Council’s annual celebratory event was keynoted by Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration Larry Martin. University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro and Pete Craven also participated, with the event chaired by Bonnie Carroll of Information International Associates. [Read more…]

Alexander: Spending bill includes $440 million for ORNL supercomputer, UPF at Y-12

Posted at
By 1 Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The $1 trillion spending bill passed by the Senate on Saturday night includes more than $400 million in funding to support two Oak Ridge projects—building the world’s fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said.

The appropriations legislation avoids a government shutdown and funds most of the government through September. The Senate approved it in a bipartisan 56-40 vote, and it now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.

The spending bill cleared the House on Thursday. Liberals sought to strip out a policy provision that eases a Wall Street regulation, and conservatives tried to slow action on immigration. [Read more…]

Orr confirmed as DOE under secretary for science, energy

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Franklin M. "Lynn" Orr Jr.

Franklin M. “Lynn” Orr Jr. (Photo courtesy Stanford University/Franklin Orr)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than a year after his nomination was announced, Franklin “Lynn” Orr has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the under secretary for science and energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Orr was confirmed Thursday.

As under secretary for science and energy, Orr will oversee all of DOE’s science research programs, including a majority of the national laboratories.

This position is part of the department’s s recent reorganization, which expanded the under secretary for science role to encompass both science and energy, a DOE press release said. Orr’s role will include oversight of research in the Offices of Science, Fossil Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Indian Energy, and the Technology Transfer Coordinator.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an Office of Science lab. [Read more…]

EPA: Oak Ridge is a Green Power Community of the Year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORNL Bethel Valley Solar Array

Construction was completed in 2008 on a 288-foot-long, 51.25 kilowatt solar system (second-largest in Tennessee) that will supply power to the office building that houses researchers associated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s buildings technology programs. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Oak Ridge has been recognized as a Green Power Community of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Oak Ridge is one of only two cities to receive the award. The other is Medford, Oregon.

Oak Ridge is one of 19 Green Power Partners and four suppliers from across the country receiving Green Leadership Awards given each year by the EPA. Awardees are recognized for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable energy market and reducing greenhouse gas emissions fueling climate change, a press release said.

The 2014 Green Power Leadership Awards will be presented on Wednesday, December 3, at the annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Sacramento, California. [Read more…]

ORNL researchers Buchanan, Liang, Mayes named AAAS fellows

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORNL AAAS Fellows 2014

New fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are, from left, Michelle Buchanan, Liyuan Liang, and Melanie Mayes. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Three staff members at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for scientific contributions that range from administrative leadership to discoveries in the environmental sciences.

Michelle Buchanan, Liyuan Liang, and Melanie Mayes and are among those to receive this year’s recognition to AAAS members by their peers. AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and elects fellows based on their distinguished contributions to the advancement of science or its applications, a press release said.

Buchanan is ORNL’s associate laboratory director for physical sciences, where she guides the Chemical Sciences, Materials Science, and Technology and Physics divisions, as well as the Center for Nanophase Materials Science.

She was elected “for exceptional technical leadership and service in the chemical and physical sciences, and for contributions to setting the nation’s research priorities.” [Read more…]

Y-12 employee-led Help to the Smokies team still going strong

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Y-12 Employees Help the Smokies

Y-12’s Help to the Smokies employee-led team volunteered at a Great Smoky Mountains National Park cleanup event on Nov. 8. The team contributed 154 hours in restoration and enhancement activities during the event. (Submitted photo)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:40 a.m. Nov. 26.

Y-12’s employee-led Help to the Smokies team tacked another 154 hours onto their already massive volunteer service record at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during their annual volunteer work day on November 8. Since its start, the volunteer team has contributed about 14,000 hours in the Park.

Some 22 volunteers assisted park staff in maintenance and refurbishment of Loop B campsites at the Cosby Campground. The volunteer team performed general restoration activities for 31 individual campsites. These activities included elevating, leveling, and resetting 31 picnic tables, distributing and applying 85 tons of gravel covering to 26 campsites, and leveling selected camp fire rings. [Read more…]

2014 Startup Day emphasizes startup-friendly culture, assets in ET

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Startup Day Logo

KNOXVILLE—Knoxville’s second annual Startup Day kicked off Thursday afternoon at The Standard in downtown Knoxville. The event celebrated the success of Knoxville’s growing startup community and raised awareness about resources that support East Tennessee entrepreneurs.

Among the presenters were Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tech 2020.

“When most Americans think ‘startup community,’ they think Silicon Valley in California, New York City, or Seattle,” said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “It’s significant that East Tennessee is nurturing its startup culture, making resources available to startups, and generally creating a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs. Creating a startup-friendly city will keep and attract talent, capital, and more resources.” [Read more…]