Oak Ridge Today

ORAU employees prove it only takes a little to change a lot

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Haiti-Romulus-Family-ORAU

The Romulus family had a message in Haitian Creole for their friends at ORAU: Mèsi Anpil…“Thank You very much,” which they even painted on the side of their home. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

Haiti-Romulus-Family-Message-ORAU

Photo courtesy ORAU


Grassroots efforts, contributions from ORAU staff help build house for family in Haiti

When Chad Becker mentioned he was trying to get the funds together to go back to Haiti to build another home for a family devastated by the earthquake of 2010, it made a few of his ORAU coworkers stop and think.

“I’m sure people here would pay for a good spaghetti lunch,” said Frances Slater and Julie Humidan. “I could also make and sell some jewelry,” said Humidan. “And, I could help Chad sell his grandmother’s collection of beanie babies dolls that she gave him to help Haiti in some way,” said Deborah Wells.

Slater, Humidan, and Wells—all ORAU custodians—knew their coworkers at ORAU (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) would pitch in once they heard about the need. Becker, ORAU’s director of facilities and transportation, had been involved in recent years with Medic Samaritan to help provide aid to the Haitian people following the earthquake. He and his family even adopted a now 10-year-old girl from Haiti in 2012. [Read more…]

ORAU to honor veterans with event, open to community

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities will honor veterans in a Veterans Day event that is open to the community on Tuesday morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Martin Hartley, 151st Air Refueling Squadron commander, Tennessee Air National Guard, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker.

Entertainment will be provided by The Southern Brass along with a presentation of colors by the Anderson County High School ROTC.

The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 10, at Pollard Technology Conference Center at 100 ORAU Way in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

ORAU exceeds $100,000 in annual giving campaign for eighth year in a row

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU 2015 Annual Giving Campaign

The 2015 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign Chair Arlene Garrison, pictured right, Co-Chair Don Hanlon, pictured left, and ORAU President and CEO Andy Page reveal ORAU’s combined giving total of $127,404.42. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

For the eighth year in a row, ORAU has broken the $100,000 mark in donations as part of the annual giving campaign for the United Way and Community Shares.

During a concluding ceremony on September 29 in the ORAU Pollard Technology Conference Center, ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page announced the 2015 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign total donation amount: $127,404.42.

As part of the total donation, ORAU and its employees pledged $97,835.18 to the United Way and $29,569.24 to Community Shares.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ORAU awards $32,000 in education grants to area schools

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clinton City Schools and ORAU Education Grants 2015

Clinton City Schools education grant winners are pictured above. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

ORAU awarded 28 teachers from nine East Tennessee schools more than $32,000 in grant money during the 14th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

The grant money will be used to purchase educational materials and equipment—such as Chromebooks, microscopes, meteorology kits, and more—to help teachers continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards, and enhance the learning experience of their students, a press release said.

Since beginning this program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $410,000 to area schools for projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, programs.

“ORAU is honored to support our community by helping our schools secure the tools they need to capture and maintain students’ attention on these critical subjects,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators continue to show an impressive dedication to teaching, and we welcome the opportunity to show them how much we appreciate their dedication and hard work.” [Read more…]

ORAU seeks applicants for the 2016 Extreme Classroom Makeover

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

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

Oak Ridge Associated Universities is accepting applications for its $25,000 Extreme Classroom Makeover competition.

Now in its eighth year, the competition provides the latest educational technologies to update one teacher’s classroom, a press release said. Interested teachers must file their intent to apply no later than October 14.

The contest is open to public school math and science teachers who teach grades from third to 10th and are located within a 50-mile radius of Oak Ridge. Entrants must have the written consent of their principals and, if chosen, be willing to have their 2016-2017 classroom experience highlighted on the Internet and in various media outlets. Teachers, students, and even parents whose children are benefiting from this initiative will be invited to blog about this year-long experience on the Extreme Classroom website. [Read more…]

ORAU recognized as top diversity employer

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Black EOE Journal Best of the Best 2015 Winner

Black Equal Opportunity Employment Journal has recognized ORAU as one of its top diversity employers for 2015.

The magazine is a compendium of career and employment opportunity information for African-Americans, other minority groups, and women, a press release said.

As part of the magazine’s “Best of the Best 2015” series, Black EOE Journal annually polls hundreds of companies to assess and disclose the companies who show excellence in diversity in areas such as: government and law enforcement agencies; insurance, finance and banking companies; utilities, energy, gas, and oil companies; STEM employers; and healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies. [Read more…]

More than 200 students participate in ORAU’s graduate student recruitment fair

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU Graduate Student Recruitment Fair

ORNL summer research interns present research findings and explore additional academic opportunities with some of the nation’s top research graduate programs. (Submitted photo)

 

More than 200 student researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently had the opportunity to both showcase their research and market themselves to 26 universities attending the 16th annual ORAU Graduate Student Recruitment Fair.

Each year, the recruitment fair corresponds with the 2015 Summer Research Participant Poster Session to leverage the students’ excitement over their summer research achievements and to encourage enthusiasm for further expanding their education. Universities invited to the fair are members of ORAU’s consortium of 115 Ph.D.-granting universities from across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico.

With representatives of 26 universities from across the U.S. available in one room, the fair allowed students to explore possible future educational opportunities, as well as compare and contrast graduate programs. [Read more…]

Students, teachers explore next generation of learning after ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover at Brown Intermediate School

Charlie Arp’s students at Brown Intermediate School in Sweetwater experiment with stop motion videography on iPads. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

SWEETWATER—Students, parents, and teachers were given a glimpse of the next generation in classrooms during the Wednesday, August 5, reveal of Charlie Arp’s recently outfitted classroom full of state-of the-art technology. Arp, a teacher at Brown Intermediate School in Sweetwater, Tennessee, was the winner of this year’s $25,000 grant from ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover competition.

The math and science teacher spent the summer selecting and installing his new technology, taking continuing education courses at ORAU’s Center for Science Education, and preparing for his new class of rising students. His arsenal of learning technology, and knowledge of how to use these tools, was on showcase during the reveal.

In its seventh year, ORAU’s grant program highlights and supports educators who use technology in the classroom to inspire more students to pursue math and science-based careers.

“We realize at ORAU the importance of maintaining students’ interest in and cultivating a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects,” said ORAU President Andy Page. “By empowering teachers like Charlie Arp, the Extreme Classroom Makeover helps to demonstrate the countless number of possibilities technology can bring to both educators and students.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Robotics Academy teaches robotics engineering in week-long camp

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Josie Fellers and Olivia Jones

Josie Fellers and teammate Olivia Jones assemble their robot’s arm at the ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

More than two dozen students from across East Tennessee recently spent a week designing, building, and programming robots during the Oak Ridge Robotics Academy.

Held at ORAU’s Center for Science Education, the week-long, free camp was led by Instructors Tad Douce and Ed Goodwin, both co-directors of the National Robotics Challenge, with help from Kayla Canario, the 2011 Extreme Classroom Makeover contest runner-up and the technology coordinator for Bearden Middle School.

The 6th annual ORAU Oak Ridge Robotics Academy included 26 students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades.

Students were randomly placed into teams and faced daily engineering challenges such as programming their robots to solve a maze without being controlled or designing an arm to pick up a tennis ball.

“We call it a robotics academy, but it’s really an engineering academy,” Douce said. “Our main goal is to get the students to work with others, think logically and solve problems.” [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…]

ORAU announces recipients of 2015 Pollard Scholarships

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Christopher Friend

Christopher Friend

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has awarded five William G. Pollard Scholarships of $2,500 each toward undergraduate studies for the 2015-2016 academic year. The recipients of this year’s scholarships are Cory Anderson, Rachel Baxter, Christopher Friend, Bailey Kitts, and Caroline Thomas.

Each year, ORAU awards these scholarships to employees’ children who display exceptional achievements in their high school or undergraduate studies. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended, three references (at least two of which must be from teachers), and a 500-word essay describing the student’s professional and personal interests.

Below are additional details on each of this year’s winners: [Read more…]