Oak Ridge Today

ORAU receives DOE Small Business Award for work under ORISE contract

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU Small Business Award

Pictured above, from left to right, are Heidi Timmerman, director of Procurement and Contracts Administration, and Rebecca Crowe, Small Business advocate, both with ORAU, receiving the Facility Management Contractor Small Business Achievement of the Year Award for fiscal year 2013 from John Hale III, director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for DOE. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

The U.S. Department of Energy has presented Oak Ridge Associated Universities with its Facility Management Contractor Small Business Achievement of the Year award for Fiscal Year 2013. 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 manages for DOE.

In FY13, ORAU committed to awarding 69 percent of its subcontracts in support of ORISE work to small businesses, and it exceeded that goal when more than 80 percent of subcontracts were awarded to small businesses.

According to DOE’s website, the award winner “recognizes the tangible, annual, organizational results of a DOE facilities management contract. These results are measured in terms of dollars and percentage increases in small business procurement activity as well as policies, programs, and procedures that promote small business use.”

“We are honored to receive this recognition from DOE for our efforts in providing opportunities for small businesses to work with us on critical DOE projects,” said ORAU Chief Executive Officer Andy Page. “We believe very strongly that small businesses are crucial to fueling a strong economy and in building this nation’s entrepreneurial spirit.” [Read more…]

ORAU awards 2014 Pollard Scholarships

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has awarded five William G. Pollard Scholarships of $2,500 each for undergraduate studies in the 2014-2015 academic year. The recipients of this year’s scholarships are Cody Cheatwood, Rachael Dreistadt, Bailey Kitts, Savannah Moua, and Sarah Tucker.

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…]

Area teachers go ‘back to school’ at ORAU for interactive STEM courses

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU GPS Teacher Workshop

Daryl Sibble (center), graduate student working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), demonstrates to area teachers how GPS can be incorporated in the classroom and for outdoor lessons. Teachers in photo include Eric Good from William Blount High School (left), Sherilyn Dawson from Concord Christian School and Judy Pearson from Heritage Middle School (back to camera) during last week’s workshop at ORAU’s Center for Science Education. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

Teachers participate in GPS workshop

More than 190 elementary, middle school, and high school educators from East Tennessee gathered in ORAU’s Center for Science Education last week to participate in a variety of technology professional development workshops. The free workshops offered educators the chance to enhance their STEM knowledge and curricula through hands-on experiences.

One of last week’s workshops focused on how GPS could be used during an outside exercise. Workshop participants took an excursion outside for a hands-on activity where the first three participants to locate a hidden GPS device using provided coordinates actually won a GPS device.

“I learned a great deal about GPS, because I was a total stranger to GPS before this workshop,” said Arnold “Rocky” Warren from Morgan County Career and Technical Center. “I have some GPS devices in my classroom, but I did not know all the ways I could use them. Now, I feel confident I can instruct my students on how to use them in my physics class.”

The workshops are designed so teachers can take the information back to their students and use it immediately. The Twitter Workshop proved popular as well. [Read more…]

Teaching Climate Change workshop part of ORAU professional development series

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Barry Golden at ORAU Workshop

University of Tennessee Assistant Professor Barry Golden, right, discusses data with a group of educators during ORAU’s Teaching Climate Change workshop on Thursday. (Photo by Sara Wise)

 

On Thursday, Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ Center for Science Education hosted the Teaching Climate Change workshop as part of their Summer Technology Professional Development series of workshops.

ORAU’s summer workshop program hosts 13 STEM-based lectures offered free to K-12 teachers.

ORAU Program Manager Meiko Thompson said the organization “sees a benefit in making sure that local educators have the opportunity to get professional development” outside of the typical school system offerings.

“One thing I know is that just because you’re a scientist doesn’t make you a good teacher,” Thompson said. “So, what I would really like for them to do is really know how to engage their students.” [Read more…]

Mobile app developed by ORAU featured in emergency preparedness campaign

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

CSEPP Ready Mobile App

CSEPP Ready Mobile App

ORAU training and mobile app help communities near chemical stockpiles be prepared for related emergencies

CSEPP Ready, a mobile application developed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, is a featured element in the inaugural 2013-2014 Prepare Pueblo emergency preparedness campaign in Pueblo, Colo., which is in its final phase from June to August 2014. Both the campaign and the app are intended to assist residents living in communities surrounding one of the last two active U.S. Army chemical warfare agent stockpiles with preparing for a potential related emergency.

Even though an accident is unlikely, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army work together to ensure the local communities are prepared through the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, or CSEPP. Through CSEPP, ORAU experts provide hands-on technology courses to train public affairs professionals and emergency managers to develop and deliver timely public information in an emergency event using the latest technology tools, including mobile apps, cloud technology, and social media. Specifically, CSEPP Ready, which can be downloaded free in both Android and iPhone/iPad mobile formats, provides checklists for family disaster kits, information on how to respond to emergency sirens, and directions for sheltering in place. [Read more…]

Rollow promoted to director of ORAU’s Project Management Office

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Kathy Rollow

Kathy Rollow

New director brings more than 15 years of project management expertise

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has named Kathy R. Rollow director of its Project Management Office. In this position, Rollow will establish policy and maintain full operational responsibility for the office, facilitating best practices and serving as the catalyst for organizational and cultural implementation of project management principles, a press release said.

Rollow has more than 15 years of experience managing technical and programmatic activities involving multiple concurrent projects at several locations, working with construction support and environmental restoration studies as well as remedial action projects under CERCLA or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Previously, Rollow worked with ORAU’s Independent Environmental Assessment and Verification Program, serving as a program lead for health physics and radiological surveys. In 2009, Rollow began directing a large-scale site characterization project for the U.S. Department of Energy, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project focused on detailing the nature and volume of contaminants to ensure appropriate cleanup and demolition of the site. She implemented project plans, schedules, briefings and budgets, recommended change orders, and tracked resources for DOE Oak Ridge facilities—a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CERCLA Superfund site.  [Read more…]

ORAU awards $175,000 in research grants to 35 faculty at member universities

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 has awarded competitive research grants totaling $175,000 to 35 junior faculty from ORAU member institutions. The annual grants are made through the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program that provides funds to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty.

The recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 from ORAU for the 2014-2015 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their career. Additionally, each recipient’s institution will match the ORAU award with an additional $5,000, making the total grant worth $10,000 for each winner. Winners may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings and conferences.

Since the program’s inception in 1991, ORAU has awarded more than 555 grants totaling more than $2.775 million. Including the matching funds from member institutions, ORAU has facilitated grants worth more than $5.55 million.

“Providing funding to faculty members early in their careers expands their opportunities to build collaborations while refining their interests.” said Arlene Garrison, ORAU vice president. “ORAU is pleased that we were able to increase the number of grants this year to an exceptional group of young faculty members.” [Read more…]

Applications being accepted for Australia Endeavour scholarships, fellowships

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

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

Study, research or professional development opportunities available for appointments ranging from one month to four years

Oak Ridge Associated Universities has partnered with the Australian government to seek U.S. and Canadian applicants for Australia’s Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships, an internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides up to $272,500 Australian dollars ($254,500) for study, research, or professional development opportunities between Australia and the world.

Applicants may apply through June 30, 2014, for the following opportunities: [Read more…]

JMS teams No. 1 in sixth, seventh grade at ORAU middle school math competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU Jefferson Middle School Math Competition

Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge won best overall score and was recognized for being the top school in the seventh-grade level at the Tennessee Middle School Math Competition recently held at Pellissippi State Community College. Pictured from left to right are Dean Evasius, ORAU vice president and director of Science Education Programs, and JMS teacher Rosa Falkner, Bill Andress, Ethan Brady, Steven Qu, Henry Shen, Kenny Moon, and Eagle Yuan. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

KNOXVILLE—More than 600 students from 40 area schools competed for the honor of being named the top middle school math students in East Tennessee. The 2014 Tennessee Middle School Math Competition, now in its 14th year, was held recently at Pellissippi State Community College and was sponsored by ORAU.

Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge walked away with the No. 1 team ranking for the best overall score in both the sixth- and seventh-grade team categories. Farragut Middle School in Knoxville took the No. 1 team ranking for the eighth-grade team category.

The first-place individual winners for top overall scores were all from Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge and included Yikun Zhang, sixth grade; William Andress, seventh grade; and Joseph Andress, eighth grade. [Read more…]

ORAU accepting proposals for its 2014 Education Grants program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

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

Educators in Anderson County are encouraged to make proposals for nearly $40,000 in educational support funding

Oak Ridge Associated Universities is preparing for its annual education grants program and invites Anderson County schools to submit funding proposals to help expand their programs in science, mathematics, and technology. ORAU’s mission is to advance national priorities and serve the public interest by integrating academic, government, and scientific resources both locally and globally, and the organization is committed to improving educational opportunities in Anderson County.

Funds are available to schools located in Anderson County for projects in science, technology, and math to be carried out during the 2014-2015 school year. Last year, ORAU awarded more than $39,000 to 27 teachers from 17 local schools for projects including a digital collection of math and science books, new science lab equipment, and technology for a school listening hub. For a list of winners from last year, please visit here.

Schools with projects for consideration for ORAU funding should complete and submit three proposal forms, which can be found here. Proposal forms must be received by June 6 to be considered. [Read more…]

ORAU: Nearly 2/3 of foreign doctorates staying in U.S. 10 years after graduation

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Building MC-100

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

ORISE report suggests foreign doctorate recipients routinely take regular employment in the U.S. after completing postdoctoral appointments

The number of foreign, science, and engineering doctorate students who remain in the United States after graduation has declined slightly during the past five to 10 years, but long-term stay rates indicate that nearly two-thirds of foreign doctorates are continuing to stay in the U.S. These are the latest findings in a series of biennial reports that have been produced by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education and funded by the National Science Foundation since 2000.

The latest report is titled “Stay Rates of Foreign Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities, 2011.” It documents a study in which 2011 tax records—the most recent data currently available for the study—were used to estimate the proportion of foreign doctorate recipients from U.S. universities who stayed in the U.S. after graduation for any reason. The “Survey of Earned Doctorates,” published annually by the NSF, collects information from each graduate school on people completing doctorates each year. The Social Security Administration then calculates the proportion of those graduates with annual earnings of $5,500 or more, and these tabulations are used with appropriate adjustments (e.g., death) to produce the stay rate.

The 2011 stay rate for all foreign doctorate recipients, including those on permanent visas at graduation, was 68 percent for those graduating five years earlier, and 65 percent for those graduating 10 years earlier. [Read more…]

ORAU employees recycle about 10,000 pounds of ‘technotrash,’ paper, shoes

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ORAU Earth Day

Annabel Fontaine shows off her ORAU Earth Day event T-shirt; the first 75 employees to participate in this event received one of these shirts. (Submitted photos)

For the fifth year in a row, Oak Ridge Associated Universities coordinated an annual event in conjunction with Earth Day to encourage ORAU’s 1,100 employees to bring in unwanted items from home to recycle, a press release said.

As part of this year’s two-day event on April 22-23, ORAU accepted a total of almost 10,000 pounds of technotrash (computers, related accessories, or other electronic items), paper for secure shredding, unwanted medicine as part of Operation Medicine Cabinet in collaboration with the Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Oak Ridge Police Department, and 414 pairs of “gently used” shoes to donate to those in need through the Soles4Souls nonprofit organization, the release said.

“ORAU’s Earth Day event has grown each year since its start in 2010 as many employees use it as a spring cleaning ritual; this event not only helps the environment by recycling unwanted items and those in need with the donation of shoes, it keeps unwanted medicine out of the hands of children or drug abusers with Operation Medicine Cabinet, which was a new element to this year’s event,” said Tom Wantland, ORAU’s director of Environment, Safety, and Health. “Employee feedback shows that employees want to recycle, because it is the right thing to do; as an added incentive, ORAU provides T-shirts to the first 75 employees who participate in the event.” [Read more…]