I MPACTING
THE
SCIENTIFIC
MISSION
2013 Annual Report
ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance
national priorities in science, health, education and national security. Through
specialized teams of experts, unique laboratory capabilities and access to a
consortium of more than 100 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU
works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to advance national
priorities and serve the public interest. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and
federal contractor, ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and
Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ORISE is a DOE asset designed to strengthen the U.S. scientific research
and education enterprise by enhancing workforce development and global
competitiveness. ORISE also supports building public trust and confidence
in the management of worker and public health and environmental cleanup
initiatives. In addition, ORISE helps enhance our nation’s preparedness to
respond to emergencies related to terrorist and nuclear security incidents,
natural disasters, and other health and safety threats.
The financial information provided in this report has been derived from
the audited financial statements of the ORAU Corporation and the DOE
contract fund for the year ended Sept. 30, 2013. These audited financial
statements are presented in separately bound reports. This report was printed
using corporate funds.
On
the
C over
Lindsay Holdman, a Lee University mathematics undergraduate,
participated in DOE’s Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship at NETL in
2013, researching how to improve lithium�ion rechargeable batteries.
Holdman and many others featured in this report are participating in
ORAU�administered federal internships, fellowships and postdoctoral
research programs, performing cutting�edge research that is positively
impacting the U.S. scientific mission.
Published by the Communications and Marketing
Department of ORAU
Director of Communications
and Marketing .................................. Pam Bonee
Annual Report Editor ....................... Wendy West
Annual Report Associate Editor ........ Nicole Merrifield
Contributing Writers ........................ Jenna Blair
Becki Hopson
Molly Hornbuckle
Michelle LaVone
Nicole Merrifield
Amy Schwinge
Annual Report Designers ................ Mark Sieger
Melanie Shedlock
Photography .................................... Amy Viars
S elect A cronyms
CDC
DHS
DoD
DOE
DOE-SC
EPA
ISO
NASA
NETL
NIOSH
NNSA
NOAA
NRC
ORAU
ORISE
ORNL
REAC/TS
S&T
STEM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science
Environmental Protection Agency
International Organization for Standardization
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Energy Technology Laboratory
National Institute of Safety and Health
National Nuclear Security Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/
Training Site
Science and Technology
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
T able
of
C ontents
Statement from the President............................................................. 2
ORAU at a Glance............................................................................. 4
Corporate Commitment to STEM..................................................... 6
Strengthening STEM Learning, Research
and Workforce Development.............................................................. 9
Preparing for and Responding to Evolving Threats........................... 23
Protecting Health and the Environment........................................... 35
University Partnerships..................................................................... 44
Community Involvement................................................................. 46
ORAU Management........................................................................ 48
ORAU Board of Directors................................................................ 50
ORAU Consortium......................................................................... 51
Report available online at
www.orau.org/annualreport
S TATEMENT
F ROM T H E
P RE S ID ENT
F
or more than 65 years, ORAU has embraced our
nation’s scientific agenda and helped to advance that
critical mission. In the beginning, ORAU linked
regional universities to research facilities created
as part of the Manhattan Project. That linkage
continues today. In addition, through long-term
management of DOE’s Oak Ridge Institute for
Science and Education, ORAU is directly supporting
DOE’s mission to advance American prosperity and
thought leadership through transformative science.
Specifically, ORAU is helping to strengthen America’s
scientific research and education enterprise. We
continue to cultivate a strong scientific workforce
by building on our long-standing relationships
2
ORAU R EVENUE IN M ILLIONS
with DOE, its laboratories and our 109-member
university consortium to attract world-class scientific
talent into research programs and ultimately scientific
and technical careers. Thousands of early-career
professionals are conducting research at more than
300 federal laboratories and research centers across
the country through ORAU-administered research
participation programs. These efforts, along with
our K-12 STEM initiatives that motivate and
inspire young students to pursue S&T careers, help
develop the infrastructure necessary for the U.S.
to successfully compete globally. Throughout this
report, highlights are provided of some of these
talented men and women. They are either currently
participating in ORAU-administered research
programs or have completed such programs and have
remained in the S&T workforce, answering scientific
challenges and solving some of the toughest problems
facing our nation.
In addition to our support of scientific research and
education, ORAU works to enhance our nation’s
response to both natural and man-made threats and
to promote public trust in the management of worker
and public health and environmental cleanup. From
delivering security and emergency response training
to independently verifying decontamination efforts
and assessing the health of DOE’s workforce, these
activities embody the ways in which ORAU applies
science and technology to solve national and global
problems. Together, they represent just a few of the
wide-ranging programs ORAU supported in FY13.
Because it is not enough to simply embrace the
national agenda or the missions of our customers,
ORAU has built a robust contractor assurance system
that safeguards our workforce and institutionalizes
quality to provide consistent performance and
transparency. Efforts such as obtaining ISO-9001:
2008 certification for continuous improvement,
continuing superb safety operations—with four
million safe work hours in FY13—and ensuring
robust cyber security processes enable ORAU to
create more value and provide assurance that we
will exceed expectations for those contracts we have
been entrusted to manage. As a result, ORAU is well
prepared to meet the continuing challenges of the
federal contracting environment while also excelling
in the management of multiple government assets
such as ORISE laboratories for radiological analysis
and beryllium testing as well as NNSA’s Radiation
Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site.
Furthering the DOE Office of Science mission and
helping develop the next generation of scientists,
researchers and engineers is at the center of ORAU’s
operations. ORAU is continuing to invest in the
organization’s nonprofit mission of advancing
science education. Moreover, ORAU corporate
giving for science education, STEM-related
activities, university partnerships and community
initiatives totaled more than $1.5 million in FY13.
A special section of this report, titled “Corporate
Commitment to STEM,” highlights several grants,
sponsorships and other contributions ORAU has
made in the past year to enhance STEM teaching
and learning, specifically.
Without a doubt, the answer to many national and
global challenges begins with science. The U.S.
scientific enterprise, our national security, and the
management of worker health and environmental
cleanup initiatives are only as strong as the
individuals entering the workforce. By embracing
and advancing the missions of our customers,
ORAU is positively impacting the scientific mission
and global competitiveness of our nation.
ORAU P resident and CEO
3
at a
ORAU is a scientific and technical
solutions provider, offering
specialized expertise, unique
laboratory capabilities and access to
the talent of more than 100 major
research universities to advance
research and education, protect
public health and the environment
and strengthen national security. A
501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and
federal contractor, ORAU manages
the Oak Ridge Institute for Science
and Education for DOE.
109
$364.4
Sp o n s o r ing Ins ti tuti o ns
M i l l i o n i n Total Re ve nue
4
G lance
E XPERTISE AND
C APABILITIES
ORAU e mployees
Science Education and Workforce Development
Scientific Peer Review
National Security and Emergency Management
Occupational Exposure and Worker Health
Health Communication and Technical Training
Environmental Assessments and Verification
F INANCIAL S UMMARY
1,153
18
E m pl o yees
L o c a ti o n s
M anaging C ontractor
of
M anagement E xcellence
DOE Voluntary Protection Program Star Site for safety
ISO-9001 certification for quality management practices
ISO-14001 certification for environmentally sound operations
College of American Pathology accreditation for ORISE
Beryllium Laboratory
“Best Diversity Company Award” by Diversity Careers
Magazine, fifth consecutive year
“Green Achiever Award” by Greater Knoxville Business Journal
for commitment to environmentally friendly practices
Million
1.5
$
More Than
Annual Corporate
Investment in Ed ucation
and Community Initiativ es
OAK RIDGE INSTITUTE FOR
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Managed by ORAU for DOE
ORISE C apabilities
• Strengthening the U.S. scientific research
and education enterprise, particularly in
energy and the STEM fields, to enhance
global competitiveness
• Enhancing our nation’s preparedness to
respond to emergencies related to terrorist
incidents, natural disasters and other health
and security threats
• Building public trust and confidence in the
management of worker and public health
and environmental cleanup initiatives
Million
4
Sa f e Wo rk Ho urs
5
Center for
Science Education
C orporate
C ommitment
to STEM
Regardless of the motivation for
investing in math and science—
whether to address critical
needs such as clean energy and
national security or to unravel
the mysteries of nature through
exploratory research—the
resulting innovations, new
technologies and advanced
quality of life are invaluable
for strengthening our nation.
ORAU takes pride in helping
develop the next generation of
S&T innovators who will bolster
our nation’s competitiveness.
In FY13, ORAU invested in
a variety of STEM programs
through in-kind support,
volunteer efforts and financial
contributions in our local
community and beyond.
6
The ORAU Center for Science Education leverages
partnerships with DOE and other agencies to
connect real science to classroom instruction. ORAU
offers educators and students a variety of academies
and programs, such as the Oak Ridge Middle School
Science Academy focused on solar, wind and biofuel
energy (pictured right), that enhance classroom
teaching and learning of key STEM principles.
In FY13, ORAU provided 12 programs to more
than 300 participants at no cost to them. For some
programs, the Appalachian Regional Commission
and ORNL provide key funding support.
Extreme Classroom
Makeover and
Education Grants
Fifth grade math and science teacher Karla Fultz
(pictured right) of A. L. Lotts Elementary School in
Knoxville, Tenn., was awarded $25,000 to enhance
her classroom technology and the STEM learning of
her students. ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover
competition, now in its fifth year, supports educators
like Fultz who are inspiring more students to pursue
math- and science-based careers. With the grant,
Fultz purchased iPads, laptops, software, a classroom
television and interactive clickers.
In its 12th year, the ORAU Education Grants
program awarded more than $39,000 to 27 teachers
from 17 East Tennessee schools. Since the inception
of the grants program in 2002 and the makeover in
2009, ORAU has provided more than $528,000 to
area schools to enrich STEM education.
M o re T ha n
$
528,000
to A rea Sc h o o l s Si nc e 2 0 0 2
Tennessee Science Bowl
For the DOE Tennessee Science Bowl, ORAU was a major sponsor, contributing more
than $77,000 and managing the 2013 competition for the agency. The winning team
from Summit High School in Spring Hill, Tenn. (pictured right), received a $1,000 cash
prize and a first-place trophy and went on to compete with 68 other high school teams
at the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., with all expenses paid. In early
FY13, ORAU was also recognized by DOE-ORNL Site Office Manager Johnny Moore
with a commemorative plaque marking ORAU’s continued support of DOE’s Tennessee
Science Bowl for more than 21 years. According to Moore, the Tennessee Science Bowl is
a “huge undertaking and [ORAU] staff have performed in an incredible manner to make
it happen. I always look forward to the next year knowing the Department can count on
[ORAU’s] participation in making the bowl a success.”
Tennessee Middle School Math Competition
ORAU donated $17,000 to Pellissippi State Community College for the 13th annual
Tennessee Middle School Math Competition. The event included more than 600 students
representing 40 area schools, such as the top school in the eighth-grade level, Robertsville
Middle School in Oak Ridge, Tenn. (pictured below). “Hosting a middle school math
competition of this scale would be impossible without the continuing support of ORAU,”
said Jonathan Lamb, Pellissippi State math professor and competition organizer. “As many
budgets appear to be shrinking in this tough economy, we are fortunate once again to have
the opportunity to host the largest middle school math competition in the Southeast.”
“… DOE can count on ORAU’s participation in
making the bowl a success.”
—DOE-ORNL Site Office Manager Johnny Moore
“Hosting a middle school math competition
of this scale would be impossible without the
continuing support of ORAU.”
—Pellissippi State Math Professor Jonathan Lamb
UT Arboretum
ORAU partnered with the University of Tennessee’s (UT) Institute of Agriculture to
provide funding for the UT Arboretum and its programs. Hosting more than 30,000
visitors annually, the arboretum, located in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is a 250-acre research and
education facility for the greater community and East Tennessee region that serves as an
outdoor classroom for K-12 and university students, as well as a natural laboratory for
research. ORAU made its final contribution toward a $100,000 ORAU grant that has
been administered over five years. Along with providing funding for a new building, the
grant is helping to expand educational programming opportunities for the community
and to promote the arboretum as a quality space for training and social events.
7
I MPACTING THE S CIENTIFIC M ISSION
S TRE N GTH E N IN G STEM L E ARNI NG , R E S E ARC H A ND W O R K F O R CE D EV ELO P M ENT
P RE PA R IN G FO R A ND R E S PO ND I NG T O E VO LVI NG T HR EAT S
P ROTE C TIN G H E A LT H AND T HE E NVI RO NM E NT
F
rom the Atomic Age to the Digital Age, the
U.S. has had a storied history of leading the world
in scientific research. However, in the more recent
past, the number of students interested in STEMrelated careers in the U.S. has declined, and
an increasing number of industrialized nations
have taken steps to make S&T a greater priority.
These combined factors have led to a steady
erosion of America’s commanding leadership in
global innovation and created an urgent need
for strengthening STEM learning, research and
workforce development in the U.S.
While the U.S. is expected to produce more
than 400,000 STEM graduates by 2015, China
and India will lead the world with more than
3.5 million and 1.5 million STEM graduates,
respectively. In K-12 education, statistics suggest
that the U.S. dilemma with STEM originates
much earlier than the college years. In fact, it has
been widely reported that American 15-year-olds
rank 25th in math and 17th in science when
compared with 65 other countries and economies.
International comparisons aside, the National
Center for Education Statistics estimates that, of
the 3.8 million ninth graders in the U.S., only
233,000 will choose a STEM major in college.
For those early career researchers who do enter
the S&T workforce, constrained federal research
budgets and a lack of funding opportunities
threaten to reduce their potential contributions
to S&T fields. The 2013 sequester, which
initiated $1.2 trillion in federal spending cuts
over nine years, has already trickled down in the
form of fewer federal research grants, indefinitely
delayed research projects and a decline in
postdoctoral fellows.
Although budgets are tight, investments in
S&T are critical for building the long-term
economic viability of our nation. Our federal
agency partners such as DOE, DoD, DHS,
CDC and others recognize the importance of
STEM education. They understand it is critical
to maintaining the strong research talent needed
to advance scientific discovery and innovation,
tackle energy and environmental challenges,
secure our nation and its interests, and protect
the health and safety of American citizens.
Through management of DOE’s ORISE and
for our many federal and state agency and
private sector partners, ORAU is providing
critical support to develop the next generation of
scientists and engineers. This includes providing
research experiences for students and early-career
postgraduates, inspiring more students to pursue
STEM-related professions and validating both
the quality of research proposals and the accuracy
of scientific information in which the U.S. has
invested its STEM research funding.
S trengthening
S T E M L earning ,
R esearch and
W orkforce
D evelopment
9
Supporting STEM research through learning
enrichment and workforce development programs
Building a strong pool of STEM talent and grooming future
leaders in S&T requires enhancing the skills, knowledge and
experience of students and researchers early in their careers. To
meet this challenge, ORAU manages robust STEM learning
enrichment and workforce development programs through DOE’s
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and ORAU’s
Center for Science Education. In FY13, these opportunities
included research experiences and professional development
programs—such as the Oak Ridge Science Semester Higher
Education Research Experience program in which undergraduate
Swetha Charles (pictured here) from Colorado College
participated at ORNL—as well as workshops, academies and
competitions. These programs and activities are focused on
advancing U.S. competency in STEM to strengthen our country’s
S&T workforce and enhance global competitiveness.
FY13 P ARTICIPANTS
BY
C ATEGORY
Undergraduates
1,124
Graduate Students
940
Recent Graduates
1,953
Postdoctoral Fellows
1,683
University Faculty 191
Other Scientists
Nearly
461
K-12 Students
K-12 Teachers
1,325
810
8,487 TOTAL Participants
8,500
Stud ents , R ec ent Gra du a tes ,
Postd o c to ra l R es ea rc hers a nd F a c u l ty
Partic i pa ted i n OR A U-A dm i ni s tered
E d uc a ti o n P ro gra m s Du ri ng F Y 1 3
Science Workforce:
Rising
Resea r c he r
Lind sa y H o ld ma n
Expanding mathematical thinking
to improve lithium�ion batteries
Lee University mathematics undergraduate Lindsay Holdman
spent 10 weeks at the National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL), participating in DOE’s Mickey Leland Energy
Fellowship (MLEF). Administered by ORISE, the MLEF
program expands STEM opportunities for students through
summer internships, with an emphasis on recruiting minorities
and females.
Holdman and her NETL mentor, Dr. Ayyakkannu Manivannan,
researched how to improve lithium-ion rechargeable batteries by
exploring the ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes. Holdman
found that her mathematics background readily applied to the
research opportunity, but in a new and different way. “While
mathematics can be very black and white, science doesn’t
necessarily have a right or wrong answer,” Holdman said. “The
whole way of thinking about experiments and research was
something very new to me and was an awesome way to expand
my thinking.”
She also found that she could learn much from the other
scientists and students in the program. “The knowledge and
experience [of my peer researchers], as well as that of my
mentor and other professional colleagues, have been amazing
to watch and learn from,” said Holdman. “I wish every college
student could have this experience. It has been one of the best
opportunities to come my way… and has allowed me to become
invested in and excited about my research.”
“I wish every
college student could
have this experience ...
[It] has allowed me to
become invested in
and excited about
my research.”
Photo credit: NETL
11
S tre ngt hen ing
S T E M Learnin g,
Re se a rch and
Workfor ce D evelo pment
Engaging students in STEM
through Science Saturdays
More than 200 middle and high school students from East Tennessee attended
a series of free “Science Saturdays” hosted by ORAU in early 2013, including
Knoxville 8th graders (pictured left) Juliana Pulsinelli, Webb School, and Allison
Campbell, West Valley Middle School. Sponsored by ORNL, this program
engaged students with nearly 30 top scientists from the laboratory on topics such
as climate change, radiation detection, robotics and biofuels and included handson activities such as making climate models of the earth or using prisms and lasers
to understand the rainbow. At the end of the series, students received a tour of
ORNL facilities, including the Spallation Neutron Source, historic Graphite
Reactor and super-computing facility. Those who attended four of the first seven
sessions qualified to compete for 10 unpaid summer internships at ORNL.
Inspiring next�generation scientists
through DOE Science Bowl competitions
Photo credit: Curtis Boles, ORNL
More
Than
225,000
N a t i o n al S ci e nce Bo wl Students
S i n c e 19 9 1
The 2013 Tennessee Science Bowl—sponsored by DOE, ORAU, and Pellissippi
State Community College—was the largest competition to date with more than
350 students and coaches from high schools across the state and more than 200
volunteers. Managed by ORAU, the Tennessee Science Bowl featured 55 teams
competing in a fast-paced question-and-answer format over two days. The teams
answered a range of questions specially prepared for the competition, covering
subjects such as physics, chemistry, earth and space science, mathematics, biology
and energy. Each year, the winning team goes on to compete with more than
50 other high school teams at the DOE National Science Bowl in Washington,
D.C., for which ORAU also provides assistance. Since its creation in 1991,
the National Science Bowl has hosted more than 225,000 students in the
competition, which serves to excite and inspire students in math and science.
Science Workforce:
Ris ing
Res earc her
Amel i a Hay es
“My experience
with CBFO is helping
make my decision of
whether I will go into
geochemistry or
another geological
field.”
Helping solve the
nation’s nuclear waste
storage challenges
Undergraduate Amelia Hayes (geology, New Mexico
State University) spent a year of her studies helping
the country deal with its nuclear waste. As a research
participant in DOE’s Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO)
Fellowship Program, administered by ORAU under
ORISE, Hayes performed water content analysis at
DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
Her efforts helped scientists better understand under
what conditions spent fuel from commercial reactors
or high-level commercial nuclear waste could be
stored at WIPP long term.
Hayes’ task was to help identify viable research
methods so scientists can determine what the water
found in the 600-meter-deep salt bed at WIPP will do
if nuclear waste were to heat the surrounding salt. The
result could take scientists one step closer to solutions
for the nation’s long-term storage of nuclear waste.
“Once I finish my undergraduate degree, I plan on
pursuing my master’s,” Hayes said. “My experience
with CBFO is helping make my decision of whether I
will go into geochemistry or another geological field.”
Photo credit: Punam Thakur, Carlsbad
Environmental Monitoring and Research Center
13
Science Workforce:
Rising
Resea r c he r
A nd r ea R o c h a , P h . D .
Bolstering DOE research in
pollution and energy through
microbial research
Andrea Rocha, Ph.D. (engineering science, University of
South Florida), has studied microorganisms since May 2012 as
part of the ORNL Postdoctoral Research Associates Program,
administered by ORAU through ORISE.
To predict changes in an environment, scientists can monitor
and analyze the prevalence and behavior of organisms that
are ecologically termed keystone species. When a keystone
species declines or disappears, it has tremendous effects on its
dependent surrounding environment, sometimes necessitating
years of restoration and recovery.
“As part of my postdoctoral research, I am working on a
collaborative project, ENIGMA, to determine subsurface
keystone bacteria species differences to enable modeling of
microbial community resiliency,” said Rocha. The ENIGMA
(Ecosystems and Networks Integrated with Genes and
Molecular Assemblies) study seeks to predict key factors that
would enable microbes to survive, compete and cooperate in
DOE-relevant research such as bioremediation of hazardous
waste sites, carbon sequestration and bioenergy production.
For Rocha, opportunities to connect with other scientists at
ORNL and beyond has also been a big part of her success. “I
like that the postdocs interact and that we can begin to foster
networking and scientific communication among our peers,”
she said.
“I like that
the postdocs
interact and that
we can begin to foster
networking and scientific
communication
among our
peers.”
Photo credit:
Lynn Freeny, DOE
Developing leaders in STEM education
through hands�on academy
In its second year, the Tennessee STEM Leadership Academy (TSLA) brought together more
than 90 educators from 67 Tennessee school districts—such as Marl Bush (pictured right),
a middle school teacher in the Memphis City School System—to learn the latest techniques
and information in the art of teaching STEM subjects. Hosted by ORAU’s Center for Science
Education, the academy featured presentations from scientists, topical forums and hands-on
group challenges related to energy production and DNA construction. TSLA attendees also
became a part of the greater Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, which is comprised of
regional hubs that form partnerships among school districts, STEM businesses and community
organizations that are all committed to accelerating the impact of STEM programs in their
regions. A three-year effort, made possible by $1.4 million in Tennessee Race to the Top funds,
TSLA was created to develop a network of K-12 educators to serve as STEM advocates in their
schools and districts.
Improving energy�related curriculum for
middle and high school students
ORAU completed and received DOE approval for a new Harnessed Atom Middle School
STEM curriculum, which provides teachers with unbiased information on energy science and
nuclear energy for classroom instruction. Developed under a contract with DOE’s Office of
Nuclear Energy and in partnership with Leidos, Inc., the curriculum has been updated with
current information and aligned with the latest national science standards. An endeavor is also
underway to develop a similar curriculum targeted to high school students. These curricula
cover the essential principles of energy and matter and provide teachers with an engaging
platform to excite students’ learning about these topics. The middle school curriculum is
currently available at www.doe.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy. Teacher kits—including
30 student readers, a teacher’s edition, a CD with educational games, posters, videos and
PowerPoint presentations—will be distributed in early 2014 to hundreds of teachers from
across the nation who had registered to receive them.
“Overall, I was very impressed with the
organization and intensity of [TSLA]. I feel
much more informed about what STEM is, the
importance of STEM education and how to
implement STEM within my classroom, school
and district.”
—submitted by a middle school teacher in
an anonymous survey after the academy
15
Science Workforce:
Rising
Resea r c he r
Maturing through early career
program to gain lead instrument
scientist position at ORNL
Cl a r i na d e la C r u z , P h . D .
Clarina dela Cruz, Ph.D. (physics, University of Houston), spends her
days at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) conducting neutron
scattering experiments. She is working with correlated electron systems
such as superconductors and multiferroic materials in order to understand
their physical properties. This knowledge and insight can lead to more
efficient application of the materials for memory storage, energy transport
and medicine, among others.
At HFIR, dela Cruz serves as a lead instrument scientist on the neutron
powder diffractometer. Her participation in the Neutron Sciences Early
Career Development Program from 2010 to 2012, which was managed by
ORAU, allowed her to gain the leadership and scientific skills necessary to
become an ORNL staff scientist in 2013. “With the guidance of my many
wonderful mentors at ORNL, I believed in the science I wanted to pursue
and knew that the rest I would just have to learn,” she said.
During her participation in the early career program, dela Cruz learned
how to run a user program on the state-of-the-art neutron powder
diffractometer. She had to manage not only the operation of the
instrument, but the safety of other users, data acquisition and analysis, and
scientific publication of results.
“I definitely
matured as a
person as I dealt with
multifaceted problems
while working in
a fast-paced
environment.”
“I definitely matured as a person as I dealt with multifaceted
problems while working in a fast-paced environment. The program
also gave me the opportunity to assess whether the long-term
goals of the lab aligned with my own. It was a great step-off point
to being here.”
In 2014, dela Cruz will receive American Physical Society’s
International Union of Pure and Applied Physics C10 Young
Scientist Prize, which recognizes exceptional achievement in
condensed matter physics. Dela Cruz has also authored 17 scientific
publications and spoken at national conferences on physics, materials
science and crystallography.
Science Workforce:
Drawing on previous postdoc
experience to improve safety of
U.S. nuclear reactors
Bruce Pint, Ph.D. (ceramic science and engineering,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology), an ORNL principal
investigator in materials science and technology, has spent
the past 20 years developing and deploying corrosion-control
solutions. In 2013, Pint’s professional contributions in improving
the performance of metal alloys and ceramics in high temperature
environments, such as steam or exhaust gas, were recognized
when he was elected a 2014 NACE (National Association of
Corrosion Engineers) International Fellow.
“My research has mainly been focused on the power generation
industry,” said Pint. “One project I’m leading is the development
of nuclear reactor fuel-rod claddings that are more resistant
to heat and steam—like that created in the 2011 accident at
Fukushima Daiichi following the tsunami.”
C a r ee r
Co ntr ibu tor
Bru c e P i nt, Ph. D.
“The DOE
postdoctoral program
introduced early
career researchers
to a rewarding
and successful
career path.”
In the early 1990s, long before he was elected a NACE fellow,
Pint began his research career as a participant in the ORAUadministered DOE Distinguished Postdoctoral Program, which
introduced him to his current place of employment at ORNL.
“The Distinguished Postdoc Program connected me to ORNL
colleagues who are knowledgeable in so many different areas,”
said Pint. “The culture exemplified world-class expectations, and
I could not have accomplished a fraction of what I have done
without the help of the staff and technicians here.”
As a current ORNL group leader, Pint hopes not only to perform
valuable research for energy industry partners but also to help
cultivate tomorrow’s S&T leaders. “Like many, I am concerned
about educating the next generation,” said Pint. “The DOE
postdoctoral program introduced early career researchers to a
rewarding and successful career path.”
17
Science Workforce:
Ris ing
Res earc he r
“I find it
amazing how
we can combine our
different backgrounds
and perspectives to
help each other solve
problems.”
Davi de Farnocchi a, P h. D.
Improving near�Earth
asteroid monitoring through
data analysis
Davide Farnocchia, Ph.D. (mathematics, University of
Pisa, Italy), is a fellow in the NASA Postdoctoral Program
(NPP), administered by ORAU. He and other researchers
in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Near-Earth Objects
program use optical, radio and space telescopes to compute
dynamical and physical properties of asteroids. Analysis of
the resulting data helps scientists better estimate asteroids’
trajectories, predict their future positions and determine
the likelihood of their impact on Earth.
Although asteroids that could cause the end of civilization
impact the Earth only once every few million years, more
than 100 tons of asteroid and comet material impact
the Earth every day—fortunately only as dust and small
particles, said Farnocchia. In October 2008, however, a
6–9 foot diameter asteroid—roughly the size of a child’s
swimming pool—impacted the Earth in Sudan, releasing
about one kiloton of energy on impact, which is equivalent
to 1,000 metric tons of TNT. According to NASA, it was
the first asteroid impact predicted in advance.
“I’ve had the chance to work with some of the most
expert professionals in the field,” Farnocchia said about
his experience with NPP. “I find it amazing how we can
combine our different backgrounds and perspectives to
help each other solve problems.”
Improving online application systems
for DOE science workforce internships
and fellowships
Under the direction and guidance of the DOE Office of Science
Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), ORAU
programmers implemented a redesign of the web application system
for WDTS-sponsored internship and fellowship programs. The new
system features streamlined account setup, a user interface design with
easy-to-follow application instructions and the capability to provide
users with timely status updates on where their applications are in the
selection process. The system also allows selecting officials at the national
laboratories to view applications and makes it possible for administrators
at those laboratories to monitor selections and make offers to selectees.
During FY13, three WDTS programs—Science Undergraduate
Laboratory Internship (SULI) Program, Community College Internship
Program, and the Visiting Faculty Program—were incorporated into the
new system. As a result, more than 2,100 applications were processed
from which 772 undergraduates and faculty were selected for fellowships
and research participation programs at 16 national laboratories during
the summer of 2013. One such participant, Kerestin Goodman (pictured
right), an undergraduate in chemistry from Albany State University,
researched carbon dioxide emissions from large peat bogs while in the
SULI program at ORNL.
Since its launch, the new online system has also enabled improved
management of application and participant information and the
collection and archiving of participant deliverables, including surveys.
An important component of the system is its ability to support simple
evaluation of program performance and impact in both the short term
and over several decades.
Photo credit: Lynn Freeny, DOE
19
S tre ngt hen ing
S T E M Learnin g,
Re se arch and
Workfo rce D evelo p ment
Supporting DOE’s mission to recognize
outstanding scientists
The DOE Early Career Research Program supports the development of individual research
programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers. The program stimulates research careers in
six discipline areas supported by the six program offices of the DOE Office of Science (DOE-SC):
advanced scientific computing research, basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research,
fusion energy sciences, high energy physics and nuclear physics. In FY13, ORAU peer review experts
coordinated the Early Career Research Program peer reviews for all six DOE-SC program offices.
The combined effort, which involved reviews of 767 projects and 1,033 reviewers, resulted in 61
awards to early career researchers worth up to $15.3 million dollars over five years for research
programs funded by DOE-SC.
Impacting millions in research funding for DOE-SC
In addition to supporting $15.3 million in funding opportunities for DOE-SC’s Early Career
Research Program, ORAU supported the allocation of five billion processor hours at ORNL and
Argonne National Laboratory through DOE’s leadership computing program INCITE. ORAU peer
review specialists have also supported dozens of other reviews for five separate DOE-SC program
offices in FY13 totaling more than $165 million in federal funding awards.
Photo credit: ORNL
DOE-SC P ROGRAM O FFICES A WARDS
Advanced Scientific
Computing Research
$52 M
Basic Energy Sciences $10 M
Biological and
Environmental Research
Fusion Energy Sciences
$27.3 M
$16.8 M
$60 M
High Energy Physics
TOTAL $166.1 Million
P ee r Re vi e w
f o r Mo re Than
165 Million
$
in Fed eral Funding Award s
Science Workforce:
Risin g
Resea r c he r
Jason Hayward, Ph.D.
Receiving DOE funding extends the
research of nuclear engineer
One of the 61 Early Career Research Program Award recipients recognized by DOESC in 2013 is Jason Hayward, Ph.D. (nuclear engineering, University of Michigan), an
assistant professor with the University of Tennessee’s Department of Nuclear Engineering.
Five years ago, he was working in ORNL’s Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate
as a participant in the Higher Education Research Experiences (HERE) program,
administered by ORAU under ORISE.
“The HERE program allowed me to work alongside ORNL scientists, broadening my
perspective on approaches to nuclear engineering research,” said Hayward. “It increased
my understanding for how nuclear data evaluation affects simulation work for modeling
radiation instrumentation systems and the way I conduct radiation measurements.”
“... Research funded
by DOE [has] the
potential to lead to
patents, enhanced
national security and
increased global
competitiveness.”
A current joint faculty member with ORNL’s Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology
Division, Hayward received funding from the DOE Early Career Research Program
Award to help develop the next generation of high resolution instrumentation design for
neutron imaging facilities like ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source.
Hayward, whose research is contributing to curtailing the spread of nuclear weapons
and identifing viable alternative energy sources, attributes DOE’s support for early career
scientists as being critical for strengthening the U.S. scientific workforce. “A number
of my graduate students have been supported through DOE funds, allowing them to
research a wide range of topics from new scintillator development for measuring radiation
to using radiation detection methods for monitoring treaty verification and nuclear arms
control initiatives,” said Hayward. "Some of the innovations resulting from basic research
funded by DOE have the potential to lead to patents, enhanced national security and
increased global competitiveness.”
Photo credit:
University of
Tennessee
21
Providing responsive customer solutions
under reduced government spending
The 2013 sequester led to across-the-board budget cuts for
government agencies in a variety of key areas. As spending for
federal employee travel and scientific conferences was cut in FY13,
ORAU embraced responsive methods for addressing customer needs
and explored ways to reduce operating costs without jeopardizing
the quality of peer review services.
ORAU hosted 420 attendees for peer reviews and other events
through the use of more than a dozen virtual meetings, webinars
and online reviews. Considering the price tag for 10 reviewers
to attend a one-day on-site panel review in Washington,
D.C.—including the cost of travel, hotel, audiovisual and other
miscellaneous logistics totaling nearly $40,000—these efforts
potentially saved DOE more than $1.6 million.
ORAU peer review specialists also supported DOE-SC’s decision
to implement a new software system called the Portfolio Analysis
and Management System—known as PAMS—that could service
the entire grants management cycle, including peer review. ORAU’s
assistance for DOE’s transition to this new system included
planning the launch, testing the system’s peer review functionality
and organizing two peer review panels for piloting the new
platform—an effort that involved a combined 48 proposals, 37
reviewers and $8 million in anticipated federal funding awards.
M ore
T han
Million
1.6
$
i n P o tenti a l C o s t S a vi n gs
T h ro u gh V i rtua l E ven ts
D
espite the end of the Cold War and the
nuclear arms race in the early 1990s, vulnerable
nuclear weapons-grade materials are still a major
threat to the security of the United States and
its allies. Over the past 20 years, there have been
more than 400 cases of smuggled or stolen nuclear
materials worldwide. These statistics become even
more alarming when individuals who obtain as little
as 28 kilograms of highly enriched uranium on the
black market can accelerate the time necessary for a
country to develop a nuclear bomb to just a matter
of weeks.
As recently as 2010, during the Nuclear Security
Summit in Washington, D.C., leaders from 47
different nations agreed to secure nuclear materials
and stop the spread of nuclear weapons. North
Korea and Iran, both of which continue to develop
their own nuclear weapons programs, are advancing
the scale and sophistication of their intercontinental
ballistic missile capabilities. Couple these longrange missile programs with nuclear warheads or
chemical weapons, such as sarin nerve gas, and
the pressure to intervene weighs heavily on the
international community.
The U.S. nuclear weapons complex presents its
own myriad of security challenges with eight sites
across the nation containing enough separated
plutonium for more than 10,000 nuclear weapons
and enough highly enriched uranium for more than
20,000 nuclear weapons. To prevent biological or
chemical terrorism, DHS collaborates with more
than 4,000 high-risk facilities across the nation to
increase safety and stop terrorists from exploiting
America’s chemical infrastructure.
In addition to protecting U.S. nuclear and
chemical materials, preventing home-grown
terrorism and predicting the next disaster
are integral for enhancing national security.
Rudimentary explosive devices are effective and
easily constructed. The seemingly unpredictable
devastation caused by natural disasters often leads
to the re-evaluation of the strength and security
of utilities, waterways and other civil engineering
features. Man-made atrocities are also constantly
reinforcing the need to re-evaluate emergency
response plans and improve ways to protect
American lives.
P re paring f o r
and
r es p o n d ing t o
E v o lv ing t hreat s
Threats to the U.S. are diverse and
interconnected and require a multidisciplinary
approach to combat a rapidly changing
environment. ORAU national security,
emergency management and radiation emergency
medicine experts are providing planning advice
as well as mission-focused operational support
during real-world events. This support provides
customers with planning, research and readiness
activities that strengthen the preparedness and
response capabilities of the nation.
23
Providing government agencies with
responsive solutions to emergencies and threats
As potential crises emerge or unthinkable disasters
occur, an agile and effective response is essential to
restore safety and order. This responsiveness does
not come automatically but rather is the result of
careful planning and preparedness for these types
of situations. Through managing training, drills
and exercises, as well as supporting basic research in
national security and related fields, ORAU assists
national and international agencies that are tasked
with the mission to prepare for, respond to and recover
from a full range of natural and man-made threats
to safety and security. ORAU provides specialized
expertise in counterterrorism preparedness, emergency
management and response and operational readiness.
ORAU also manages DOE’s Radiation Emergency
Assistance Center/Training Site, which provides
training and 24/7 radiation emergency medicine
response. In FY13, ORAU planned and executed
more than 250 exercises and training courses involving
thousands of first responders, emergency management
personnel, medical professionals, safety and health
administrators and law enforcement personnel.
More
Than
250
Exercises and Tra i ni n g C o urs es
I nv olv ing Th o us a nds o f P a rti c i pa n ts
Supporting security efforts for
Presidential Inauguration and State
of the Union Address
ORAU personnel provided mission support to the NNSA Office of Emergency
Operations, which conducted preventive radiological/nuclear detection (PRND)
activities at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration per the request of the U.S. Secret
Service. ORAU staff provided logistics support to the field teams staffing portal
monitors as well as operations management support to DOE-NNSA’s Nuclear
Incident Team in Washington, D.C., and Germantown, Md. At the request of the FBI
Washington Field Office, DOE-NNSA also provided PRND support as part of the
security element during the President’s State of the Union address. This high-level event
required deployment of assets in the National Capital Region, and ORAU staff again
provided operations management support to the Nuclear Incident Team in D.C.
Photo credit: White House,
Lawrence Jackson
Preparing White House and field�level
operations for radiological terrorist attack
As part of assistance to DOE-NNSA, ORAU provided substantial design and
development support for a tabletop exercise held at the White House Complex in May
2013. With more than 30 U.S. Government senior leaders participating, the exercise
successfully validated the management concept of an integrated response to a domestic
radiological/nuclear terrorist attack. It also identified areas for improvement and
institutionalized the Interagency Domestic Radiological/Nuclear Search Plan, which
ensures appropriate coordination of activities occurring from the White House to fieldand tactical-level operations during an incident. Key plan concepts will be incorporated
into national-level exercises in the near future.
M o re
T ha n
30
U. S . G o vern m ent S en i o r
L ea ders P a rti c i pa ted i n
W hi te H o us e Terro ri s t
Ex erc i s e Des i gn ed by ORAU
25
S ci enc e Workf orc e:
R i s i ng
Resea r c her
Nat ha n ie l Z a h a r ia
Serving as “mission controller” for
transport of radioactive material
Since September 2010, Nathaniel Zaharia (B.S., mechanical engineering,
Carnegie Mellon University) has been participating in nuclear safety research
in the ORNL Post Bachelor’s Research Participation Program, administered
by ORAU through ORISE. Specifically, he is participating in the NNSA
Global Threat Reduction Initiative to improve the identification, security
and removal of high-risk, vulnerable radiological materials around the world.
“My research project focuses on increasing the security of domestic
transportation of radioactive materials and to shorten the response time
for security, law enforcement and emergency workers in the event of an
incident,” said Zaharia.
His research group is helping determine which tracking systems work best
for this process. To test each system, a three-member team including Zaharia
travels a specific route to simulate a radiological transport. Ideally, the
tracking system will tell if the transport vehicle deviates from its designated
course or predetermined arrival time or if communication from the vehicle
drops entirely. The team’s strategy is also to integrate the systems with DOE’s
transportation tracking and communications system, called TRANSCOM,
to benefit widespread hazardous materials transport.
“I think it is
pretty cool if I can
have a little hand in
making radioactive
transports safer.”
Zaharia has an increased appreciation for transportation security and plans
to continue to do research while pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical
engineering from the University of Tennessee. “Radioactive sources are used
in so many industries like medicine, food processing, basic research and
more,” he said. “I think it is pretty cool if I can have a little hand in making
radioactive transports safer.”
Photo credit: Lynn Freeny, DOE
Testing readiness of radiation sensing
equipment with no�notice exercise in Alaska
ORAU led the planning, execution and evaluation of a no-advance-notice exercise for DOENNSA in Alaska during the summer of 2013. The NNSA’s Office of Emergency Operations,
the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska Aerospace Corporation completed the exercise to
validate the use of the NNSA Aerial Measuring System (AMS) radiation sensing equipment
on board a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter based at Air Station Kodiak, Alaska. The AMS
is used for finding radiological sources or for responding to a radiological emergency, such as
the 2011 nuclear power plant crisis in Japan. The exercise helped NNSA evaluate using the
AMS equipment on Coast Guard aircraft and execute a real-time deployment with another
government agency with no advance notice. “ORAU’s employees did an excellent job in
planning and evaluating the exercise,” said Major Kirk Czap, exercise director for DOENNSA Office of Emergency Response. “This exercise helped expand the AMS versatility by
certifying the equipment on [Coast Guard] helicopters. This expanded capability enhances
the security posture of both agencies.”
Training first responders for
detection of radiological materials
at large�scale public events
“ORAU’s employees did an excellent job…
This expanded capability enhances the
security posture of both agencies.”
— Major Kirk Czap, exercise director for
DOE-NNSA Office of Emergency Response
ORAU conducted a three-day advanced radiation/nuclear detection operations course in
February 2013 for first responders from the National Capitol Region. Training was conducted
at Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.
The course included an exercise at the stadium on how to detect and prevent the presence
of radiological materials at special events. It also examined the basic science of radioactive
materials and covered Incident Management System principles used to direct first-responder
operations during an emergency. As part of the exercise, first responders found radiological
sources hidden in cars, under stadium seats and throughout a parking lot while deploying
a wide variety of radiological detection equipment. Additionally, participants weighed in
on incident command decisions directing the operations. This effort was part of the DHS
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office training series to educate emergency responders on how
to detect radiological sources at a large-scale public event.
27
Scie nc e Wor k f orc e:
R i s i ng
Res earc her
Sara Harri son
Improving performance,
efficiency of neutron detectors
“Participating in
this program has ...
helped me realize I
would like to continue
contributing to projects
that address national
security ...”
Sara Harrison, a doctoral student in electrical engineering at Leland
Stanford Junior University, participated in the DHS Homeland
Security-STEM Summer Internship Program in 2013. The
program, managed by ORAU under ORISE, provides opportunities
for students in STEM fields to conduct research in homeland
security mission-relevant areas at federal research facilities located
across the country.
Harrison was part of a team of researchers in Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Materials Engineering Division
focused on improving the performance and detection efficiency of
solid state thermal neutron detectors.
“Neutron detectors are one of the essential tools to spot nuclear
threats,” said Harrison, “and there has been a recent increase
in demand for border security devices capable of detecting the
transport of fissile materials in cargo.” Solid state thermal neutron
detectors, when compared with conventional gas-filled detectors,
have the potential to be more compact, operate at lower voltages
and be more robust against vibration-induced noise.
“Participating in this program has better acquainted me
with working in a national laboratory and given me a greater
understanding of the scientific and engineering challenges facing the
nation,” she said. “It has helped me realize I would like to continue
contributing to projects that address national security by working at
a national laboratory after graduation.”
Photo credit: Barry Goldman, LLNL
Preparing California schools for
active shooter incidents
More
Than
2,700
Sc h o ol , E me r ge ncy, Med ical
a n d L aw Enfo r ce me nt
P er s onne l P ar ti ci pate d in
Ac t i v e Shoo te r Se mi nars
In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown,
Conn., ORAU supported the California Office of Emergency Services with
facilitating a free series of 14 Active Shooter Awareness seminars to 265
K-12 public school districts in California over a five-month period in 2013.
Multiple schools within districts participated in each half-day seminar, and
attendance totaled more than 2,700 school educators and administrators as
well as emergency, medical and law enforcement personnel. Seminar content
covered historical information on active shooters and major events. In addition
to school training and capabilities, the training covered local responder agency
capabilities, policies and procedures. The seminars were also extended to several
colleges, state agencies and private companies. Seminar documents, handouts,
checklists and other resources are now available on the School Active Shooter
Awareness Seminar page of www.calema.ca.gov.
Preparing Georgia schools for radiation
emergencies following nuclear detonation
For the CDC, ORAU emergency management experts completed two, one-day
tabletop exercises to increase the preparedness of county schools in Georgia
for a radiation emergency. Each of the scenario-based exercises focused on
sheltering in place after an improvised nuclear device event and included nearly
50 school administrators and personnel, emergency management personnel
and public health officials and workers. The exercises—which resulted from
increased government review of preparedness planning, including school
systems, following the 2011 Fukushima radiation incident in Japan—produced
key findings that most schools are not prepared to shelter in place for 48 hours
per federal guidance. Critical preparedness gaps have been summarized by
ORAU and recommendations provided in a report to the CDC.
29
Enhancing emergency preparedness
of chemical stockpile site personnel
and surrounding communities
Pr e pari n g f o r
a n d R e spo n di n g t o
E v o l v i n g T h r e at s
For the first time, ORAU took customized Chemical Stockpile
Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) training on the road to
public information officers and emergency managers at the Colorado
and Kentucky stockpile sites. The goal was to help alleviate budget
constraints for the sites, increase course participation and address each
site’s technology needs. Attendance increased dramatically for the
CSEPP basic three-day course compared to the previous year. CSEPP
is a partnership between DHS, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army that provides emergency
preparedness assistance and resources to communities surrounding the
Army’s chemical-warfare-agent stockpiles.
The basic CSEPP course focuses on practical, cost-effective solutions,
using the latest operational coordination technology tools—mobile
applications, cloud technology and social media. The goal is for CSEPP
communities to better manage, develop and deliver timely public
information before, during and after an emergency event.
Under the CSEPP contract, ORAU also created two mobile
applications: CSEPP Ready and EROs To Go. CSEPP Ready is
designed to assist local communities in better preparing for an
emergency involving the stockpile and provides checklists for family
disaster kits, information on responding to emergency sirens and
directions for sheltering in place. EROs To Go was developed using
CSEPP exercise policies and guidance to provide exercise evaluators
with “CSEPP Emergency Response Outcomes (EROs) and Exercise
Evaluation Guides” in a mobile format. Both applications are free and
available on the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.
F ree
Mobi l e
Apps
Ava i l a bl e f o r Di s a s ter P repa redn es s
a n d E m ergen c y M a na gem ent
S ci enc e Workf orc e:
R i s i ng
Rese a r c her
R eb ecc a Ag a p o v, P h . D .
“... We discover
new fundamental
principles leading to
improved ... sensors
capable of identifying any
possible threat with
faster response
time.”
Investigating nanostructures to help
advance forensic science, other fields
Rebecca Agapov, Ph.D. (polymer science, University of Akron), studies
nanostructures as part of the ORNL Postdoctoral Research Associates Program,
administered under ORISE by ORAU. She is investigating the basic science behind
light confinement in nanostructures by using Raman spectroscopy, which can then
be used to develop large-scale chemical sensors. “Advanced sensors like this could
make a big difference in the world of analytical chemistry, forensics, public safety
and energy harvesting,” said Agapov.
Agapov spends her days in the Nanofabrication Research Group under the
direction of Staff Scientist Nickolay Lavrik at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase
Materials Science, one of five DOE nanoscience research centers around the nation.
“This is the perfect environment to cultivate scientific curiosity, explore cutting
edge science, develop meaningful results and have a lot of fun doing it,” she said.
In support of homeland security for detection of chemical, biological or explosive
threats, Agapov’s research also has many practical implications. “In our research, we
discover new fundamental principles leading to improved chemical and biological
sensors capable of identifying any possible threat with faster response time.”
Agapov’s research is contributing to the baseline knowledge of nanostructures,
helping future students and other researchers. “The basic science we are performing
today will find its way into classrooms in the very near future,” said Agapov. “This
knowledge lays the groundwork to inspire and motivate future generations of
scientists and engineers, therefore ensuring strength in innovation for our future.”
Her appointment began in January 2013 and will last at least through 2014, when
she plans to leverage her nanofabrication, polymer science and spectroscopy skills
to find an industrial position in materials science.
Photo credit: Lynn Freeny, DOE
31
Publishing radiation emergency
medicine guides in multiple formats
for ease of use
The Medical Aspects of Radiation Incidents, published by REAC/TS, is
now available in its third edition as a free iBook from iTunes. Previously
published as a printed pocket guide and available for free download as
an e-book from http://orau.us/radaccmngmnt, the guide provides the
basic information needed for the medical management of victims of
radiation incidents in an easy-to-understand manner.
REAC/TS also has published The Medical Basis for RadiationAccident Preparedness—Medical Management: Proceedings of the Fifth
International REAC/TS Symposium. Developed in hard-cover and
Kindle format available on Amazon.com, the proceedings include
case studies and research from 37 world-renowned medical radiation
experts and more than 100 authors of scientific papers that do not
exist anywhere else. The compilation covers topics ranging from the
Fukushima radiation disaster and radiation stem cell therapy to using
ultrasound for diagnosis of radiation injury and practical radiation
medical applications. Information on cutting-edge technologies and
procedures for diagnosing and treating radiation injuries and illnesses is
also included.
F e a tur e s
Mo re Than
100
Sci e nti fi c Pap ers By
Me di cal R adiation Exp erts
Increasing international capacity
for cytogenetic analysis of
radiation accident victims
The REAC/TS Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Laboratory designed a collaborative,
web platform for remote analysis of chromosome images and led an
international exercise conducted entirely online with cytogeneticists from
laboratories in six countries: Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain,
Japan and the U.S. Collectively, the accuracy of the cytogeneticists’ biological
dose estimate was within five percent of the true dose, thus demonstrating that
the labor-intensive task of scoring chromosome images to determine human
radiation doses can be done online from various locations. This would prove
invaluable during a mass radiation exposure event. The resulting paper has
been accepted for publication in Operational Radiation Safety. This lab was
established as part of the nation’s radiological and nuclear response network
for DOE-NNSA, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response and is
managed by REAC/TS.
Conducting I�Med training
across the globe
REAC/TS trained more than 250 physicians, nurses and emergency responders
in Armenia, Austria, China, Mexico, Taiwan and Vietnam in FY13 to help
prepare them for a possible nuclear or radiological incident response. This
highly specialized International Medical Management of Radiation Incident
Victims training, better known as I-Med, is funded by DOE-NNSA as part of
their international programs. It helps ensure that medical care providers around
the world are able to appropriately respond to incidents and accidents involving
radioactive materials by providing participants with information on how to
treat contaminated and/or irradiated patients following a radiation incident.
London, Great Britain
Vienna, Austria
Munich, Germany
Yerevan, Armenia
Ottawa, Canada
Oak Ridge, USA
Haikou, China
Veracruz, Mexico
Aomori, Japan
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Hanoi, Vietnam
Cytogenetic Exercise
I-Med Training
Buenos Aires,
Argentina
33
S ci enc e Workf orc e:
CA R E E R
CO NT RI B U T O R
J o hna fre d Th o m a s
Applying past fellowship experience
to present nuclear security facility
operations position
Johnafred Thomas, an operations manager and 22-year employee at the Y-12 National
Security Complex, is contributing to efforts of vital importance to national security
through his role at a nuclear facility in the complex. “Our work supports those brave
men and women who defend our nation in times of war and peace… I am proud to be
a small part of such a great mission,” he said.
Thomas’ professional success was preceded by early-career participation, from 1989
to 1991, in the DOE Operational Health Physics Fellowship Program, administered
by ORAU. The opportunity facilitated his completion of a graduate degree in health
physics from the University of North Carolina in 1991 as well as a three-month
practicum with ORAU’s Professional Training Programs. During his fellowship, he
assisted with laboratory exercises/training and emergency response drills. He also
gained a better understanding of operational health physics and how it could be
applied in a laboratory, hospital or manufacturing environment. In 1991, he came to
work at Y-12 as a radiological engineer.
“These opportunities
create excitement,
energy and a passion
for science and
engineering that can
lead to a challenging,
satisfying career.”
Thomas finds himself continually drawing from the skills he gained during his
participation in the program. “Exposure to a diverse environment, like a DOE site,
can entice young students and researchers to enter a world that has unique situations,
challenges, hazards and environments, unlike any in general industry,” he said. “These
opportunities create excitement, energy and a passion for science and engineering that
can lead to a challenging, satisfying career.”
In Thomas’ opinion, the DOE complex will continue to solve difficult problems, both
new and from past generations. “Success in this area,” he said, “is dependent on the
continual supply of professional men and women, armed with confidence, knowledge
and a breadth of experience that comes from participation in these types of programs.”
Photo credit: Y-12
A
fter World War II ended, the U.S.
continued to design and produce nuclear weapons
for years while the nation remained engaged in
the Cold War with other world superpowers. Over
time, nuclear-based research evolved to include
several peacetime applications such as medical
isotopes, clean energy and nuclear physics. Medical
isotope research led to the improved diagnosis
and treatment for millions of Americans with
cancer and disease. Nuclear power plants were
built across the U.S. to address increased energy
demands. Nuclear physics research improved our
understanding of the building blocks of matter,
which led to many discoveries.
radiation exposure may have contributed to
cancer development and to provide financial
compensation where the probability was as likely
as not. The NRC placed a greater emphasis
on training nuclear power plant operators,
reducing equipment failures and other matters
that would help prevent reactor accidents. And
studies, particularly within DOE and the EPA,
looked at how contaminants moved through the
environment, identified the ecological effects of
energy production and created environmental
management programs to clean up radioactive
waste resulting from more than 50 years of nuclear
weapons production and energy research.
The benefits of basic nuclear research and its many
applications have been valuable, but the resulting
environmental and health impacts, as well as the
potential criticality safety issues, were not clear
at first. Many of the facilities and workers under
contract to process nuclear materials during the
Manhattan Project and the years that followed were
exposed to levels of radiation higher than today’s
standards. Reactor accidents at Three Mile Island
in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986 reinforced public
perception of nuclear risk and led to an increased
demand for stronger nuclear safety measures.
Protecting worker and public health and the
environment also extends to detecting and
responding to new and emerging health threats.
Agencies such as the CDC and the World Health
Organization prepare communities for all types
of disease outbreaks, including both deliberate
bioterrorism attacks and naturally occurring
public health threats such as an influenza
pandemic.
As a result, the U.S. Department of Labor and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
created compensation and dose reconstruction
programs to identify cases where occupational
P ro t ec t ing
H e a lt h a nd
th e
E nv iro nm ent
In partnership with corporate and government
customers, ORAU supports the nation’s efforts
to protect health and the environment with
independent environmental assessments, robust
worker health programs and solutions for
educating the public, training health care workers
and facilitating health communication at all levels.
35
Capturing more than a half century of
radiation data on one million workers
In its first full year, the Million Worker Study finalized the project scope to include creating
a registry that will capture 70+ years of occupational radiation data, dating from 1942
to present. The precedent-setting study also will include an assessment of internal organ
dosage—the first of its kind—that will incorporate internal and external exposure to derive
an overall organ dose. The study, launched in 2012, is a largest-of-its-kind study in the U.S.
on the effects of long-term work exposure to low-dose radiation. The study population of
more than one million workers includes uranium and plutonium workers at DOE sites,
nuclear weapons test workers, nuclear power plant workers, industrial radiographers,
radiologists and other medical practitioners. The registry database, which was constructed by
ORAU, contains exposure data on DOE workers and is an integral part of the epidemiologic
studies for which ORAU is also providing support, analysis and expertise.
Expanding free screenings for former DOE
workers for earlier lung cancer detection
Beginning in July 2013, DOE’s National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) expanded
its free screening options to include a pilot program for early lung cancer detection using
low-dose CT scans. The goal of the pilot is to provide this early screening for workers at
increased risk due to past exposure to carcinogens while working at DOE sites. Because the
pilot program is being performed in conjunction with our partner, National Jewish Health,
in Denver, employees from the former Rocky Flats Plant are the first to be offered this new
service. The NSSP, managed by ORAU, coordinates with more than 2,000 clinics to provide
these and other free screenings in every state. Medical screening examinations are designed
to identify occupational diseases such as chronic respiratory illnesses, hearing loss, kidney
or liver disease and some forms of cancer. Since the beginning of the overall NSSP in 2005,
more than 12,000 former DOE workers have undergone at least one free customized medical
examination to assess health issues from exposure to hazardous substances at work.
Million
1
Wo rk er Stu dy C a ptures
7 0 + Yea rs o f R a di a ti o n D a ta
Providing more than 20 years of health
testing for beryllium workers
Since performing its first beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test, or BeLPT,
in 1993 as part of the Y-12 Beryllium Workers Research Study, the ORISE
Beryllium Laboratory program has expanded to test workers from DOE facilities
across the complex. The BeLPT helps determine if a person has developed a
sensitization to beryllium, which could evolve into chronic beryllium disease.
In FY13, ORAU health professionals at the laboratory performed nearly 4,100
BeLPTs with zero errors. During the past 20 years, lab personnel have performed
more than 63,000 BeLPTs, growing from 225 tests performed in its first year to
an average of 4,000–5,000 in recent years. The laboratory, certified under the
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act, or CLIA guidelines, and accredited by
the College of American Pathologists, stands as one of only three facilities in the
U.S. currently performing BeLPTs. In 2013, the laboratory began an expansion
of its physical footprint to better accommodate work flow and an increased
demand for these tests.
Supporting radiation protection workers
with new professional group
At the request of the DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security, ORAU created
the Radiation Protection Special Interest Group in early FY13 to support the
informal sharing of occupational radiation safety and health information. This
information includes training materials, guidelines, procedures, best practices,
lessons learned and other resources and is shared through the RP SIG web site,
located at www.orau.gov/rpsig. Radiation safety and health specialists from within
the DOE community can become members of the RP SIG at no cost, and this
network fosters an ongoing dialogue between DOE and its contractors to aid in
the identification of new and revised DOE radiation safety and health policies and
guidance for use at DOE sites.
M o re
T ha n
63,000
Beryl l i um Tes ts P erf o rm ed
D uri ng T he P a s t 2 0 Yea rs
37
S ci enc e Workf orc e:
Ri s in g
Resea r c h er
Mi chae l B e lla my, P h . D .
Using new models to quantify health
risk associated with radiation exposure
With nearly 48 million mammograms performed in the U.S. per year,
scientists like Michael Bellamy, Ph.D. (nuclear engineering, Georgia Tech),
are more than a little curious about the relationship between cancer risk and
the energy of photons and electrons. Bellamy, a native of the Republic of
Trinidad and Tobago, had an opportunity to explore this relationship while
participating in three educational research programs at ORNL, all of which
were managed by ORAU under ORISE—the Nuclear Engineering Science
Laboratory Synthesis Program, the Post-Master’s Research Participation
Program and the Postdoctoral Research Associates Program.
Under the guidance of world-renowned scientists at the lab, Bellamy’s research
resulted in proposed models to assess radiation-induced DNA damage. “By
computer-simulating the electron track interacting with a DNA molecule,
we can quantify the types and locations of interactions, which can help us
estimate how dangerous that particular radiation is,” he said. Bellamy and
his mentor, Dr. Keith Eckerman, who leads the ORNL dosimetry research
team and who recently received the prestigious Gold Medal for Radiation
Protection award, spent about a year and a half developing two models to
explore this.
“An early career scientist enrolled in the ORNL Postdoctoral or Post-Master’s
Programs can expect world-class scientific guidance, career advice, professional
development and financial security,” said Bellamy of his participation in
these programs. According to Bellamy, the ORNL program is one of the few
opportunities to become involved deeply in the study of radiation dosimetry,
or the measurement and calculation of doses of radiation in matter and tissue.
“The research we do protects workers and citizens of the United States and the
world; what nobler purpose is there?”
“The research
we do protects
workers and citizens
of the United States
and the world; what
nobler purpose
is there?”
Photo credit: Lynn Freeny, DOE
S ci enc e Workf orc e:
Ri s in g R ese a r c h er S
S uad , S a u s a n , a n d Alia El Bu rai Fé lix
R ya n Tu t t le
Photo credit: Laura Félix
S ha ring a passio n f or imp r oving p ub lic
he a lth t hro u gh CDC r es ea r c h p r og r a m
For the first time, three sisters simultaneously participated in research for the same federal agency. Although Suad, Sausan,
and Alia El Burai Félix (pictured above, left to right) conducted research in different sectors of the CDC, the Puerto
Rican sisters all share a passion for improving public health standards. Their assignments are sponsored by the CDC
Research Participation Programs, administered by ORAU through ORISE. A former Hispanic-Serving Health Professions
School trainee at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Suad has been researching asthma-related topics
through statistical analyses using state-based and national surveys. She has been with the Air Pollution and Respiratory
Health Branch of CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health since September 2011. Sausan (MPH, biostatistics,
University of Puerto Rico), who is Suad’s twin sister, joined the program in November 2012. Along with key staff of
CDC’s Prescription Drug Overdose Team, Sausan evaluated the successes and challenges of several states’ Prescription Drug
Monitoring Programs. Alia (M.S., environmental health, University of Puerto Rico) joined CDC’s NIOSH in January
2013 and participates at the Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies in Cincinnati. Her research
involves the development of a database quantifying the levels of noise that workers are exposed to across the U.S. in various
careers and industries.
“I have a better
understanding of
how the government
functions ... and the
life of a civil servant ...”
— Ryan Tuttle
D e te rminin g best p r a c tic es f or envir onmental
c om p liance t h ro ugh r eg ula tor y r eq uir ements t racki n g
Graduate student Ryan Tuttle (public policy, Oregon State University) was no stranger to the DOE Scholars Program—
he participated once before in a different division—but that did not stop him from gaining another valuable experience
with DOE in 2013. The DOE Scholars Program introduces students or recent college graduates to DOE’s mission and
operations. Tuttle served his most recent appointment in the Office of Environmental Compliance, where he focused on
determining best practices through compiling different regulatory requirements and tracking the methods used to close issues
with these requirements. “I have a better understanding of how the government functions internally from this experience,
and the life of a civil servant is very different than I expected.” Once he completes his master’s degree in public policy at
Oregon State University, Tuttle hopes to work his way into the renewable energy and energy efficiency side of the federal
government with DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, DOE’s Bonneville Power Administration or the EPA.
Photo credit: DOE
39
Promoting HPV immunizations for adolescent
girls and boys
ORAU is working on a two-year health communication project, which began in late FY12,
with the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The project
involves implementing a health communication and social marketing campaign to promote
the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls and boys, ages 11 to 12. HPV is a sexually
transmitted disease that has been found to be associated with several types of cancer in both
women and men. The campaign targets parents and health care providers through traditional
media channels such as radio ads but also through digital media advertisements on targeted
websites and social media channels. As an important component of the project, ORAU is
conducting research through focus groups with parents of adolescent boys and girls and health
care workers and is collecting data on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the HPV vaccine
held by these individuals. Based on the findings from these focus groups, ORAU and CDC
staff have developed HPV educational materials for these audiences to better address their
needs for information about this vaccine.
Promoting flu vaccinations with DOE site
employees through use of toolkit
Make It Your Business to Fight the Flu: A Toolkit for Businesses and Employers was developed by
ORAU for the CDC and distributed free to 22 DOE site medical directors across the country
prior to flu season for their local campaigns. The toolkit provides information and strategies,
such as hosting a flu vaccination clinic in the workplace and promoting flu vaccinations in the
community. A PDF of the toolkit and a podcast is available for free download at
www.cdc.gov/flu/business.
Accelerating the pace of cleanup
through innovation
ORAU continued to support DOE’s cleanup mission across the complex in FY13
by completing independent verification of more than 200,000 acres and more than
3,500 square feet of facilities at three major DOE sites: Hanford, Paducah and Oak
Ridge. The team also performed the sampling and analysis of 13 abandoned legacy
liquid waste containers located at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak
Ridge. The work, which totaled more than 37,000 field- and laboratory-related safe
work hours, was completed with the help of several ORAU innovations. A largevolume gamma detector helped ORAU environmental assessment experts cover
expansive land areas more quickly and a nonintrusive survey method was used for
quantifying radioactivity in pipes and ductwork. To increase quality and timeliness,
ORAU health physicists also employed tools providing rapid remote data transfer
to expedite the review of survey data and enable real-time decision-making while
performing in-field assessments.
More
Than
37,000
F i e l d- and Labor ato ry R el ate d S afe Wor k Hours
Continuing radiological surveys
aboard seven ships that responded
to Fukushima nuclear crisis
ORAU’s environmental survey team assessed and successfully cleared another
maritime support ship in FY13 that had been exposed to radioactive materials
leaking from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following the March
2011 earthquake and tsunami. This result means that four of seven ships have now
satisfied regulatory release criteria. ORAU also received approval from the Naval
Sea Systems Command for a technical basis document that outlines an innovative
approach for quantifying the total amount of contamination found within
the ships’ air-handling systems. As the only team with an approved process for
surveying and decontaminating ventilation systems, ORAU and its partners expect
to have all seven ships fully released by the end of FY14.
41
Sc ienc e Wor k f orc e:
Ri s ing
Rese arc her
I si s Fukai
I n v e st i gat i n g car bo n di o xi de
s t o r age s o l u t i o n s t o o f f s e t
gre e n h o u se gas e m i ssi o n s
“The experience
has given me insight
into the innovative
research happening
at national U.S.
laboratories.”
Isis Fukai (M.S., geology, Louisiana State University) spent 10
weeks during summer 2013 at NETL participating in DOE’s
Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship, administered by ORAU under
ORISE. The fellowship provides opportunities for STEM majors,
especially females and minorities, to engage in research projects
relevant to the DOE Office of Fossil Energy’s mission.
“This is a good program for people who are interested in public
service via scientific research,” Fukai said. “I wanted to participate
in geologic research…related to national energy sustainability and
independence.”
Fukai and her NETL mentor Angela Goodman used infrared
spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to develop a
regional-scale resource assessment of the carbon dioxide massstorage potential of all gas shale formations in the United States.
This approach could help offset greenhouse gas emissions in the
U.S.
“The experience has given me insight into the innovative research
happening at national U.S. laboratories,” Fukai said. From
collaborating with chemists and undergraduates to geoscientists
and postdocs, Fukai has made broad-range connections that have
greatly enhanced her research.
Photo credit: NETL
Measuring Arctic emissions
using airborne laboratory
ORAU climate scientists are providing fundamental support to a multiyear effort to measure
the distribution of emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, both greenhouse gases, across
the Arctic tundra. The ORAU scientists work closely with NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence
and Diffusion Division and are experts in airborne measurement of turbulence. Harvard
University, NOAA and Aurora Flight Sciences, Inc., collaborated to develop and deploy the
FOCAL—or Flux Observations of Carbon from an Airborne Laboratory, which is a newly
instrumented DA42 Centaur aircraft—to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Over the course of 15 flights
on 10 separate days in August 2013, the aircraft flew at low altitudes—10 to 30 meters
aboveground—along with an occasional climb to 1,600 meters to measure the vertical
structure of wind, temperature and greenhouse gases. Although it is too early for scientific
conclusions, data sets collected so far have confirmed that the modified plane and its unique
sensors can indeed fly to the places and collect the data necessary for answering questions
about current and future greenhouse gas emissions.
P ro t e ct i n g
H e al t h an d
t h e En v i r o n m e n t
Helping weatherization training
centers attain accreditation
As part of DOE’s long-standing Weatherization Assistance Program, ORAU experts are
providing training and technical assistance to help 34 weatherization training centers
across the nation obtain Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) accreditation. The
weatherization training centers assist low-income families with improving home energy
efficiency. The IREC credential is nationally recognized and sends a strong signal that a
rigorous standard for quality training programs has been met. Through ORISE, ORAU
has assisted nine training centers in achieving accreditation and 15 others in preparing for
accreditation since 2011.
43
Connec ting c ons or tium
univer s ities w ith OR A U pro gram s
to p ur s ue joint f und ing pro j e ct s
U NIVERSITY
P ARTNERSHIPS
The 2013 sequester has led to
fewer federal research grants
and reduced the number of
fellowship opportunities for
early-career scientists. Securing
research funding and attracting
students into scientific and
technical fields has continued to
be a challenge for universities as
well. To address this, ORAU’s
University Partnerships Office
provides its 109-member
university consortium with varied
opportunities for connecting
university expertise with
government agencies, research
laboratories and private industries.
These opportunities include
grants for faculty to travel to
ORNL or another member
university to collaborate with
other scientists; grants to support
conferences and workshops
sponsored by member institutions;
and research experiences provided
by ORAU’s Science Education
Program to thousands of teachers
and students each year.
44
ORAU’s university value proposition blends corporate core strengths
with the expertise of member universities to provide solutions to
advance science, education, health and national security in the federal
and private sectors. Joint pursuit of third-party funding has resulted
in North Carolina State University partnering with ORAU’s Health
Communication and Technical Training program in 2013 to successfully
secure a five-year $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The grant provides for norovirus-related research activities
through establishing the Food Virology Collaborative, known as
NoroCORE, involving multiple academic, industry and government
institutions. The National Research Council developed a report, A New
Biology for the 21st Century, that outlines recommendations for new
pathways to be established to better meet the health-related needs of
society. A key outcome of the ORAU and NCSU team is to develop
a successful evaluation model that demonstrates impact related to the
priorities outlined in the report.
F ind ing w a ys to move
innova tion f r om the
la b or a tor y into b us ines s
ORAU welcomed more than 100 representatives from ORAU
member universities to the 68th Annual Meeting of the Council of
Sponsoring Institutions in March 2013. The meeting focused on the
process for moving innovation from laboratory settings into practice,
including establishing intellectual property rights and patents and
finding corporate partners as well as other aspects of effective business
strategy. During this two-day workshop, experts and leaders from
academia, government and private industry explored developing and
implementing patent protections, marketing and licensing and models
of success such as universities that have innovation hubs.
25
$
Million
f o r Jo i ntl y
F un ded P ro j ec t
Photo credit: Brooke Crowley, Ph.D.
L a un chin g su cces s f ul r es ea r c h c a r eer s
thro ugh 2 0 years of Pow e Aw a r d s
ORAU’s Ralph E. Powe, Jr., Faculty Enhancement Awards have provided support
to exceptional early-career faculty for more than 20 years. Brooke Crowley, Ph.D.
(pictured here), assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, received a 2013
Powe Award. The grant assisted her research using stable isotope biogeochemistry to
detect ecological differences among modern and extinct communities of mammals,
including lemurs in Madagascar.
In 2013, ORAU also completed an online survey of 457 awardees from the past
20 years, of which 437 participated. According to the study, 82 percent of Powe
recipients remain at the university where the award was granted. When asked about
the significance of winning a Powe Award, one respondent, Ryne Raffaelle, Ph.D.,
a 1994 Powe Award recipient and current VP for research at Rochester Institute of
Technology, said, “I can’t overestimate how important it was to my career. It quite
literally gave me my start. I was a national center director at a national lab and am
now the VPR and associate provost at a great technical university, and I can trace it
all back to my Powe award.”
E nhancin g facult y a nd s tud ent r es ea r c h
w ith High Perfo rm a nc e Comp uting Gr a nt
700,000
$
i n Hi gh P erf o rm a nc e
C o m puti ng Gra nts Si n c e 2 0 0 9
Photo credit: ORNL
In FY13, ORAU completed an evaluation—through interviews and online surveys with
university faculty and students and their ORNL collaborators—of the effectiveness of the
ORAU/ORNL High Performance Computing (HPC) Grant Program. Results show the
program is enhancing the development of the future workforce by providing real-world
experiences for students. It has also succeeded in providing opportunities for ORAU’s
member institutions to perform collaborative research with ORNL in scientific areas of
discovery requiring HPC capabilities. As one faculty member stated, “This grant turned a
good project into an outstanding project.”
Since the program’s beginnings in 2009, 12 grants totaling $700,000 have been awarded
to 11 ORAU member institutions. The program’s key outcomes include a total of 10 joint
proposals, 41 joint publications and the involvement of 30 students. Out of the 10 joint
proposals, more than $930,000 in new funding has been generated.
45
Ha b ita t f or H uma nity
C OMMUNITY
I NVOLVEMENT
As beneficiaries of stronger
communities, ORAU and its
employees are invested in helping
to build and strengthen them.
Whether contributing to more
secure local economies through
annual giving campaigns or
encouraging our employees to
donate time to various volunteer
initiatives, ORAU is committed
to partnering with local and
regional organizations to invest
in and advance STEM education,
economic development and
other outreach activities in our
community.
In 2013, ORAU celebrated the completion of the
newest and largest Habitat for Humanity home
in Anderson County for which it was the primary
sponsor. In addition to financial support totaling
$50,000, more than 120 ORAU employees, along
with their families and friends, volunteered over
the course of 11 Saturdays and other days off to
help build the new home. All skill levels, from
those adept at hand tools to those who could
help pick up debris, were welcomed. The home’s
completion was celebrated with a dedication event
for the new owner and her family in September.
“Working in partnership with ORAU was a
tremendous experience for us and for our partner
family,” said Jennifer Sheehan, executive director
of Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County.
“Because of ORAU, a hard-working family has a
home of their own.” While this was the second
local Habitat for Humanity House that ORAU has
sponsored, employees in ORAU’s Belcamp office
supported construction of a home in Maryland as
well in 2013.
I ma g ina tion L ib r a r y
Since 2001, as an originating corporate sponsor
of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program,
ORAU has provided more than 276,000 books
to area children from birth to age five. ORAU’s
sponsorship program enrolled more than 2,400
children in 2013 and has seen more than 6,884
graduate after age five.
46
P ro vi ded M o re T h a n
276,000
Bo o k s to A rea C h i l dren Si nc e 2 0 0 1
United Way and Community Sha r es
For the sixth year in a row, ORAU surpassed the $100,000 mark in donations as part of the 2013 giving
campaign, Give a Little, Change a Lot. Contributing more than $98,432 to the United Way and more than
$33,676 to Community Shares, employees from ORAU headquarters in Oak Ridge, Tenn., as well as from
17 other locations across the U.S. contributed a combined total of more than $132,109. In the spirit of this
year’s theme, ORAU employees implemented simple, yet creative ideas—such as a cornhole tournament and
a men’s “No-shave November” contest—to raise money and inspire coworkers to give a little more.
Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties
For 14 years, ORAU has participated in the Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC)
school supply program. ADFAC serves nearly 1,500 children from low-income families in Anderson County,
Tenn., helping them with supplies to begin the school year. For families who qualify for the program,
supplies—ranging from notebook paper to scientific calculators—are distributed at 25 local schools during
the weeks right before school starts. In 2013, ORAU employees contributed approximately $1,000 worth of
school supplies and more than $500 in cash donations.
Holiday Bureau
ORAU employees collected new and used toys and donated their time over three days to distribute them
to underprivileged families in Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Andersonville, Briceville, Clinton and Lake City,
Tenn., through the Holiday Bureau. The Bureau, founded in 1944, provides toys, clothing, food, computers
and other items to more than 1,000 Anderson County, Tenn., families each year.
Other o rgan izat io ns OR A U p r oud ly s up p or ts :
47
M ANAGEMENT
Andy Page
Eric W. Abelquist, Ph.D.
J. Phil Andrews
Chester K. Maze
Ivan A. Boatner
Dean M. Evasius, Ph.D.
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Vice President
Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Vice President and
Chief Information Officer
Vice President and
General Counsel
Vice President and Director
Science Education Programs
Jamey K. Kennedy
Arlene A. Garrison, Ph.D.
Daniel (Dan) W. Standley
Vickie L. Caughron
Monnie E. Champion
Vice President
Business Development
Vice President
University Partnerships
Vice President
Human Resources
Chief Audit Officer
Corporate Secretary
48
Perry A. (Tony) Lester
David L. Hackemeyer
Donna L. Cragle, Ph.D.
Marcus A. Weseman
Sarah J. Roberts
Vice President and Director
Scientific and Technical Resource
Integration/Peer Review Programs
Vice President and Director
National Security and Emergency
Management Programs
Vice President and Director
Occupational Exposure and
Worker Health Programs
Vice President and Director
Health Communication and
Technical Training Programs
Vice President and Director
Independent Environmental
Assessment and Verification
Programs
Monika J. Schiller
Mae D. Mosley
Director
Employee Relations
and Diversity
Randall (Rand) W.
Spinney, Ed.D.
Thomas (Tom) P. Amidon
Senior Advisor
Thomas (Tom) D.
Wantland
Director
Environment, Safety
and Health
Director, Quality
Director
Safeguards and Security
49
50
A. Alice Astafan
Dale E. Klein, Ph.D.
General, U.S. Air Force (Retired)
President and CEO, AAstafan & Associates
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Texas at Austin
Anthony (Tony) P. DeCrappeo
David C. Lee, Ph.D.
President
Council on Governmental Relations
Vice President for Research
University of Georgia
R. Larry Dooley, Ph.D.
John M. Mason, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Research
Clemson University
Associate Provost and Vice President for Research
Auburn University
T. Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D.
Christine M. Maziar, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Tennessee
Vice President and Senior Associate Provost
University of Notre Dame
Vice President for Research
Michigan Technological University
W. Ross Ellington, Ph.D.
Christopher D. McKinney, Ph.D.
Diane Grob Schmidt, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Research
Florida State University
Associate Vice President
Innovation Commercialization
Section Head, Research & Development
The Procter & Gamble Company
Terry L. Herdman, Ph.D.
Berndt O. Mueller, Ph.D.
Theodore (Ted) D. Sherry
Associate Vice President for Research Computing
Virginia Tech
J. B. Duke Professor of Physics
Duke University
Senior Manager, NNSA Programs
Longenecker & Associates, Inc.
Karen A. Holbrook, Ph.D.
Felix A. Okojie, Ph.D.
Paul E. Sokol, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor to the President
University of South Florida
Professor, Executive Ph.D. Program
Jackson State University
Fred L. King, Ph.D.
J. Paul Reason
Vice President for Research
West Virginia University
Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)
B o ARD of
D IREC T O RS
David D. Reed, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for the
Sciences and Professor of Physics
Indiana University
Zach Wamp
President
Zach Wamp Consulting
Member of Congress 1995–2011
109
Spo n s o ri n g Ins ti tu ti o n s
O RA U C on sor t ium
Alabama A&M University
Appalachian State University*
Arkansas State University*
Auburn University
Berea College*
Carnegie Mellon University
Catholic University of America
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University
Colorado State University
College of Charleston*
College of William and Mary
Duke University
East Carolina University
East Tennessee State University
Eastern Kentucky University*
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emory University
Fayetteville State University*
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida State University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Regents University
Georgia Southern University*
Georgia State University
Howard University
Idaho State University
Imperial College of Science, Technology,
and Medicine
Indiana University
Jackson State University
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson C. Smith University*
Kentucky State University*
Lincoln Memorial University*
Louisiana State University
Maryville College*
Meharry Medical College
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Middle Tennessee State University
Mississippi State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology*
Morehouse College*
Morgan State University
New Mexico State University
Norfolk State University*
North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina State University
The Ohio State University
Oklahoma State University
Penn State University
Philadelphia University*
Polytechnic University of
Puerto Rico*
Polytechnic University of
Puerto Rico – Orlando*
Purdue University
Rice University
Roanoke College*
Rutgers University
South Carolina State University*
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Southern Methodist University
Southern University and
A&M College
Syracuse University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
Tulane University
Tuskegee University
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences
University of Central Florida
University of Cincinnati
University of Delaware
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Houston
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore*
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi Medical Center*
University of Missouri – Columbia
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Reno
University of New Mexico
University of New Orleans
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Dakota
University of North Texas
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Alabama
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee Health
Sciences Center**
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at San Antonio*
University of Texas – Pan American*
University of the District of Columbia*
University of Tulsa
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Utah State University
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia State University*
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest University
Washington University
Wayne State University
West Virginia University
Western Carolina University*
Western Kentucky University
109 Sponsoring Institutions (Ph.D.-granting)
*26 Associate Members
**1 Branch Campus
51
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