FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2003
FY03-19
Oak Ridge Residents Accept ORAU Awards
Oak Ridge residents Barbara Neill and Mark Bird accepted Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ Achievement Cash Awards from ORAU President Ron Townsend. The ORAU program provided more than $46,000 in cash bonuses to recognize outstanding employees and teams for their contributions over the past year.
Neill was one of 79 employees recognized by the company and was honored for her work recoding medical bills to conform to Department of Labor requirements, which resulted in over one million dollars of program funds paid out (at DOE’s request) for medical examinations for workers who might have beryllium disease.
Bird was recognized by ORAU for researching a new product to replace the existing heating appliances. The idea of electrically operated footrests, when used with a rated electronic timer, saved an estimated $2,756 a year ($13,780 over the five years of their anticipated life expectancy). This program has been a significant success for energy efficiency efforts for ORAU, was a step forward in the ORAU safety program in the areas of fire prevention and pollution prevention
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 88 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.