tance can also slow meaningful progress in medicine and public health.
Nichols notes that society has navigated similar moments before. He points to the evolution of nuclear science—from the Manhattan Project to today’s commercial nuclear energy industry—as an example of how regulation and innovation can mature together.
“We've been through this before,” he said. “It’s very possible to develop the guardrails and the frameworks and things that you need in order to safely develop and implement these technologies. So, I think that's a big takeaway. This is a challenge, but it is solvable.”
As AI and biotechnology continue to reshape the future of medicine, security, and scientific research, Nichols believes thoughtful governance will be essential to ensuring those advancements benefit society while minimizing unintended consequences.
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Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-08-21:/blog/programs/1787327488000Building trust, creating change: How one researcher is bringing underserved communities to the table
Youssef Roman, PharmD, Ph.D.
For Youssef Roman, PharmD, Ph.D., research has never been just about publications, grants or academic recognition.
Research is about people.
As a clinical translational scientist (a practitioner who bridges the gap between laboratory research and patient care), pharmacist, and associate professor of pharmacy practice and science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, Roman has built his career around a question that is both straightforward and difficult: How can research help address the health challenges faced by people who have historically been underserved?
His answer begins with listening, continues with trust and, perhaps most importantly, requires bringing people together.
“My work has created a kind of positive feedback loop: knowing what I do can really make a difference,” Roman said. “Seeing the difference in the people that I work with, whether that is the community, individuals, or even my patients, it kind of created that positive reinforcement that what I do actually has a meaning and has a purpose.”
That sense of purpose has become a calling, and it has shaped a research journey that began in Idaho and is now expanding to Arizona.
According to a Contemporary Clinical Trials article, the underrepresentation of rural, underserved, and minority populations in clinical and medical research remains a persistent systemic issue.
“Despite making up roughly 40% of the U.S. population and bearing a disproportionate burden of chronic illnesses, racial and ethnic minorities are severely underrepresented in drug and therapeutic trials,” according to the Contemporary Clinical Trials article. “This gap is further compounded by a stark "geographic exclusion" for the 46 million Americans living in rural communities.”
Finding purpose in the work
Roman’s commitment to underserved and marginalized communities is personal.
As an immigrant who grew up in an underserved community, Roman experienced firsthand the challenges that can accompany limited access to resources and opportunities. Those experiences helped him understand the distance that can exist between people and the institutions designed to serve them.
It also shaped the populations he wanted to serve through his research.
“I think reflecting on my own journey as an individual allowed me to appreciate and feel connected with people who are further away from these big hubs and big institutions where you can do everything,” he said.
For Roman, that connection transformed research from an academic pursuit into something more meaningful.
He wanted research to help address real-world issues: access to care, participation in clinical research, health disparities and the ability to understand disease in ways that ultimately improve communication and care for patients.
The goal was not simply to study underserved communities, but to work with them.
That goal was the impetus behind creating the Community Advocacy and Research Empowerment (CARE) Coalition, which Roman launched while at Idaho State University with support from an ORAU Innovation Partnership Grant.
The IPG program strengthens connections between ORAU University Consortium members and collaborators by emphasizing research and education themes that align closely with ORAU’s expertise and strategic priorities. Youssef’s coalition, launched in 2025, is closely related to the work recently launched through ORAU’s Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster.
The idea was ambitious: bring together stakeholders invested in the health of rural, underserved and minority populations and create a structure where research and community advocacy could reinforce one another.
Roman sees the relationship between research and policy as inseparable.
“If we want to do research, if we want to change policies, we’ve got to do them hand-in-hand,” he said. “You can’t just change policy without data, and you cannot advocate without having data to support what you’re advocating for.”
The vision was clear: research could provide evidence for policy and systems change, community members could help identify the questions worth asking and, working together, the coalition could help translate knowledge into action.
Before any of that could happen, though, Roman needed to build something even more fundamental: relationships.
Starting with a cold call
When Roman began building the CARE Coalition, he was new to Idaho and had few existing connections, so he started calling people.
“I would just pick up the phone and talk to people,” he said. “It’s almost like speed dating.”
Roman introduced himself, explained what he hoped to accomplish and asked whether the people he was calling wanted to be part of it. He reached out to clinics serving underserved populations and to community leaders and organizations recommended by others.
Over time, those conversations became relationships. Those relationships became a network. And that network became the foundation of the CARE Coalition. Roman invited people representing different parts of the community to have a voice in determining what the coalition should become.
He didn’t come to his invited stakeholders with a finished research agenda. He wanted the group to build that agenda together.
Although Roman conceived the coalition, he emphasized that its future would be determined collaboratively.
“Togetherness was kind of really the key word there,” he said. “Can we bring everybody together and collectively make a decision so everybody knows what we’re doing, what the priorities are, what we’re going to do first, what we’re going to do last?”
That philosophy became the coalition’s operating model. Roman and his collaborators focused on creating governance for the CARE Coalition. They brought key stakeholders together to determine how the group would operate, how decisions would be made and how future projects would be prioritized.
People may be working on similar problems in different communities, states or institutions without ever knowing that someone else is asking the same questions. Then they meet, and something changes.
Holtz saw this in conversations with attendees of ORAU’s Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster workshop in July 2026, where researchers and other stakeholders from across the country came together to explore shared challenges and opportunities. Many thought they were the only researcher looking at their particular focus area until they met others at the workshop.
Roman knows that feeling.
“It is definitely easier to feel siloed and feel like you’re isolated,” he said. “But it’s absolutely amazing and it’s so refreshing and rejuvenating when you meet other colleagues who by chance are doing the same thing.”
Those connections provide more than collaboration opportunities. They provide validation. Finding someone else working on a similar problem can reassure a researcher that an idea isn’t as unusual or isolated as it might have seemed.
Meeting others opens the door to new research partnerships, comparisons across populations and opportunities to understand why an intervention works in one community but not another.
From Idaho to Arizona
Now at the University of Arizona, Roman says the lessons from Idaho have traveled with him, and he is working to develop a similar approach in Arizona, beginning with a closer look at the state’s unique health challenges and disparities.
Because of his experience building the CARE Coalition, Roman knows that community-building takes time, relationships must be cultivated and trust can’t be rushed. He also knows what is possible when those pieces come together.
Roman is now developing a grant focused on health, access and disparities in the Phoenix area and across Arizona, with an emphasis on addressing needs specific to the state and its communities.
The next chapter of CARE will be built on the lessons of the first.
The goal isn’t to simply replicate what worked in Idaho but to apply the lessons learned, listen to the new community and build something responsive to Arizona.
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Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-08-19:/blog/projects/1787161768585Meet the insect that could help feed the world, reduce waste and even support life in space When most people think about flies, they probably think about pests, especially during the summer months. But the black soldier fly is different.
In fact, researchers believe this unassuming insect could play a major role in addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges – from waste management and sustainable agriculture to human health and even future space exploration.
Their research combined laboratory science, environmental sustainability and social science research to answer a deceptively simple question: What else can black soldier flies do?
Nature’s Ultimate Recyclers
Black soldier larvae
Native to the southern United States, Central America and South America, black soldier flies aren’t considered pests. In fact, adult black soldier flies don’t bite or spread disease. They resemble wasps as a form of mimicry and spend their short adult lives focused almost entirely on reproduction.
The real stars of the story are their larvae.
“What makes them so exceptional is that their larvae can eat practically anything organic,” said Tomberlin.
Black soldier fly larvae can rapidly convert food scraps, agricultural waste and other organic materials into valuable biomass. That biomass can then be processed into ingredients for animal feed, while the remaining material – known as frass – can be used as a natural fertilizer.
The result is a powerful example of a circular economy: waste becomes a resource rather than ending up in a landfill.
Even more impressive, black soldier fly operations already exist around the world. Some people raise them in backyard compost systems, while industrial facilities process hundreds of tons of organic waste every day.
Looking Beyond Feed and Fertilizer
While black soldier flies are already being used in animal feed and agricultural applications, Holt’s research focuses on what may come next.
Scientists have discovered that black soldier flies contain a variety of compounds and materials with potential uses across multiple industries.
One of the most promising compounds is chitin, a natural material found in the insect’s exoskeleton. Chitin and related compounds have antimicrobial properties and can bind to contaminants such as heavy metals. Uses for chitin include a wide range of potential applications, like:
Medical products and wound care materials
Cosmetic ingredients
Food preservation technologies
Environmental cleanup and bioremediation
Water filtration systems
Researchers are also investigating the nutrient potential of black soldier flies, which can support human health as good sources of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, choline and nutrients.
“There are a lot of materials within the insect that we think can be harvested and used as supplements to address global health challenges,” Tomberlin said.
Using Data to Identify Emerging Opportunities
To understand where black soldier fly research is heading, Holt conducted an extensive review of scientific literature spanning more than four decades. Using machine learning tools, she analyzed hundreds of publications to identify patterns, emerging themes, and areas of growing interest.
The results revealed established research areas such as livestock feed and nutrition, while also highlighting newer opportunities related to biomaterials, sustainability, environmental remediation, and circular economies. This analysis sets the stage for creating a roadmap of where innovation is occurring and where future investment and collaboration may have the greatest impact.
“Connecting trends observed in the literature with current and upcoming processes in the real world is a logical next step,” Cosme said.
The next phase of the project involves interviews with researchers and industry leaders to better understand which emerging applications may have the greatest potential for adoption and commercialization.
A Question of Public Acceptance
Scientific breakthroughs alone are rarely enough to transform industries. Public perception matters too. One of the unique aspects of the research team’s project is its focus on understanding how people feel about insect-based technologies and products.
Using social listening tools, Holt explored online conversations about black soldier flies across social media platforms, discussion forums and hobbyist communities.
Some findings were expected. Enthusiasts, like backyard chicken owners and composters, have already embraced black soldier flies. Other findings revealed challenges, including misinformation and misconceptions about insects and insect-derived products.
Tomberlin believes public education will be critical to broader adoption.
“If you want to see paradigm shifts, work with younger generations,” he said.
He envisions future educational programs that introduce students to black soldier flies through schools, 4-H programs, Future Farmers of America chapters and community colleges, helping build familiarity with sustainable agricultural technologies from an early age.
Understanding Insect Health
Alongside the social science research, Owings is conducting groundbreaking laboratory studies examining how black soldier fly larvae respond to environmental stressors. Her research explores how the confluence of real-world factors such as heavy metals and other environmental conditions affect larval growth, development, nutrition, and overall health.
The project measures everything from gene expression and nutrient composition to survival rates and gut health.
Researchers are also investigating whether stressed larvae produce distinctive odors that could serve as early warning indicators in commercial production systems.
If successful, these discoveries could help producers identify problems before they impact large populations of insects, improving both animal welfare and operational efficiency.
The work represents the first black soldier fly research project of its kind conducted in Tennessee, creating valuable knowledge for both the state and the broader scientific community.
From Earth to Mars
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the project is how far its implications may extend.
As scientists and engineers consider long-duration space missions and future habitats on the Moon or Mars, sustainable systems for managing waste and producing food become increasingly important.
Black soldier flies could become part of those systems.
By converting organic waste into usable nutrients while supporting plant growth and food production, they may help create the kind of closed-loop ecosystems necessary for human life beyond Earth.
“If we can solve problems here on Earth today,” Tomberlin said, “who knows where those solutions can be in the future?”
Just Getting Started
What began as a conversation among researchers with different areas of expertise has evolved into a multidisciplinary effort with global implications.
The project demonstrates the power of collaboration between ORAU, the University of Tennessee, Texas A&M University, and experts across scientific disciplines. It also highlights how innovative research often starts with curiosity about an insect hiding in a compost pile.
The researchers are careful not to overstate the black soldier fly’s potential. It’s not quite Superman –not yet anyway.
But with applications ranging from sustainable agriculture and environmental remediation to human health and space exploration, the black soldier fly may prove to be one of nature’s most valuable, if highly underappreciated, allies.
Cosme noted, “Once they start learning about black soldier flies, people always want to know more.”
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Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTProjectstag:orau.org,2026-08-12:/blog/programs/1786547320943ORAU Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster Workshop aims to bridge the rural health gapFor many Americans, access to quality health care depends on something as simple and as significant as geography.
A hospital may be hours away. A specialist may only visit a community a few days each month. A shortage of health care workers can mean longer wait times, fewer services and difficult choices for families already facing challenges.
But across rural communities, researchers, health care leaders, policymakers and innovators are working to change that reality.
To help find solutions to the challenges affecting rural communities across the United States, ORAU convened its first-ever Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster (RIC) Workshop on Aug. 6, 2026.
Cluster is an interesting word, right? In this case, think of a cluster as a grouping of like-minded people and educational institutions coalescing around a specific topic or idea.
More than 100 people gathered for the first ever Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster Workshop hosted by ORAU on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026.
The workshop was designed around a simple idea: solving rural health challenges requires collaboration. It provided a space where more than 100 people--representatives from 30 member institutions of ORAU’s University Consortium--shared ideas, sparked collaborations, began building partnerships and explored solutions that have the potential to improve health outcomes.
Discussion and interactive sessions centered on four strategic priority areas: workforce development and retention, women’s health, access to care, and preparedness and resilience. Workshop participants spent the morning individually identifying what they think are important issues and potential solutions, then worked in small groups during the afternoon to find areas of common interest and consensus around the idea of what could be accomplished a one-million-dollar grant.
Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster Workshop participants worked in groups around the idea of what they could accomplish if they received a one-million-dollar grant for their community.
By bringing together experts from different disciplines and connecting researchers with communities, the RIC has the potential to identify new approaches to some of the most complex health issues facing rural America.
It’s important to note that the workshop is the very first step in the work of ORAU’s Rural Health RIC, said Casey Thomas, ORAU strategic partnerships and engagement manager. Because ORAU boasts an extensive and engaged University Consortium, it was important to begin the process with members of our elite network of academic institutions.
“Academic institutions play an important role in rural health innovation by serving as research partners, workforce development pipelines, innovation hubs, sources of technical expertise, and connectors between communities and resources,” Thomas said. Universities can help identify emerging challenges, evaluate interventions and train the next generation of health professionals.
Still, Thomas said there was an incredible outpouring of interest from community organizations, health care providers, industry partners and other stakeholders who want to get involved in the RIC’s work. Thomas said, based on the input and data collected during the workshop, next steps could include additional workshops and the development of workgroups and project teams.
“Stay tuned,” she said. “There is so much more to come.”
Connecting the people closest to the challenges
One in five Americans lives in a rural community, and rural communities often face overlapping issues, including shortages of health care professionals, limited access to specialty services, geographic isolation, transportation challenges, aging infrastructure, economic barriers, and increasing demand for chronic disease management and preventive care.
“These challenges are shaped by the unique needs of individual communities,” said Brenda Blunt, ORAU senior director of public health solutions. “Rural health challenges are interconnected and cannot be addressed through a single intervention, which means there is no one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges.”
The complexity of rural health requires collaboration across disciplines, but experts working on rural health challenges often feel a sense of isolation because they don’t know anyone else working on these issues.
Such was the case of Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., Krafft Professor of Behavioral and Social Medicine and director of the Blue Cross Center for Rural Health Research and Policy at Florida State University.
Spring said she has spent much of her career studying chronic disease risk behaviors in urban settings. Since taking on the role as director of the Blue Cross Center at FSU, Spring said she has been fascinated by and drawn to the unique challenges of rural health, particularly because of the lack of research and funding focused on these challenges.
However, Spring felt like an island to herself.
“I am completely isolated, I don’t know other people who do work in that area, so this (the Rural Health RIC workshop) was a chance to find a community and learn what other people are doing, she said.
Rather than working in isolation, RIC participants created connections between educational institutions that may approach rural health from different perspectives but share the same goal. The result is a stronger network focused on turning research into action.
Megan Undeberg, Ph.D., from Washington State University, talks with her tablemates during the morning brainstorming session.
Networking and finding opportunities to collaborate was a critical takeaway from the workshop for Megan Undeberg, Ph.D., professor and assistant dean of Rural Health in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at Washington State University.
“The best part of the day was seeing that lots of like-minded people exist across the United States,” said Undeberg, who was in a breakout group on workforce recruitment and retention. “There were 17 or 18 people, and we all are thinking along the same lines and all having common goals. Now there’s this group of people who can put our heads together to find funding, find shared opportunities and find ways to grow recruitment and retention of our rural health providers.”
Preparing for the future of rural health
The future of rural health will require creativity, partnership and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches.
The Rural Health RIC Workshop represents an important first step toward building that future by creating a network where ideas can grow, partnerships can develop and research can move beyond the page and into communities.
At its core, ORAU’s Rural Health RIC is about connection – researchers with communities, ideas with opportunities, innovation with impact. Improving rural health is not just about addressing today’s challenges, it’s about building a stronger, more connected health care future for generations to come.
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Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-08-07:/blog/history/1786107036270The ORAU Medical Division: A legacy of innovation and impact in cancer researchMedical breakthroughs are often driven by institutions willing to innovate and tackle complex challenges. One such institution was the ORINS Medical Division—later the ORAU Medical Division—better known publicly as the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital.
For 24 years, from 1950 to 1974, the hospital treated more than 3,500 patients while advancing research in radiation medicine and cancer therapy. Its work helped shape modern cancer treatment and left a lasting mark on medical science.
Origins and purpose
After World War II, Congress passed The Atomic Energy Act of 1946, creating The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to oversee the nation’s nuclear activities. Lawmakers wanted civilian – rather than military – oversight of atomic energy, opening the door for broader scientific initiatives, including peaceful medical applications.
Among its responsibilities, the AEC produced and distributed radioisotopes for medical diagnostics and cancer research. In 1950, it established three national research hospitals: one at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, one at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, and the ORINS Medical Division in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The ORINS Medical Division under construction in the late 1940s. The hospital opened in 1950.
Oak Ridge was already known as a center of scientific innovation; during World War II, the city played a critical role in the Manhattan Project. In the years that followed, Oak Ridge evolved into a hub for research and development across multiple disciplines, including medicine. Read about ORAU’s role in the development of Oak Ridge.
When it was first founded in 1946, ORINS, later renamed ORAU, adopted an organizational structure of three divisions: medical, university relations and special training. This framework uniquely positioned ORINS to address the urgent need for advancements in cancer treatment and research. Read ORAU’s consortium—What’s that?
Different vantage points of the ORINS Medical Division. Left to right: from Vance Road, the main entrance, back exterior.
At the time, cancer remained poorly understood, and treatment options were limited. The hospital’s mission was to pioneer research into radiation therapy and other experimental approaches to cancer care. By combining clinical treatment with leading-edge scientific exploration, the institution sought to improve patient outcomes while expanding the world’s understanding of cancer biology.
About the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital
This facility had only 30 beds, and patients were admitted through physician referrals. Because it was part of a national program to address public and scientific interest in using radiation to treat cancer, federal regulations prohibited patients from paying for their care.
Patients also had to meet strict admission criteria. In many cases, they were suffering from diseases for which radioisotope therapies had already shown promise. Treatment plans were reviewed and approved by a medical board that included health physicists. For several of the patients, the Medical Division represented a final opportunity for treatment.
Nurses stand outside the main entrance to the ORAU Medical Division where the Hymn to Life mural greets visitors.
A 1970 article in The Oak Ridger described the facility this way:
“An unimposing L-shaped building site is located in a wooded, inconspicuous setting in East Tennessee. Painted stark white, only the 12-foot ceramic mural entitled ‘Hymn to Life,’ and the words MEDICAL DIVISION, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, hint that it is something special.”
Beyond the personal stories of hope and compassion, the hospital also became a center for groundbreaking science.
Significance in cancer research
One of the hospital’s defining areas of focus was radiation therapy. Oak Ridge’s expertise in nuclear science provided a unique opportunity to explore how radiation could be used to target and destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Researchers and clinicians worked side by side to refine these approaches, helping lay the foundation for many modern radiation oncology techniques used today.
Nuclear medicine pioneers at ORINS Medical Division.
The hospital also became a center for multidisciplinary research. Scientists investigated the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind cancer, contributing to the development of diagnostic tools and treatment strategies that later became standard practice in oncology.
In addition, the Medical Division helped train the next generation of physicians, scientists and researchers – a mission that continues at ORAU today. Learn about our Professional Training Program. By fostering an environment that emphasized both patient care and scientific discovery, the institution helped prepare professionals to meet the growing challenges of cancer treatment.
Collaborative approach
The success of the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital stemmed largely from its collaborative approach. The institution brought together experts in medicine, biology, chemistry, and physics, creating an interdisciplinary model that encouraged innovation and accelerated the pace of discovery.
ORAU researchers and students studying radiation.
Through ORINS’ consortium of educational institutions and partnerships with research organizations and government agencies, discoveries made at the Medical Division were shared widely, influencing cancer research and treatment nationally and internationally.
Legacy and impact
Although the Medical Division no longer operates in its original form, its legacy continues through ORAU’s ongoing commitment to scientific research, education and workforce development.
Research conducted at the hospital had a lasting influence on oncology and helped shape how cancer is diagnosed and treated today. The institution’s work in radiation therapy and whole-body scanning contributed to sophisticated medical technologies now used around the world.
Whole-body counter at Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital in Tennessee.
Its contributions to cancer biology also helped advance targeted therapies and immunotherapies that are transforming cancer care. By improving scientists’ understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer, researchers were able to develop treatments designed to attack cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue.
Continuing the mission
Because ORAU’s Medical Division is recognized as a catalyst for the very lifesaving cancer treatments doctors all over the world use today, the Tennessee Historical Commission designated a marker on the site where the hospital used to sit.
Today, a historical marker sits on the lot that previously housed the ORINS Medical Division.
While ORAU’s work has expanded beyond oncology, the organization remains committed to addressing critical challenges in medicine and public health.
The Medical Division demonstrated the power of science, innovation and collaboration in addressing one of medicine’s greatest challenges: cancer. Through pioneering work in radiation therapy, cancer biology and interdisciplinary research, the institution made significant contributions that continue to shape the field of oncology.
As ORAU carries that legacy forward, it remains a reminder that scientific progress depends on curiosity, collaboration and commitment to improving human health.
Readers can also learn more about several pioneers in nuclear medicine and notable employees who worked in the ORINS Medical Division:
Marshall Brucer
Gould Andrews
C.C. Lushbaugh
Karl Hubner
Nazareth Gengozian
Evelyn Watson
Helen Vodopick-Goswitz
Roger Cloutier
Ann Sipe
Bob Ricks
Jack Beck
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Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTHistorytag:orau.org,2026-08-05:/blog/people/1785954443382Dr. Gould Andrews: Compassion at the heart of nuclear medicineIn researching Gould A. Andrews, M.D., the pioneering hematologist and second director of ORAU’s Medical Division, one description stood out. A 1970 feature in The Oak Ridger captured both the man and the physician: “In his sometimes-rumpled white coat, Dr. Gould Andrews goes busily about his duties as a doctor as well as a director. He is the picture of unflagging hope and of compassionate concern. Known by his friends and cohorts as ‘Andy,’ the small, stocky, dark-haired man hunches over a patient’s chart, his brows furrowed as he studies it.”
The article explored Andrews’ philosophy of medicine and posed a timeless question: “Is the oath of Hippocrates valid today?” For Andrews, the answer seemed evident in the way he approached both research and patient care.
A doctor drawn to Oak Ridge
Dr. Gould Andrews spent 26 years at ORAU.
Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Andrews came to Oak Ridge in 1949 while the ORINS (later renamed ORAU) Medical Division was still under construction. The Atomic Energy Commission had established the Medical Division as one of three national cancer research hospitals dedicated to advancing the medical use of radioisotopes.
The Y-12 criticality accident and a defining moment
As chief of clinical studies, Andrews practiced nuclear medicine in Oak Ridge at a pivotal moment in history -- the dawn of the Atomic Age. On June 16, 1958, the world’s first industrial nuclear criticality accident occurred just miles from the hospital when eight workers at the Y-12 National Security Complex were exposed to high levels of radiation. Andrews treated all eight men, all of whom recovered, and continued monitoring them for decades afterward.
His careful analysis of the incident helped define the biological and hematological effects of high-dose radiation exposure in humans and laid the groundwork for modern acute radiation exposure protocols. The experience deepened Andrews’ commitment to hematology and strengthened his expertise in predicting and treating the effects of accidental radiation exposure.
A reputation that reached beyond Oak Ridge
When Dr. Marshall Brucer retired in 1961, Andrews succeeded him as chairman of the ORINS Medical Division. Under his leadership, researchers advanced bone marrow transplantation studies for radiation injury treatment and developed early radiopharmaceuticals, including gallium-67 for soft tissue tumor imaging and carbon-11 amino acids for whole-body scans. Andrews also oversaw total body irradiation studies used in treating leukemia and lymphoma patients at the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital.
ORINS became internationally recognized for its medical and radiological research programs. The groundbreaking work underway in Oak Ridge attracted visitors from home and abroad, including First Lady Elenor Roosevelt and even scientists and dignitaries eager to see the Medical Division firsthand.
Dr. Gould Andrews (left) shows First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (right center) around the ORINS Medical Division.
Dr. Gould Andrews demonstrates rectilinear scanner to Japanese visitors.
Andrews’ name became closely associated with the Medical Division, also referred to as the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital, and the institution’s broader legacy. He later authored Chapter 11, detailing the Medical Division’s history, in From the Beginning, the book chronicling ORAU’s founding and early years.
Colleague Dr. Karl Hubner credited “Andy” with shaping the “truly clinical investigative program in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy” for which ORINS became known. Hubner wrote that Andrews was “extremely conscientious and always demonstrated deep concern for the patients involved in his research programs, never forgetting the human element. He appeared conservative but nevertheless he had a sense of and foresight for important new developments.”
Dr. Gould Andrews (left) reviews scans with Dr. Karl Hubner (pointing to screen) and another colleague.
By 1974, the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital had largely fulfilled its mission. Hospitals across the country had begun establishing their own nuclear medicine programs, prompting the Atomic Energy Commission to close the three specialized facilities it had created to explore radioisotopes in medicine.
After the inpatient clinical research facility closed, Dr. Andrews shifted his focus back to direct patient care and teaching. He joined the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore as a professor of medicine and radiology.
A legacy of science and humanity
Andrews died unexpectedly in 1980 at age 62, leaving colleagues and friends convinced he still had so much more to contribute. In a 1981 memorial published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Hubner wrote that Andrews had served as both mentor and friend to many in the field. His scientific contributions included more than 100 journal articles and numerous nuclear medicine symposium proceedings that became widely known as the “Oak Ridge Symposia.” He also served on the Board of Trustees for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and on the editorial board of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Dr. Gould Andrews was known for his compassion.
Hubner perhaps summarized Andrews’ legacy best when he described him as a “kind and gentle man to whom we owe so much.”
For ORAU, Andrews’ legacy – built across 26 years of service – extends far beyond scientific achievement. He helped establish Oak Ridge as a center for nuclear medicine research while insisting that compassion remain at the heart of innovation.
That commitment is reflected in the Hymn to Life mosaic that hangs in ORAU’s Pollard Center. Andrews and Dr. Ralph Kniseley, associate chairman of the Medical Division, originally envisioned the artwork for the entrance of the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital. Funded through donations from grateful patients’ families and friends, the mosaic depicts a plant reaching toward a dove carrying an olive branch –a symbol of hope, healing and peace. Composed of thousands of one-inch ceramic tiles, the artwork became a lasting tribute to the hospital’s mission and the people it served. Years later, the weathered mosaic was carefully preserved, restored and reinstalled at ORAU’s main campus.
The Hymn to Life art installation is pictured next to the entrance of the ORAU Medical Division on the left, and a current picture of the artwork where it hangs in the Pollard Center is on the right.
In an era defined by rapid scientific advancement, Andrews never lost sight of the people behind the research – the patients whose lives depended on it. Like the 3,500 patients treated by the Medical Division during its 24 years of operation, Gould Andrews remains a part of the mosaic that defines ORAU’s enduring commitment to discovery, compassion and a better tomorrow.
Sources: Is the Oath of Hippocrates Valid Today, article in The Oak Ridger (1970)
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Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-07-31:/blog/education/1785433337079From Appalachia to Harvard and Vanderbilt: ASA alumni return to inspire students
Tamari Bailey (left) and Dominick Dos Santos (right) returned to the Appalachian STEM Academy in 2026 as near-peer mentors to current high school students.
While most students spend their summers taking a break from classes and homework, a select group travels to Oak Ridge to deepen their STEM knowledge through the Appalachian STEM Academy, or ASA. Since 1990, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has offered the all-expenses-paid residential enrichment program to students and teachers across Appalachia. Participants with a strong interest in science, technology, engineering and math take part in hands-on learning experiences designed to spark curiosity, encourage innovation and strengthen their passion for STEM. Learn more about ARC’s vision for expanding opportunity in Appalachia through this program in a previous blog post.
In partnership with ORAU, ARC welcomes middle school students, high school students and high school teachers each summer for an immersive educational experience aimed at expanding future academic and career opportunities. The 2026 program, held July 11-24, also marked a first for ASA: Two program alumni returned to serve as mentors for participating students.
Dominick Dos Santos is pictured in the foreground in 2023 when he was a high school participant of the Appalachian STEM Academy.
As part of an intentional effort to strengthen the academy’s STEM pipeline, Tamari Bailey and Dominick Dos Santos, returned as “near-peer” mentors after participating in ASA as high school students in 2023. The pair encouraged students to dive deeper into research and shared lessons from their own experiences since attending the program three years ago. This fall, Bailey will begin his sophomore year at Vanderbilt University on the pre-med track, while Dos Santos will start his freshman year at Harvard University studying developing economics.
“I felt like this academy is where a bunch of my ideas were born,” Dos Santos said, explaining why he wanted to return. “It really unlocked my trajectory, accelerated my capabilities and changed my whole understanding of the world.”
Bailey agreed. “When I got the offer [to come back], I said yes immediately because this program really opened my eyes to the things I’m capable of, and I would love to come back and help catalyze that for the students here.”
Both alumni are from rural Kentucky communities. Bailey is from Richmond, and Dos Santos’ is from Russell. They said those shared experiences helped them connect quickly with the younger students.
“Where we’re from is under-served in terms of scientific, STEM education opportunities,” Dos Santos said. “The amount of momentum you have to generate on your own to find programs like the Appalachian STEM Academy is significant, but opportunities like this can accelerate your trajectory.”
Tamari Bailey is pictured in 2023 working on a circuit board during the Appalachian STEM Academy.
Dos Santos said he related to some of the high schoolers he met. He described the experience as reaching “terminal velocity” at home, only to arrive in Oak Ridge and encounter cutting-edge research and historic scientific achievements that renewed students’ excitement and expanded their expectations for the future.
Bailey said he also encouraged students not to become discouraged if their ASA research group assignments did not align perfectly with their interests. His own experience, he said, prepared him for an unexpected opportunity later. Baily unknowingly benefited from one of the program goals of showing students the multidisciplinary nature of many future careers.
“I applied to this program as someone who is super interested in biology,” Bailey said. “My project here was more related to computer science and engineering with circuit boards and things like that, but I was actually able to use some of that knowledge I gained here when I went back home to an internship doing computational biology.”
Conversations with students often turned to college plans and future goals, and both alumni said they felt they could offer valuable perspective.
“We were talking about what colleges they want to attend, and I told them that when I was their age – just three years ago – I would never have said Harvard,” Dos Santos said. “I was going to be more ‘realistic.’ Where I’m from, you don’t really see kids going to schools like that.”
Bailey shared a similar experience. “If people asked where I wanted to go or where I was applying, I wasn’t going to say Vanderbilt or UCLA or any other places I really wanted to apply,” he said. “Where I’m from, it’s kind of ingrained that local schools are our only option.”
A 2026 Appalachian STEM Academy research group gathers to work on their project with a subject matter expert.
Both alumni said ASA was the first place where they seriously considered applying to prestigious universities. After learning about scholarship opportunities, they decided to pursue those goals.
“I knew I could give them that inside perspective from someone who’s done this before,” Bailey said. “I wanted to show them that there’s not one path to take to achieve your goals.”
Dos Santos said he also wanted students to fully engage in the experience, so he created a challenge to encourage note-taking.
“I noticed that some participants weren’t writing notes, while others were,” he said. “I thought maybe some students wanted to take notes but weren’t in the habit yet. So, I challenged them: Whoever uses the most ink in their pen wins a prize.”
As part of the Appalachian STEM Academy experience, students gain access to labs in unique settings such as at the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Reflecting on advice that shaped his own path in high school, Dos Santos shared the same message with students this summer: “Don’t aim for a position. Aim for a purpose.”
Program organizers said they were pleased with the success of the alumni pilot initiative and plan to expand the opportunity next summer to previous ASA participants currently enrolled in college.
ASA serves middle school students, high school students and STEM educators. The program also offers a bridge option for students who complete the middle school program before becoming eligible for the high school experience. Each group follows a specialized track and learns alongside subject matter experts. The free program includes travel, housing, meals, educational experiences – such as access to laboratories at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory – and resources including computers that participants can keep.
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Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 EDTEducationtag:orau.org,2026-07-30:/blog/people/1785422684623ORAU historical spotlight: The Story of Ann Sipe, a cancer research nurse who championed her patients Cancer nurse Ann Sipe was fiercely proud of her work at Oak Ridge’s pioneering Cancer Research Hospital. An ORAU employee from 1966 to 1993, she devoted 27 years to caring for patients and advocating for families facing cancer diagnoses.
When Sipe arrived in Oak Ridge, she joined the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (ORINS) Medical Division, established in 1950. Also known as the Cancer Research Hospital, the facility was created at the request of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), predecessor to the U.S. Department of Energy. As scientists searched for peaceful applications of discoveries made during the Manhattan Project, the AEC asked ORINS – renamed ORAU in 1966 – to explore how radioisotopes could be used in cancer treatment.
About the Oak Ridge cancer research hospital
The hospital housed just 30 beds, but its influence reached far beyond Oak Ridge. It was one of only three hospitals in a national program established to study the use of radiation in cancer treatment. Patients arrived through referrals from private physicians and paid nothing for their care.
Admission standards were strict, and many patients came after exhausting other treatment options. Ann Sipe joined the program in 1966 and eventually became the facility’s day-to-day manager, overseeing patient care while helping families navigate difficult and uncertain circumstances.
Ann Sipe (right) pictured with co-worker Evelyn Watson.
In her own words
Although Sipe has since died, her passion for the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital lives on through several recorded interviews. Part of her role involved helping patients understand their treatment options and how radiation therapies worked. Patients were fully informed about potential risks and outcomes and signed consent forms acknowledging they could stop treatment at any time.
Sipe understood the deeply personal nature of cancer care. Her perspective was shaped not only by her work, but also by her own family experiences. She once shared that her husband underwent successful treatment at the hospital following a pancreatic cancer scare, crediting radioisotope therapy for his recovery. In another interview, she reflected on her seriously ill brother and said she would willingly choose an experimental treatment if there were even a chance it could save his life.
“This disease, cancer, is such a personal disease, and all of us took it so personal, trying so hard to help them fight. And I still get very emotional,” Sipe said in an interview.
Her memories paint a vivid portrait of the hospital’s close-knit culture and the relationships formed between staff and patients.
“When patients were allowed to leave the hospital for a few hours and no family members [were] available, a staff member would drive them. I've had pie at Shoney's [with patients], I've had to walk – and I don't like to walk – through arboretums and sometimes just drive around to see Oak Ridge, because some of these patients had retired and moved elsewhere and when cancer invaded them, they wanted to come back to this hospital. The staff baked cakes, made surprise presents and special foods that the patients asked for.”
Candid photo of Ann Sipe
Sipe believed deeply in offering comfort and hope, even when the outcomes were uncertain.
“Some young children with a poor prognosis of two to six weeks with their disease [were] given sometimes an extra three to four years,” she said. “Some young teenagers grew to be older, became mothers and fathers, before the disease won out. Some did not. Mothers and fathers lived to see children grown and become parents. Of course, some did not. Some patients died of unrelated diseases after the closing of this facility. Regardless of the time some had left, they were given hope for another day, another month, another year, and many were able to live very productive lives.”
To outsiders, a cancer hospital might have seemed defined by grief and loss. Sipe saw something different.
Street view of the ORINS Medical Division
“The security, the care and the interest that was felt by the patients at this hospital made their walk against this devastation so much easier,” she said in 1995. “The hospital was a small oasis in their world of no hope. They were never given false promises but were promised that everything that possibly could be done would.”
Years after the hospital closed, former patients and families still sent Christmas cards, letters and photographs to staff members who had cared for them.
Sipe remained one of the hospital’s strongest advocates long after retirement. She wanted people to understand that the patients who volunteered for experimental treatments helped advance cancer care for future generations. Research conducted at the Oak Ridge facility contributed to broader developments in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy worldwide.
“I was there. I was involved, and I have to tell you these precious people gave to me so much more than I ever gave to them,” Sipe said in the mid-1990s. “They taught me faith, strength, treasuring of life, and about hospice before hospice ever existed for patients. I am so blessed to have been able to walk their path. I still to this day see their faces. I hear their voices. And for those not represented here today, I am their voice.”
Continuing the mission at REAC/TS
Ann Sipe, nurse with the REAC/TS program and the Center for Epidemiologic Research, also served as a faculty member in REAC/TS training courses.
By the early 1970s, hospitals across the country had established advanced nuclear medicine programs, many informed by research conducted at ORAU’s Medical Division. In many ways, the mission the AEC envisioned for the Oak Ridge Cancer Research Hospital had been fulfilled.
As inflation and federal budget pressures mounted, the government closed the three AEC hospitals in 1974. ORAU continued treating patients on an outpatient basis while expanding into radiation emergency medicine through the establishment of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) in 1976.
Sipe transitioned to REAC/TS, where she conducted health studies involving radiation workers and served as custodian of patient charts and microfiche records until retiring in 1993. Read more about the history and mission of REAC/TS here. Yet throughout the rest of her career, she remained devoted to preserving the legacy of the Cancer Research Hospital and the patients who passed through its doors.
Sipe is pictured with the Epidemiology Department in the 1980s.
Today, the hospital no longer stands, but its impact continues through advances in cancer treatment, radiation medicine and patient care. For Ann Sipe, the legacy was never measured only in scientific breakthroughs. It lived in the people – the patients who searched for hope, the families who entrusted their loved ones to experimental care and the staff who walked beside them every step of the way.
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Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-07-08:/blog/people/1783508180975From the Texas coast to the world stage: The journey of Dr. Bob Ricks
From research for NASA and the ORAU Medical Division to establishing the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site, Bob Ricks’ long career served the science community well.
Born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas, Bob Ricks, Ph.D., built a remarkable career in science and technology—though he hadn’t always planned on it.
He earned both his master’s degree and doctorate in radiobiology from Texas A&M University after a high school teacher pushed him to test his potential.
“I didn’t really have any inkling that I would get a post graduate degree,” Ricks said during an oral history interview, “until one of my instructors, who read my personality quite well, angered me a little by saying that, well, I didn’t need to think about going to college and all that because he didn’t think that I would be that good of college student. I took that as a challenge,” Ricks added with a laugh.
That challenge would change the course of his life.
A Texas researcher heads to the mountains
So how did this proud Texan—who loves spicy food and grew up along the swampy Gulf Coast—find his way to East Tennessee?
While in graduate school, Ricks studied the effects of radiation on pregnant rats, an uncommon line of research in the 1960s. His work caught the attention of researchers in Oak Ridge, who invited him to join Oak Ridge Associated Universities (previously called Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies) as a summer intern in 1967.
Out of 26 applicants, Ricks was selected for a single position in the Medical Division.
“Only because I had this experience in the effects of radiation on animal life, I got accepted and had a three-month appointment here in Oak Ridge,” he explained.
His first impression of the region?
“There are things besides the swampy Gulf coast” he remembered thinking. The mountains were especially striking—terrain he believed he had seen only once before.
His three months came and went, and as much as he enjoyed the work and the scenery, Ricks assumed he would never return. But when a couple of summers later Ricks was looking for another short-term position, he reached back out to ORAU.
The deadline had passed.
“I did something that was not like my upbringing,” Ricks smiled. “I told the physician that I had worked with, ‘Why don’t you push some buttons for me and get me in to continue the research I had done at ORAU two years before?’”
Two weeks later, he received an acceptance letter for the summer 1969 research program.
The timing couldn’t have been better.
Science in the Space Race era
In 1969, the Apollo program was at its height, and the United States was poised to send astronauts to the moon. It was during this second summer with ORAU that Ricks met Clarence Lushbaugh, M.D., who held a NASA grant to study the effects of radiation on astronauts.
In 1969, Clarence Lushbaugh, M.D., conducted research for NASA studying the effects of radiation on astronauts.
NASA was particularly concerned about “trapped radiation,” which refers to charged particles caught in Earth’s magnetic field that form the Van Allen radiation belts. Exposure posed a serious hazard to astronauts traveling through space, potentially causing nausea, incapacitation and other dangerous symptoms.
At the time, ORAU’s Medical Division was the only facility in the United States that offering total-body radiation therapy for certain types of leukemia. Some patients in the early stages of disease volunteered to allow Ricks to measure the effects of their treatment.
Working with the head of the computer science program, Ricks helped develop a system to measure the incapacitating effects of whole-body radiation—specifically the onset and severity of radiation-induced nausea and vomiting.
“Everybody goes through the same pattern. You just have to measure it,” Ricks explained. “You can then say at a certain point in time, the individual has five minutes before they become incapacitated and vomit. And, of course, they’re all in breathing gear on the spacecraft, and you don’t want your astronauts vomiting into their breathing gear.”
Left to right: Bob Ricks talking with colleagues Jack Beck and Jim Berger.
The system was based on changes in respiratory patterns.
“If you think about how your breathing changes when you are nauseated… you begin to take deep breaths. And as you get nearer to the vomiting episode, you change your breathing pattern to even deeper breaths.”
NASA used this knowledge to monitor astronauts’ breathing patterns aboard spacecraft.
But for Ricks, the most meaningful part of the research was not the technological breakthrough—it was the patients.
“They were very, very cooperative,” he emphasized. “No one participated unless they volunteered. They felt like they were making a contribution to science.”
Their willingness to help advanced both space exploration and medical science.
The research proved so impactful that Ricks’ summer appointment was extended for a year, followed by additional NASA-funded studies. Eventually, however, NASA concluded it had gathered the information it needed. It was at this point that the ORAU Medical Division had also achieved its research goals and was closing its doors as well.
Since the Medical Division was what Ricks had called his home away from home, it seemed Ricks’ time in Oak Ridge had finally come to an end.
A defining decision
“I was all set to leave Oak Ridge,” Ricks recalled. “I had a job offer to work in Los Alamos.”
But Dr. Lushbaugh had another idea. Rather than dispersing the highly trained staff from the Medical Division, he envisioned a new program dedicated to studying radiation’s biological effects and training medical professionals to respond to radiation accidents.
Ricks had a choice to make.
“I made a decision—the best decision I’ve ever made in my life—not to go to New Mexico but to stay on here in Oak Ridge to work in REAC/TS.”
After the Medical Division closed in 1974, ORAU established the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center Training Site (REAC/TS). It officially opened in 1976. The federal government agreed that maintaining expertise in radiation medicine was essential. REAC/TS became a 24/7 deployable asset for the Department of Energy, capable of responding to radiation incidents anywhere in the world.
Ricks helped build the program from the ground up. In 1981, he became director.
Bob Ricks (far left) leads REAC/TS tour in 1985.
“The program caught on very quickly,” he remembered. Training expanded from one or two courses a year to more than a dozen. With a small team of eight or nine staff members, REAC/TS grew into a nationally—and soon internationally—recognized center of excellence.
At the time, only two facilities in the world offered comparable radiation training and emergency medical assistance—one in France and one in the Soviet Union.
Under Ricks’ leadership, REAC/TS combined hands-on emergency response with professional training in a way that was both rare and essential. The model remains critical to radiation medicine today.
Bob Ricks with co-worker Gail Littlefield discussing REAC/TS’ cytogenetics program in the mid-1980s.
A global impact
Ricks served as director of REAC/TS until his retirement in 2004. In 23 years, he led assistance missions in 46 countries and provided what the Health Physics Society described as “considerable assistance” to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation in Vienna.
The 1980s proved to be a pivotal decade in advancing global understanding of radiation contamination and emergency response. During that time, Ricks led the REAC/TS team in several major international incidents—four of which stand as defining milestones in his legacy of leadership.
Juarez, Mexico (1984) After sitting in storage for years because no one was trained to operate it, a radiation therapy unit at a medical center was sold for scrap.
An employee unknowingly disassembled the machine, puncturing its source container and scattering approximately 6,000 cobalt-60 pellets. Each pellet carried a dangerous—potentially lethal—amount of radioactive material capable of causing severe radiation sickness, permanent injury or death.
For two months, the pellets were dispersed throughout a junkyard by an electromagnetic crane and shipped in scrap loads to different foundries. Most of the scrap was processed into steel and used to make rebar, metal table bases and electric motor parts.
The accident was discovered by chance when a truck carrying contaminated rebar got lost more than 370 miles from Juarez and stopped at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to ask for directions. A radiation detector at the facility gate immediately alarmed. Within days, Ricks and his team were on the ground, investigating and advising authorities on containment and public safety. Remarkably, no deaths were attributed to this incident.
Figure 2, Page 15, The Medical Basis for Radiation Accident Preparedness II, image shows pellets similar to what was retrieved from the cobalt-60 machine.
Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986) During a safety test at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, operators made critical errors that triggered a sudden power surge, explosions and a massive graphite fire. Large quantities of radioactive material were released into the atmosphere, contaminating vast areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Europe.
Two workers died immediately; dozens of firefighters and plant personnel later succumbed to acute radiation sickness. Although Soviet authorities initially attempted to conceal the disaster, REAC/TS played an important international medical advisory role. The team provided expert consultation to U.S. agencies and global partners on radiation dose assessment, management of acute radiation syndrome, long-term health monitoring and analysis of clinical data from exposed workers.
Goiania, Brazil (1987) In an incident hauntingly similar to what happened in Juarez, two scrap metal scavengers entered an abandoned medical clinic and dismantled a radiotherapy unit containing highly radioactive cesium-137. Unaware of the danger, they transported the device by wheelbarrow to their housing development.
That night, one of the men was captivated by the striking blue glow from the capsule of the device, and he took it to his living room “to be exhibited to his relatives, neighbors, friends and onlookers.” The contamination spread widely before anyone understood the threat.
When patients began arriving at the local hospital with unexplained radiation symptoms days later, Brazilian authorities identified the source and contacted REAC/TS. Ricks and his team provided guidance on patient assessment, dose estimation, medical management, and long-term follow-up, while also helping coordinate the broader clinical response.
More than 125 people were found to be contaminated. Twenty required hospitalization; 17 suffered bone marrow depression. Four people—including a 6-year-old girl—died from acute radiation syndrome.
San Salvador, El Salvador (1989) At an industrial irradiation facility in San Salvador, products were sterilized using a radioactive cobalt-60 source mounted on a movable rack. When the device became stuck in the exposed position outside its protective shielding, a worker bypassed the safety system. He and two colleagues entered the radiation room in an attempt to free the mechanism manually.
Untrained in the hazards of ionizing radiation, the three men received extremely high whole-body and localized doses. All developed severe acute radiation syndrome and extensive radiation burns. One man died; the others suffered life-altering injuries, including amputations and chronic medical complications.
REAC/TS provided specialized medical consultation and direct clinical support. The team evaluated the patients and facilitated their transfer to an advanced treatment facility, helping guide their complex care.
Bob Ricks (far right) prepares to travel with REAC/TS for a radiation response training course in 2002.
Gratitude from the swamplands
Looking back, Ricks marveled at his career.
“I felt a lot of gratitude toward Lushbaugh because he allowed me to stay here and be the day-to-day manager of REAC/TS,” he said. “I jumped on that very quickly, still not knowing the magnitude of the benefit that would bring to me… this young guy from the swamplands and Texas coast ended up traveling all over the world and meeting all these wonderful people.”
Ricks passed away in 2017 when he was 76 years old.
From a high school challenge to global leadership in radiation emergency medicine, Bob Ricks’ journey was shaped by curiosity, courage and a willingness to seize opportunity.
Information about the radiation contamination incidents in Juarez, Chernobyl and Goiania was found in a book edited by Bob Ricks and Shirley Fry, The Medical Basis for Radiation Accident Preparedness II Clinical Experience and Follow-Up since 1979
Information about the radiation contamination incident in San Salvador was found in a book edited by Bob Ricks, Mary Ellen Berger and Frederick O’Hara, Jr., The Medical Basis for Radiation-Accident Preparedness III The Psychological Perspective
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Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-07-06:/blog/projects/1783361426295ORAU to address nation’s rural health challenges with research innovation cluster meeting
Casey Thomas, ORAU Strategic Partnerships and Engagement Manager
When you hear the phrase, “rural health crisis,” you might picture small, isolated towns, long dirt roads, and communities far from major medical centers. Small town problems are someone else’s problems, right?
Brenda Blunt, ORAU Senior Director for Health and Resiliency Strategy
The rural health crisis may be much closer than you think. Twenty percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas. This crisis affects where your next nurse comes from, how crowded your emergency room becomes, how long you wait to see a specialist, and how quickly resources can be gathered in the event of a public health emergency.
ORAU hopes to provide solutions to the country’s rural health challenges through its Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster (RIC). The RIC initiative is a way to bring together our partners, beginning with members of the ORAU University Consortium and then expanding to others, to create a collective focus on solving the complex problems that impact rural health and resilience across the country.
“We want to share expertise, build partnerships and engage in collaborative research efforts to look at solutions that can applied both locally and nationally,” said Casey Thomas, strategic partnerships and engagement manager, which is convening the Rural Health RIC. “This is a way to harness the power of our consortium, with a focus on translating research into practical application.”
Thomas continued: “We want to empower rural communities with innovative, sustainable and evidence-driven health solutions that improve outcomes, strengthen resilience and reduce health inequities.”
Members of the ORAU University Consortium are invited to a workshop to kick off the Rural Health RIC on Thursday, August 6, 2026. If you’re interested in participating, email Casey Thomas at casey.thomas@orau.org or reach out to your university’s ORAU councilor.
The Rural Health RIC’s vision to improve rural health is in keeping with federal government priorities.
Healthy rural communities are essential to achieving the goals of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Make America Healthy Again agenda, said Tom Engels, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in a news release announcing $140 million in new funding to improve health in rural communities. HRSA is the lead agency within HHS responsible for improving access to care for people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable.
“These funding opportunities support state and local organizations that understand their communities’ unique needs and are best positioned to deliver solutions,” Engels said. “By strengthening rural health care systems, expanding access to quality care, investing in telehealth innovation, and supporting the rural health workforce, HRSA is helping ensure that people living in rural America have the opportunity to lead healthier lives and that their communities remain strong for generations to come.”
The reality is that what happens in rural America affects the entire country.
NewsTalk 98.7’s Yarbrough Show Interview
Casey Thomas, ORAU strategic partnerships and engagement manager, talks to Bob Yarbrough, host of NewsTalk 98.7’s Yarbrough Show, about the upcoming rural health Research Innovation Cluster workshop, set for August 6, 2026, at the Hilton Knoxville Airport. The workshop will bring together members of the ORAU University Consortium to discuss and begin to work toward solutions for the country’s rural health challenges, like workforce, access to women’s care, access to mental health services, and limitations in public health crisis response.
People living in rural areas face significant access to care gaps that can impact health outcomes because of hospital and clinic closures, lack of primary and specialty care providers, geographic distance and lack of public transportation. Eighty percent of rural America is medically underserved, according to the National Institute for Health Care Management.
Telehealth or telemedicine, where clinical and non-clinical health care is delivered using video calls, secure messaging or wearable health devices, and innovative care models offer opportunities to reduce access gaps. ORAU’s Rural Health RIC will examine telehealth solutions and digital health tools to alleviate distance and provider shortages; strategies to expand mental health care access in rural areas, including stigma reduction, training and expanding provider networks; and evidence-based approaches to strengthen access to substance use disorder treatment in rural communities.
Technology provides an opportunity to bridge some of the gaps in access to care, but large swaths of rural America lack access to high-speed broadband internet. And, while younger people are considered digital natives who have an innate knowledge of technology, the aging rural population overall has a lack of digital literacy which can make access to care through telehealth problematic, according to research published in the Journal of Rural Health.
Mental health care in rural areas is impacted by provider shortages, transportation challenges and social stigma associated with mental illness. These factors and others contribute to higher suicide and overdose rates in rural communities compared to metropolitan areas, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Virtual consultations and remote monitoring can expand access to mental health care services, but rural residents may need help accessing high-speed broadband internet and use of devices like laptops and tablets to make engaging in telemedicine more comfortable, especially for older users, according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank.
Substance use disorder (SUD) in rural communities is impacted by lack of access to care. Rural communities have per capita overdose rates that are 45% higher than urban areas. Rural residents are far less likely to have access to medications for opioid use disorder, like Narcan or buprenorphine, according to the University of Chicago. Complicating SUD for rural residents is the lack of anonymity that comes with living in tight-knit communities where “everybody knows your business” and the stigma associated with SUD.
ORAU has been working for more than 15 years to understand the contributing factors to SUD, like upbringing, relationships, trauma and stigma. Better understanding all contributing factors has the potential to improve harm reduction and break the addiction cycle. For five years, ORAU supported the HEALing Communities (or Helping to End Addiction Longterm) Study of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ORAU partnered with community coalitions and all four HEALing Communities research sites—University of Kentucky, the Ohio State University, Boston Medical Center and Columbia University—to design campaigns on a range of topics, like educating individuals on how to carry and use naloxone to assist someone experiencing an overdose, available medications for treating opioid use disorder, and steps that can be taken at the community level to reduce stigma.
“Technology offers great solutions for improving access to health care, access to mental health services and access to support for SUD,” said Brenda Blunt, ORAU senior director for health and resiliency strategy. “We need to find the right solutions for the right population that are easy to use and will assist rural patients in obtaining and the care they desire and need.”
Workforce shortages affect everyone
Rural communities compete with urban and suburban areas for doctors, nurses, therapists and other health professionals. According to HRSA, non-metropolitan areas are projected to face a staggering 58% shortage of health care workers by 2038, compared to just a 5% shortage in metropolitan areas.
The projected shortage of workers will impact every aspect of healthcare, as this shortage will include doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction counselors, opticians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, and many other categories of healthcare workers.
The workforce shortage is exacerbated by hospital and clinic closures in rural areas, which are rampant across the country, according to Saving Rural Hospitals. The organization reports that over 200 rural hospitals have closed or discontinued inpatient service in the United States since 2005. One-third of remaining rural facilities – about 720 hospitals nationwide – are at risk of shutting down.
The shortage of health care workers creates medical deserts, where insufficient access to health care leads to longer travel times to medical facilities, more crowded waiting rooms and longer waiting times for critical care in emergency departments.
“Keeping Americans healthy depends on a well-trained interdisciplinary health care workforce,” Blunt said. “We need to be working now to avoid the projected shortages of healthcare workers, especially in rural communities. Transportation is one barrier of many for many in rural communities, where some people simply don’t have the means to drive long distances to see their doctors. We need to examine how technology can support care across the miles; how we can creatively provide care using a variety of professionals such as community health workers, doulas, nurses, and other professions to fill the gaps; and we need provide incentives that encourage medical professionals to work in rural communities.”
The nationwide shortage of healthcare workers means that when rural areas must compete with large metropolitan areas, rural communities will be left without access to care. The Rural Health RIC will explore approaches to strengthen and diversity the health care workforce, including leveraging varied provider types (e.g., physicians, nurses, community health workers, allied health professionals and behavioral health providers); expanding training pathways through two-year degree programs, advanced degrees, and certification programs; and identifying and addressing barriers to recruitment, retention and professional advancement in rural health systems.
Rural health challenges affect women’s care
The population served by rural providers is generally older and sicker than the population served by metropolitan hospitals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women living in rural areas face severe health disparities. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, two-thirds of women in rural areas are living in maternity care deserts, and maternal mortality rates are double that of women in metropolitan areas. Rural More than 50% of rural counties lack a single obstetrical unit.
Women living in rural areas face access challenges to gynecologic care as well. They face barriers to effective menopause care, resulting in higher rates of severe symptoms like muscle aches, mood swings and panic attacks, as well as access to birth control and specialty gynecologic care. Many of the issues already mentioned, like geographic isolation, workforce shortages and economic barriers, keep many women in rural communities from accessing routine preventive health screenings, cancer screenings, and specialized care.
Women living in rural areas are less likely to be screened for cervical and breast cancer, even though many are eligible for free screening programs through the CDC and local health departments. As a result of poor screening rates, women with cervical or breast cancer living in rural communities face significantly higher mortality rates than women living in urban areas. It’s also important to note the higher rates of chronic disease related to smoking, obesity, substance use disorders and mental health issues for women in rural communities, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.
Regarding women’s health, the Rural Health RIC will focus on improving access to research and education on menopause and women-specific conditions; addressing maternal morbidity and mortality, including gaps in prenatal, perinatal and postpartum care; and enhancing rural providers’ capacity to deliver comprehensive women’s health services.
“Women’s health is at a crisis point in rural communities,” Blunt said. “Rural hospitals often cannot afford to keep obstetrics services operating because they don’t serve enough patients to make these services profitable, so patients must travel to other communities to get the care they need. Transportation can be a barrier, and lack of insurance is often a barrier for women seeking care.”
Women need access to providers who can focus on the uniqueness of diagnoses for women. Technology is likely to play a role in solving this access issue.
Preparedness and resilience challenges in rural communities
Preparedness for public health emergencies is important in every community; however rural communities have unique vulnerabilities that are difficult to address. These vulnerabilities include limited hospital surge capacity, emergency medical services that are reliant on volunteers to operate, and geographic isolation, according to the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness.
Resource limitations are a critical challenge for rural communities. Local health departments, emergency medical services and hospitals have smaller budgets, fewer staff members and less equipment than their metropolitan counterparts. Hospitals that are still open in rural communities have fewer beds and limited surge capacity, which is the ability to staff up to meet the demand created by a public health emergency. Communications infrastructure, like broadband access, may not be as robust in rural areas, which can lead to challenges in getting information for the people who need it.
“People living in rural areas of the country are spread out over wide areas,” Blunt said. “Preparedness and response plans have to take into account the unique topography of the areas where people live, the unique needs of someone who lives in the mountains versus someone who lives on a flood plain, etc.”
Participants gave examples of how others in the community helped them overcome challenges when dealing with extreme weather events, which makes sense because rural communities are reliably tight knit. However, support beyond the community is often difficult to come by.
“What we've noticed is that when these things happen—high winds or droughts or tornadoes or whatever it might be—when you're thinking about the small family farm, there's not a lot of support. There's not a lot of money out there that supports small family farms,” said Jennifer Russomanno, DrPH, assistant professor of practice and director of the Master of Public Health program at the University of Tennessee. She is also a small-family farmer.
The Rural Health RIC will focus on strategies for rural resilience following natural disasters or major events; agricultural resilience efforts to stabilize food access, community income and long-term sustainability; and food security initiatives that prevent disease and improve health outcomes.
ORAU experts last year proposed a five-point framework for strengthening regional food system resilience that addresses emerging threats to food security like supply chain disruptions and biological hazards.
“Rural communities know how to support each other but should also have the benefit of public health services to support them during times of disaster,” Blunt said. “We also know that the nation’s food supply can be impacted when a disaster hits a rural agricultural area making this a national security challenge as well.”
Solutions already exist
This blog has touched on the rural health challenges the ORAU Rural Health RIC hopes to address, including workforce development and retention, women’s health, access to care, and preparedness and resilience.
Telehealth expansion, which allows patients to participate in medical appointments over their smart phone;
Remote patient-reported outcomes monitoring, which uses wearable devices like smart watches to track chronic disease symptoms;
Emergency-only facilities, where struggling rural hospitals are converted to emergency-only facilities, so patients don’t have to travel or face long waits for emergency medical services;
Health navigators, where local individuals are trained to help their neighbors book medical appointments;
School clinics, where healthcare facilities are located inside public schools;
Tax incentives, which encourage medical personnel to move to rural communities; and
Community partnerships, where stakeholders across the community come together to improve preparedness and resilience strategies.
“The good news is there are solutions to rural health challenges,” Blunt said. “By convening the Rural Health RIC, ORAU will bring together key stakeholders to develop new solutions and work together to strengthen and spread the existing solutions. There are great possibilities ahead of us.”
Improving rural health care by investing in technology innovations, supporting the rural health workforce, improving access to care for women, and improving preparedness and resilience in rural communities will improve the quality of life for people living in rural communities and ensure that these communities remain strong and vibrant.
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Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 EDTProjectstag:orau.org,2026-06-30:/blog/people/1782754292837People and mission drive Meghan Millwood’s passion for ORAUShe knows it’s cliché, but when ORAU President and CEO Meghan Millwood discusses what drives her passion for ORAU, it comes down to one thing: our people.
“That’s what I said in the ‘Trusted Partners’ video, and what I say when I’m out in public: ORAU’s success really is the people,” Millwood said. ORAU Trusted Partners is a short-video series in which employees from across the organization share what they are passionate about in the work that they do and what makes them a trusted partner to our customers and other stakeholders.
“I remember back to when I was interviewed before I first came to ORAU, I asked ‘why does everyone stick around here for so long?’ because that hadn’t been my experience with previous employers, and I heard, ‘it’s the people,’” she said. “At the time they said ORAU was a family. Obviously, we are a business, but still, people care for each other like it’s a family.”
Millwood added that people come here because they want to do something valuable. “They don’t come to ORAU as just another place to get a job. They really see this as something where we’re making an impact.”
That’s part of what led her to begin her career at ORAU 24 years ago and why she applied for the company’s top job. She was selected by the ORAU Board of Directors in the summer of 2025 and assumed the role of President and CEO in September, when ORAU was amid one of the most challenging years in our nearly 80-year history. Those challenges included federal budget impacts, programmatic shifts, organizational restructures, contractual adjustments, staffing changes, a government shutdown, and leadership transitions.
Meghan Millwood, ORAU President and CEO, speaks at an all-staff meeting of ORAU employees.
She credits a dynamic leadership team and the dedication of all employees for helping ORAU weather the challenges of 2025 and for continuing to do great work for our customers.
Telling ORAU’s Brand Story
Millwood proudly points to ORAU’s Brand Story, which was created as part of the strategic planning process during her first 90 days as president and CEO. The company’s new brand story outlines how ORAU helps scientific and technical workers all through their training, education, and career lifecycles, from kindergarten through retirement and beyond—“K to Gray,” as Millwood likes to say—as the ultimate demonstration of ORAU’s impact.
The ORAU Brand Story is built around the lifecycle of a scientific and technical worker.
The ORAU Brand Story is built around the lifecycle of a scientific and technical worker, encompassing five distinct phases:
Discover (kindergarten through high school): ORAU sparks curiosity in young minds through hands-on STEM activities, competitions, educator lesson plans and tools for career exploration, fostering a lifelong love for science and technology.
Develop (college and early career): ORAU equips emerging professionals with internships, research opportunities, and training programs, preparing them to thrive in STEM and technical careers.
Connect (mid-career professionals): ORAU connects mid-career professionals with expert networks and collaboration opportunities, fostering innovation and advancing scientific discovery.
Support (seasoned professionals): ORAU supports seasoned professionals in sharing their knowledge and continuing their contributions to STEM and technical excellence.
Strengthen (worker health and community well-being): The four phases of the life cycle are built on this foundation, where ORAU safeguards the health and resilience of workers and communities by addressing occupational health challenges, enhancing emergency preparedness, advancing public health research, and promoting safer working and living environments.
“Through our workforce development expertise and our support for workers’ health, safety, and resilience in the communities where they live and work, we provide touch points of impact through every phase of a worker’s career path,” she said. This includes everything from developing and connecting them to supporting and strengthening them. While ORAU does a lot of things, these are our sweet spots.”
ORAU’s core capabilities
Since the development of the ORAU Brand Story, Millwood and the executive team have worked to identify ORAU’s core capabilities.
“The leadership team identified our core capabilities by honoring the strengths that have long distinguished our organization and the deep expertise of our subject matter experts,” Millwood said. “They are part of who we are—grounded in our history and guiding our future—and position ORAU as a trusted partner to federal, state and local agencies.”
Workforce Development: ORAU connects highly qualified scientists, engineers and researchers to federal agency customers to advance mission-driven work through fellowships and other research opportunities.
Staffing Solutions: ORAU builds and strengthens scientific and technical talent pipelines to meet national workforce needs.
Research Partnerships: ORAU enables collaboration among academia, government and industry to accelerate innovation and address complex challenges.
Peer Review Services: ORAU manages rigorous, transparent peer review and research evaluation processes that uphold scientific integrity.
Exposure Science: ORAU provides specialized expertise in radiation safety, occupational exposure and technical health services that protect workers and communities.
Emergency Preparedness: ORAU enhances readiness, response and recovery capabilities to strengthen the workforce and community resilience.
Public Health Solutions: ORAU designs and delivers programs that improve health outcomes and promote community well-being.
Millwood believes ORAU’s future is bright, especially with the growth of the nuclear renaissance and Manhattan Project 2.0.
“As a country, we really don’t have a pipeline ready for all of the nuclear work that’s coming, and there is a lot coming,” Millwood said, pointing to all the nuclear-related companies that have come or are coming to Oak Ridge to build and support the next generation of nuclear energy reactors. “We definitely have a role to play in helping shape the nuclear energy workforce.”
Millwood said ORAU’s Workforce Solutions Team is supplying recruiting and technical placement expertise to leaders and hiring managers at some of the companies moving to the region. Additionally, ORAU expanded membership in our University Consortium to include community colleges. Five community colleges were accepted as affiliate members of the University Consortium at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions in March.
Membership expansion takes to heart the recommendations made in the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap (NEAR). Led by the ORAU-led Partnership for Nuclear Energy (PNE) and the ORAU STEM Accelerator, NEAR establishes priorities and guidance for expanding the nuclear energy workforce pipeline, including a focus on vocational schools and community colleges. PNE brings together leading nuclear energy experts and stakeholders to address and solve the needs of the current and future nuclear energy workforce.
Millwood adds that supporting the communities in which we do business is also key to ORAU’s impact. “We are different from a lot of the larger companies here in Oak Ridge because we’re a non-profit organization. That doesn’t mean we don’t make a profit, but our reason for being is to do good and part of that is giving back to the community.”
Millwood surprised Logan Woods, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Sevierville Intermediate School, with the Extreme Classroom Makeover grand prize, during an event at the school in April 2026.
Millwood mentioned just a few of the ways ORAU has supported the community, including:
Sending more than 700,000 free books to area children through ORAU’s sponsorship of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library since 2001.
More than $500,000 in corporate and employee donations to United Way and Community Shares over the last five years in ORAU’s Annual Giving Campaign.
Over $1 million donated to community organizations and initiatives over the last five years.
More than $125,000 invested in support of regional healthcare, including the Methodist Medical Center Residency Program and the Roane State Community College Knox Regional Health Science and Simulation Center.
For Millwood, it’s the ultimate honor to lead a company like ORAU that has done so much good for so many years. But she’s not resting on that reputation. She is keenly focused on and passionate about leading ORAU to an even brighter future.
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Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-06-29:/blog/education/1782494643381Hands-on workshops at ORAU help students and educators prepare for the nuclear renaissanceTwo summer programs offered by ORAU’s K-12 STEM education team set the stage for students and educators to get excited about and prepare for the nuclear renaissance taking place in Oak Ridge.
“Nuclear Science – From Atoms to Energy,” was a day-long professional development workshop, offered free-of-charge by ORAU, for K-8 teachers. The workshop was designed to equip them with a stronger, more confident understanding of nuclear science so they could help get their students more excited and more confident in learning about the subject.
Kris Light demonstrates how a centrifuge is used to separate uranium for use in the creation of nuclear fuel.
Meghan Millwood, ORAU President and CEO, turns a hand-crank as part of a demonstration of nuclear fission to power a series of lightbulbs.
Led by Kris and Kenny Light, the workshop featured engaging, hands-on demonstrations designed to make complex ideas, like nuclear fusion and fission, accessible and understandable. Hands-on activities included demonstrations of how a centrifuge works, as well as a demonstration of nuclear fission using a hand-crank to generate electrical current to power a series of lightbulbs.
Taralynn Kantor, a third-grade teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in Oakland, Calif., was in Oak Ridge for the nuclear science workshop. She said the workshop helped her understand complex concepts.
“I found myself challenged [before this workshop],” Kantor said. “Being in this room to absorb the information and then to put my hands on these concepts, ideas and experiments is going to help my teaching with my students.”
The ORAU Nuclear Science Mini-Academy was a day-long program geared toward upper elementary and young middle school students. Like the nuclear science professional development workshop, the mini-academy offered hands-on activities that broaden the understanding of nuclear energy, especially as it relates to Oak Ridge.
A student in the ORAU Nuclear Science Mini-Academy demonstrates one of the nuclear science principles taught during the day-long workshop.
“Mini-Academy students had a great day learning about nuclear science,” said Shannon Turner, K-12 STEM education project management specialist. “As a former educator, I’m always heartened to see the moment a student understands a concept they’ve been wrestling with. We saw that a lot during the mini-academy.”
A student in the ORAU Nuclear Science Mini-Academy examines a display case of Geiger counters at the ORAU Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity.
Both the nuclear science professional development workshop and the mini-academy are part of ORAU’s ongoing efforts to meet the workforce needs of the growing nuclear energy industry in Oak Ridge.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects the sector will require over 375,000 skilled workers by 2050 to sustain ongoing nuclear power operations and continue next-generation reactor deployment, Workers from welders and electricians to health physicists and nuclear engineers and everything in between will be needed to meet the demands of the growing workforce.
The ORAU-led Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap (NEAR) lays out the necessary educational path that begins with a child’s first exposure to science concepts and continues through decades of professional growth, also referred to as “K to gray,” to create a workforce pipeline for nuclear energy.
Regarding educational opportunities like the nuclear science professional development workshop and the student mini-academy, the NEAR says, “introducing nuclear science and technology concepts early can ignite curiosity and lay the groundwork for future careers in the nuclear field. This early exposure helps students develop a foundational understanding that can evolve with their education. Early exposure to nuclear science cultivates a generation that is not only informed but also inspired to innovate.”
Hands-on learning programs like those offered by ORAU’s K-12 STEM team have the potential to encourage both students and teachers to learn more about the nuclear industry and pursue careers in a sector that is full of possibilities.
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Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 EDTEducationtag:orau.org,2026-06-23:/blog/people/1782225439659“It was the best of times”: The career of Roger Cloutier“Well, there’s a saying: ‘It was the best of times,’” retired ORAU health physicist Roger Cloutier recalled with a smile during an oral history interview, reflecting on his long career in radiation protection.
He meant it.
Cloutier entered the field just as radiation science was accelerating at an extraordinary pace. Over the course of his 33 years at ORAU, he led programs in health physics, medical physics and environmental sciences, helping shape the profession during a period of rapid scientific and regulatory growth.
“I came along just as this whole business was getting started,” he said. “[The Atomic Energy Commission] was spending lots of money to get work done. It was an opportunity to meet a lot of young researchers and so on. It was a great time to be in the business.”
Early years and service
Born in 1930 into a middle-class family in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, Cloutier was one of 13 children. He liked to joke that because he was “toward the end of the line,” at least he didn’t have to share a bed.
He was in junior high school when World War II began. As men in his community left for military service, jobs not typically open to teenagers became available. Cloutier seized those opportunities, working everywhere from farms to shoe repair shops—early lessons in responsibility and adaptability.
Knowing the draft loomed after high school, he enlisted in the Navy in 1948. He served four years during the Korean War as a Radarman 2nd Class in Combat Information Center aboard the USS Toledo and USS Gainard.
After leaving the Navy, Cloutier enrolled at the University of Massachusetts to study physics. His education included an appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory and a University of Rochester graduate school fellowship administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (ORINS), which later became Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). This was his first connection to Oak Ridge and the institution that would later define his career.
Building a career—and a family
Cloutier married between his junior and senior years of college. He and his wife would go on to raise five children.
In late 1956, Cloutier accepted a position in industrial hygiene and health physics near Pittsburgh, Penn. Industrial hygiene focuses on anticipating and controlling workplace hazards; health physics specializes in radiation protection. It was a natural fit for his physics background and growing interest in radiation science.
Soon afterward, a position opened at ORINS. The opportunity intrigued him. Oak Ridge offered professional promise—and, he hoped, a good place to raise a young family.
Though he had concerns because the region was grappling with desegregation tensions, including unrest in nearby Clinton, Tenn., it was the unexpected challenge of dialect confusion that caught him off guard.
Roger Cloutier began his 33-year ORAU career in 1959.
“I came down to Oak Ridge to be interviewed, and I was assigned somebody to take me all over town,” Cloutier remembered. “The young lady who took me around town would say something, and I couldn’t understand her because she spoke with a Southern drawl that was predominant then. I would say something and she couldn’t understand me because I spoke with the Boston drawl. So, as we spent the whole day together going from place to place, we hardly communicated at all because we couldn’t really talk to each other and understand.”
Even so, Roger Cloutier couldn’t shake his curiosity. It was 1959, and just a year earlier there had been a criticality accident at the Y-12 nuclear facility in Oak Ridge. When workers were handling liquid uranium, too much of it collected in the wrong way and it briefly started an uncontrolled nuclear reaction. Eight men received significant radiation doses. No one died, but some experienced radiation sickness symptoms. ORINS had managed the care of the people who were exposed, and Cloutier wanted to join the health physicists who were on the front lines of this new frontier.
Despite what Cloutier had read in the news about race tensions in the area, he said he decided Oak Ridge may still be a better place to raise his family than Pittsburgh, so they made the move. He quickly found the city vibrant and community oriented. “There were lots of things going on in town. The communities, the smallest communities, like Elm Grove and East Village and so on, had stores and so you went to [the] neighborhood store. But there was always something going on. I can think of going to things at the library, which was opposite the Alexander Inn. There was always something going on in the hall next to it and so on. So, it was a fun city,” he said.
Because he was passionate about supporting civil rights, he also used the opportunity of moving to the South to get involved in the movement. Cloutier served as president of the Oak Ridge Community Relations Council and as a member of the Tennessee Human Resources Council, helping lead efforts to desegregate local businesses. He proudly remembered visiting a barbershop on the day it opened its doors to everyone.
Advancing Radiation Science
Professionally, Cloutier immersed himself in nearly every corner of ORINS.
Early on, he worked with founder William Pollard, Ph.D., to develop radiation safety programs. He collaborated closely with the Special Training Division, teaching physicians and other professionals the science of dosimetry—measuring radiation absorbed by the body. His work took him across the United States and internationally, including training programs throughout Central and South America.
When Marshall Brucer, M.D., introduced a cobalt-60 therapy machine to treat tumors, Cloutier helped establish its safety framework. As nuclear medicine emerged as a new field, he stood at the forefront.
From here, Cloutier worked on another important project for the ORINS Medical Division. Thinking through the science of radiotherapy and how the department’s Medium Exposure Rate Total Body Irradiator (METBI) worked, he and a colleague had another idea. The METBI was used to treat patients with blood disorders because such people typically responded well to whole body irradiation.
Roger Cloutier (left) shakes hands with Jack Beck, who helped design the LETBI facility.
“We designed the LETBI facility, which is Low Exposure Rate Total Body Irradiator, which was actually a – what amounted to a Holiday Inn room sitting in the middle of a large, shielded place, which a patient would move in and live there for up to a week leaving only to go to the bathroom. So, we were involved with the dosimetry involved with patients that were being radiated,” Cloutier explained. “So, the idea was that it would be constant low-level radiation. The argument is a simple one that the rate at which you administer the radiation changes the outcome, and low exposure was thought that it was going to allow larger doses to be given but spread out and therefore would affect the blood disorder more.”
Patients received radiation treatments while staying in the LETBI facility at the ORINS Medical Division.
Establishing the Radiation Internal Dose Information Center
In the late 1960s, as nuclear medicine and nuclear energy use expanded, concern grew about internal radiation exposure—from medical procedures, industry and environmental releases.
Recognized as one of the dosimetry trailblazers, the Atomic Energy Commission (now known as the Department of Energy) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked Cloutier to establish the Radiation Internal Dose Information Center (RIDIC). So, he did.
This was significant. The RIDIC collected, analyzed and distributed data on how radioactive materials behave inside the human body. At a critical moment in nuclear science, it centralized expertise and improved models for calculating internal radiation dose. The center provided technical guidance to researchers, health professionals and regulators nationwide.
Cloutier considered his role in building the RIDIC a “great fortune.”
Environmental stewardship and mentorship
Later in his career, Cloutier turned his attention to environmental verification surveys. As federal agencies evaluated Department of Energy sites, previously undisclosed mercury and uranium contamination from Manhattan Project and Cold War operations came to light at Y-12. Serving as radiation and chemical safety officer for ORAU, Cloutier helped measure and assess those impacts.
Just as important to him was mentorship. He trained his protégé Evelyn Watson—who worked with him on several projects including RIDIC and would eventually succeed him—ensuring the next generation was prepared to lead. Investing in young professionals was one of his greatest sources of pride. Read Evelyn Watson’s amazing story in this blog.
A lasting legacy
In his 33 years with ORAU, Cloutier served in numerous leadership roles, ultimately retiring as director of the Professional Training Program, which continues to provide accredited education in radiation safety and health physics today.
He authored more than 70 publications, served as president of the Health Physics Society in the early 1980s, sat on many nonprofit boards, organized the ORAU retirees’ group and received professional honors, including the Loevinger-Berman Award.
Roger Cloutier speaks during the Radiation Emergency Assistance/Training Site 40th anniversary event in 2016.
Yet those who knew him often speak first not of his accolades but of his character.
“With a ready wit and ever-present twinkle in his eye,” his obituary reads, “he would probe, inquire, suggest, cajole, question and question again without ever belittling the beliefs of his companion. He was interested in everyone’s opinion no matter what their background. Even in his final days, he was quizzing his care givers on the engineering principles of the medical equipment he had around him.”
Curious to the end.
He entered radiation science at its dawn and helped guide it into maturity. In laboratories, classrooms, communities and regulatory arenas, this scientist left his mark.
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Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-06-16:/blog/programs/1781626497263Three Alabama welding instructors celebrate $30,000 Extreme Trades Makeover prizesThree Alabama high school welding instructors had their classes interrupted with oversized $30,000 checks, balloons, and surprise celebrations after being named the first-ever winners of the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition.
The winners were:
Joe Abercrombie, Edward Bell Career Technical Center in Camp Hill
Marty Long, Escambia Career Readiness Center in Brewton
Jarrod Pope, Lowndes County Career Technical Center in Haynesville
The Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition is designed to help meet the critical need for skilled welders in the U.S. maritime industry by awarding three deserving Alabama public high school vocational/trades teachers with $30,000 in welding equipment packages or other upgrades to help their students learn this highly sought-after skill.
Why welders?
The need for skilled welders is significant. The submarine industrial base needs tens of thousands of skilled tradespeople to help build and sustain the Navy’s submarine fleet and maintain the nation’s undersea advantage. Meeting that demand will require continued investment in recruiting, training and retaining workers for high-demand maritime trades. “Over the next 10 years we have a workforce need for around 100,000 maritime workers,” said Jennifer Hall, southern region workforce director for the Alabama Community College System. “That includes welders, as well as shipbuilders, pipefitters and marine electrical workers. This program will help us build that workforce pipeline.”
Pope helps students achieve a better life
Jarrod Pope checks a student's work during welding class. Pope is welding instructor at Lowndes County Career Technical Center in Haynesville, Ala.
For welding instructors like Haynesville’s Jarrod Pope, training his students in the welding trade gives them an opportunity for a better life.”
“This can be life-changing for them,” he said. “Welding is an escape, it’s a way students can make it out and give them hope.” While his name is on the oversized check he received, he says helping his students is a community effort that involves everyone at the school. “This means a lot, not just for me but for my students.”
It’s the high school welding shops like those of the winners that Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders was intended to support.
Abercrombie needs more shop space
At Edward Bell Career Technical School, welding instructor Joe Abercrombie said interest in the program continues to grow. And while he has the equipment that he needs to teach, his limited shop space has made it difficult to expand opportunities for them. With the support from Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders, Abercrombie hopes to create a second welding shop that will give students more room to learn and train on equipment safely and efficiently. “We’ve been able to buy a couple of shipping containers and get a slab poured,” Abercrombie said. “I hope to use these funds to enclose that container space to where I can get my steel storage and my cutting units in there and have two shops instead of one small shop.”
For Abercrombie, the additional space represents more than a facility upgrade, it highlights the ability to serve more students and better prepare them for careers in the skilled trades. By expanding the shop, students will have greater access to hands-on instruction and the opportunity to develop skills that can lead directly to high-demand careers in welding and manufacturing.
Long eyes basic and digital equipment
Marty Long and some of his students pose with the $30,000 oversized check Long received as one of three winners of Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders.
Marty Long at Escambia Career Readiness Center said he needs basic equipment and has an eye on some newer electronics as well.
“We plan on getting some welding machines, new grinders, some welding rods, anything we can do to make this better for welding,” he said. Long added that he hopes to purchase some of the new digital welding equipment “where you just dial it in and go. You need to be prepared to go into the workforce for that.”
“The maritime industrial base relies heavily on skilled welders to maintain a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and other vessels critical to the defense of our country,” said Jennifer Tyrell, ORAU associate manager for K-12 STEM Education. “As a generation of welders retire, the demand for newly trained welders increases, creating a growing need for skilled tradespeople. The Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders program hopes to help fill that need by inspiring and better equipping a new generation of these talented and skilled individuals.”
About Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders
To be eligible for the competition, teachers had to be actively teaching or planning to teach welding in an Alabama public school. They were asked to submit a short creative video highlighting their need for welding equipment or other upgrades and how the equipment would be used in their classrooms.
Winners were determined by a panel of educators, welding industry professionals, and program staff. Entries were judged on how well they clearly articulate the imperative for innovation, evolution, and creation of new and existing welding programs and pathways; effectively showcase how the new equipment or other upgrades will be utilized to enhance student learning; display creativity and originality in the video submission; and provide a thoughtful explanation of the teaching philosophy or approach that will expand welding education and inspire students to pursue careers in the field.
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Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-05-20:/blog/programs/1779280102491Pathway to Trades Summit tackles skilled trades workforce needs amid nuclear expansionLeaders from labor organizations, industry, government, education and community support services convened at the Pathway to Trades Summit, held at ORAU’s Pollard Center in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on May 14, 2026, to address one of the region’s most urgent challenges: building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the rapidly growing demands of the nuclear sector.
The summit brought together a broad coalition focused on aligning workforce development efforts with unprecedented industry growth. The Pathway to Trades Summit was sponsored by ORAU, the North America’s Building Trades Unions and the Tennessee Nuclear Network.
Ashley Stowe, ORAU Chief Research and University Partnerships Officer, welcomed guests to the Pathway to Trades Summit on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
“The scale of energy and nuclear development over the next decade will demand a skilled trades workforce that we do not currently have at the level we will need,” said Meghan Millwood, ORAU president and CEO. “This is not an issue for any one stakeholder group to solve alone—it is a shared responsibility.”
Keynote speakers and panelists emphasized the need for coordinated action across industry, unions, educational institutions and community organizations to create accessible, scalable pathways into high-demand careers. With major investments in advanced nuclear technologies and infrastructure underway, speakers underscored that workforce readiness will be the determining factor in the region’s ability to deliver on its economic and energy potential.
“Our goal is not just conversation, it’s coordination,” Millwood added. “If we get this right, we don’t just build jobs, we create lasting careers, strengthen families, and secure the future of this region.”
The event highlighted East Tennessee’s central role in the nation’s nuclear resurgence, with Oak Ridge identified as a hub for innovation, research and workforce development. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, whose district includes Oak Ridge and who is known as “Tennessee’s nuclear representative” for supporting the growth of the nuclear energy sector in the region, reinforced the urgency of the moment, pointing to a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to expand America’s energy capacity while strengthening national security and economic competitiveness.
More than a discussion, the summit challenged attendees to identify concrete actions their organizations can take within the next six to twelve months to strengthen workforce pipelines and remove barriers to entry.
Building the nuclear workforce of the future requires partnering — ‘no one can do it alone’
Teresa Duncan, lead nuclear strategist for the Tennessee Board of Regents and vice president of workforce and community development at Roane State Community College, addresses participants of ORAU’s Pathway to Trades Summit.
The Pathway to Trades Summit brought together an extraordinary mix of leaders from industry, education, labor, government, workforce development, and community organizations — all focused on one urgent challenge: How do we build the workforce needed to support the rapid growth of nuclear energy and advanced manufacturing in Tennessee and beyond?
The answer that emerged throughout the day was clear: no single organization can do this alone.
“That’s what today is all about,” said Teresa Duncan, lead nuclear strategist for the Tennessee Board of Regents and vice president of workforce and community development at Roane State Community College. “Where can we connect and partner. There are partners everywhere.”
The summit showcased what is possible when partners align around a shared mission — creating real pathways into high-demand careers while ensuring communities are prepared for the opportunities ahead.
A historic moment for nuclear energy
Michelle Scott, acting deputy assistant secretary for strategic crosscuts, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, address the Pathway to Trades Summit.
Speaker after speaker emphasized that the United States is entering a pivotal era for nuclear energy.
Fleischmann, via video, and Michelle Scott, acting deputy assistant secretary for strategic crosscuts, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, discussed ambitious national goals to dramatically expand nuclear energy capacity in the coming decades. Industry representatives described unprecedented demand signals already emerging across the sector. Tennessee, with its deep nuclear roots, world-class research institutions, skilled trades infrastructure, and growing industrial base, is positioned at the center of that expansion.
The need for people, though, is both immediate and needs to be built for the long term.
The workforce demand will require thousands of workers across skilled trades, engineering, construction, operations, cybersecurity, manufacturing, environmental management and support services. Speakers expect the demand for workers to increase over the next 10 to 15 years.
“The administration has set a bold goal of quadrupling nuclear energy capacity from 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2050,” Scott said. “People are, by far, the foundation of how we are going to support the nuclear renaissance.”
To meet this energy capacity increase, the nuclear industry anticipates significant growth, projecting 375,000 jobs nationwide with the deployment of advanced reactors, Scott added.
In Oak Ridge, thousands of workers are needed now to meet the current demands of the nuclear energy sector.
Brooks Young, executive director of the State of Tennessee’s TNWorks program, said growth in the nuclear energy sector will spill over to other sectors of the workforce.
“Our data tells us that there’s about a seven-times multiplier effect for every one nuclear job,” Young said, noting that nuclear energy growth will demand growth in healthcare, hospitality, housing, transportation and other supporting industries.
Workforce development must start earlier in the education lifecycle
One of the strongest themes throughout the summit was the importance of early exposure and career awareness, and education that takes students out of the classroom for hands-on experiences.
Cindy Lockett, career and technical education director for Roane County Schools, highlighted a successful pre-apprenticeship program in Roane County that connects students directly to career pathways before graduation. Programs like this help young people understand that rewarding, high-paying careers exist right in their communities.
Jason Andrews, director of the Cooperative Agreement of Labor and Management, a partnership of between the members of the Knoxville Building and Construction Trades Council and their employers, highlighted that the East Tennessee Apprenticeship Readiness Program (ETARP), at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge campus, successfully prepares students for skilled trades apprenticeships.
Programs like ETARP have “leveled the playing field between university and apprenticeships,” Lockett said.
On National Signing Day “we had students committing to the University of Tennessee sitting right next to a student who was joining the union, and it is valued the same,” Lockett said.
Education models that include after-school programs, community partnerships, youth organizations, career exploration events and hands-on learning experiences could expand education beyond traditional classrooms.
The idea is not simply recruitment. It is long-term talent cultivation.
Skilled trades apprenticeships are essential
Union leaders and workforce advocates reinforced that the future nuclear workforce will depend heavily on all 16 skilled trades.
Construction, electrical work, insulation, pipefitting, welding, HVAC and other crafts are critical to supporting both existing facilities and future projects.
Panelists discussed the workforce needs of the burgeoning nuclear industry in Tennessee.
Leaders from building trades organizations described major investments in registered apprenticeships and training infrastructure.
“Our local apprenticeships are funded by our members,” said Charlie Woody, president of the Knoxville Builders and Construction Trade Council and Business Manager, Insulators #46. “With our members funding apprenticeships themselves, we all have skin in the game.”
Apprenticeship programs produce skilled workers and create direct pathways into family-sustaining careers without requiring traditional four-year degrees. “We work to ensure our members secure a good-paying job and good contracts,” Woody said.
A recurring point throughout the summit was that apprenticeships should be viewed as premier career pathways and not as secondary, “lesser” options.
The workforce conversation has evolved beyond “college versus trades.”
The future requires both.
Veterans represent a powerful talent pipeline
Another major focus was veteran workforce transition programs, like SkillBridge, a U.S. Department of War program that allows transitioning service members to gain civilian work experience through internships, apprenticeships and training during their last six months of military service.
“The transition from military to civilian employment can be intimidating, and employers can help by learning how to interpret military experience and translate it into civilian job qualifications,” said Kristen Rawson, manager of the Y-12 National Security Complex Operations Center and a SkillBridge expert.
She added that veterans often come to civilian employers with leadership experience, technical expertise, mission-focused discipline, safety culture familiarity and security clearance eligibility.
Removing barriers matters as much as recruitment
Panelists at the Pathway to Trades Summit discuss the need for wraparound services, like childcare and transportation to enable workers to remain committed to training and apprenticeship programs.
One of the most important conversations of the day centered around workforce barriers.
Speakers emphasized that attracting workers is only part of the challenge. Supporting them is equally important. Panelists discussed obstacles to work that include transportation, childcare, housing availability, access to equipment and work clothing, financial support during training, and awareness of available resources.
“People don’t drop out of the [career] pathways that exist because they lack the ability,” said Sara Rymer, business agent for Painters #437. “They drop out because life gets in the way of those opportunities.”
The conversation reinforced that workforce development is not simply an education issue. It is a community infrastructure issue.
“We’re not just talking about workforce development. We’re talking about what it takes for a real human with responsibilities and stress and a whole life outside of work,” said Dawn Carlock, vice president of Roane Alliance.
Building a workforce ecosystem requires wraparound support systems that help people successfully enter and remain in career pathways.
Collaboration is the competitive advantage
One of the reasons Oak Ridge has become a hub for the nuclear energy industry is the level of collaboration already happening locally and across Tennessee.
“Communication and collaboration across all stakeholders and workforce partners are the secret to Oak Ridge’s past nuclear energy success and will be the driver of future workforce sustainability,” said Michelle Goodson, co-chairman of the Tennessee Nuclear Network (TN2) workforce development team and director of the ORAU STEM Accelerator.
Goodson added that many of the topics raised during the Pathway to Trades Summit echo priorities identified in the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap (NEAR), which was published by ORAU and the Partnership for Nuclear Energy in 2025. The NEAR makes recommendations around four strategic priorities: enhancing nuclear career awareness, supporting pipeline and pathway development, identifying financial support, resources and programs; and optimizing academic resources through collaboration.
A Sketch Effect artist captured notes from the summit.
Topics addressed during the Pathway to Trades Summit included:
Enhance nuclear career awareness
Strengthen recruitment and support programs for veterans and emerging talent
Integrate career awareness into STEM and Career and Technical Education programs
Foster community and industry engagement
Support pipeline and pathway development
Establish apprenticeship programs
Support emerging talent
Identify financial support, resources and programs
Engage industry and government partners
Provide wraparound support services
Optimize academic resources through collaboration
Raise awareness and promote existing programs
Form inter-institutional partnerships
“We’re putting the recommendations of the NEAR into action, which is exciting,” Goodson said.
Oak Ridge is already leading
The summit made one thing unmistakably clear: Oak Ridge is not waiting for the future of advanced energy and nuclear innovation. It is actively building it. Regional stakeholders have assembled a powerful ecosystem capable of supporting national energy priorities while creating transformational career opportunities for its citizens.
Still, the need for skilled trades workers is real and urgent. This challenge cannot be solved with small, isolated efforts. It requires sustained collaboration, creativity, investment and action.
The nuclear renaissance requires collaboration across various industries and communities.
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Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-05-04:/blog/programs/1777916593760ORAU’s 2026 Earth Day recycling event: Breaking records and building communityBy all measures, ORAU’s 2026 Earth Day recycling event was a record-breaking success. This year’s two-day collection drive had the highest participation, donation and overall weight totals since the event’s inception in 2010. Read about the history of this event and why we do it in this blog. Employees eagerly joined in the effort, bringing a variety of items for techno recycling, donations and secure file shredding on April 21-22. From old TVs to weed eaters and from Christmas décor to bank statements, participants took advantage of the opportunity to declutter and contribute to a better community.
The results were nothing short of impressive: ORAU employees diverted a whopping 25,830 lbs. of materials from landfills! The event’s organization was seamless with daily tallies and efficient processes that made it easy for everyone to participate. Even off-site employees and retirees were involved.
More than 25,000 lbs. were collected during ORAU’s 2026 Earth Day recycling event.
Here’s the 2026 breakdown:
ORAU’s 2026 techno recyclables on pallets, awaiting R2 vendor pickup.
*Techno recycle weights are ORAU’s estimates. Official weights will be verified by our R2-certified contractor to ensure responsible disposal practices.
While the numbers are exciting, the true impact of this event extends far beyond the data. ORAU’s commitment to being a good steward and supporting our community shines brightest in our partnerships with local organizations. These collaborations amplify the event’s positive impact, benefiting individuals and families throughout the region.
ORAU uses the Michael Dunn Center for document shredding during our Earth Day recycling event.
Let’s take a moment to highlight the organizations who help us make our recycling event successful.
ORAU uses the Michael Dunn Center for document shredding during our Earth Day recycling event.
Spotlight on community partners:
Michael Dunn Center- ORAU employees pulling up to drop off items were greeted by the Michael Dunn Center’s truck. This Roane County organization has spent more than 50 years enhancing the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through education, employment, residential support and day programs. The center is known to empower people to achieve greater independence and inclusion within their communities. Their document shredding service, a favorite among ORAU Earth Day participants, securely destroyed more than 1,600 lbs. of personal papers this year.
ASAP offers lock boxes to hold medication.
Allies of Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Anderson County- ASAP’s presence at the event provided a safe way to dispose of unwanted, expired or unused medications. This nonprofit works to reduce substance misuse and prevent overdose by ensuring medications don’t end up in the wrong hands. Furthermore, the U.S. Geological Survey cites “growing concerns” over pharmaceuticals not being filtered out of our water systems from people flushing medications. ORAU employees diverted 162 lbs. of medication during the 2026 recycling event, contributing to safer and cleaner water systems and fewer instances of substance abuse.
The Ecumenical Storehouse- Reusing is even better than recycling, and donations to the Ecumenical Storehouse give items a second life while meeting the needs of individuals in crisis. ORAU employees dropped off everything but the kitchen sink (I looked!) during the collection drive. This volunteer-run organization serves multiple counties, providing household goods to those displaced by emergencies. Volunteers were thrilled to receive 298 pounds of donations, including highly sought-after items like toasters!
ORAU employees came together to donate 298 lbs. of household items to the Ecumenical Storehouse during the 2026 Earth Day event.
The Holiday Bureau- Spreading holiday cheer is the mission of The Holiday Bureau, a nonprofit that has supported economically disadvantaged families in Anderson County for more than 80 years. ORAU employees donated 636 lbs. of toys, holiday decorations and even unique gifts like golf clubs. These contributions will help create memorable holiday experiences for families in need.
ORAU donated 636 lbs. of toys, stuffed animals, wrapping paper, décor and gifts to the Holiday Bureau as a result of its 2026 Earth Day recycling event.
ORAU’s 2026 Earth Day recycling event wasn’t just a win for sustainability, it was a win for the community. By combining stewardship with meaningful partnerships, ORAU employees demonstrated the power of collective action and generosity. Together, we broke records, supported local organizations, and made a tangible difference for both people and our world.
Here’s to continuing this tradition of impact and inspiration for years to come!
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Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-04-29:/blog/video/1777464437375The moment of surprise: Watch ORAU’s 2026 Extreme Classroom Makeover winner’s reactionEvery year, once the ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover selection committee chooses the recipient of the $25,000 grand prize, the excitement begins as plans are set in motion for a surprise announcement. This event is one of our favorite moments of the year, and the 2026 winner is Logan Woods, a 6th-grade math and science teacher at Sevierville Intermediate School.
We surprised Mr. Woods on the morning of Tuesday, April 14, 2026. After dropping his students off at their special area class, he was meeting with an administrator in her office. During the meeting, the administrator received a [planned] phone call and told Mr. Woods that she needed to respond to the gym. She invited Mr. Woods to walk with her while they continued their conversation. When they arrived at the gym, she suggested he go in first. As he opened the door and saw his students gathered inside, the realization hit him: his year of planning and hard work had paid off, and he was the 2026 Extreme Classroom Makeover winner.
In this video, you get to see Mr. Woods walking into the gym and reacting to the news.
Mr. Woods’ video submission, inspired by Sevierville’s own Dolly Parton and featuring a creative riff on her iconic song 9 to 5, was a hit with the selection committee and viewers as he also won the Viewers’ Choice Award, a $2,500 additional prize. However, it wasn’t just his entertaining submission that stood out; it was his detailed and thoughtful plan for how he would use the prize money to transform learning at his school. His proposal included creating a 3D printing lab, incorporating drones into lessons, purchasing digital microscopes, building a smart greenhouse, and more.
Next year, Mr. Woods will transition from teaching 6th grade to becoming the school’s technology teacher, where he will work with students across 4th, 5th and 6th grades. His vision for integrating innovative technology into the classroom will undoubtedly inspire and prepare students for the future.
ORAU has been awarding our annual Extreme Classroom Makeovers to area teachers for more than 15 years. In fact, since 2009, we’ve provided more than $500,000 in prize money to purchase technology and tools to help these teachers inspire their students with a love for STEM. In this way, ORAU impacts the future STEM workforce, filling the pipeline and helping prepare students to make great contributions in the scientific and technical careers of tomorrow!
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Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 EDTVideotag:orau.org,2026-04-22:/blog/programs/1776856145700Building the nuclear trades pipeline together: Join us at the Pathway to Trades Summit!The Tennessee nuclear industry is growing at an unprecedented pace, creating exciting opportunities for economic development and innovation. [Read about the nuclear renaissance and ORAU’s Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap.] However, with this rapid expansion comes the critical need for a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the industry. This creates an incredible opportunity for workers and others throughout our community and region; and if you have a stake in any part of this industry, your input matters!
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, industry leaders, educators, trade unions, government representatives, and community partners will meet on ORAU’s main campus and the Pollard Center in Oak Ridge for the Pathway to Trades Summit, a collaborative event focused on building and sustaining the nuclear trades pipeline. This is your chance to be part of a high-impact group of stakeholders dedicated to crafting solutions and driving meaningful change.
This summit isn’t just another meeting—it’s a dynamic and collaborative workspace designed to tackle workforce development challenges head-on. Attendees will have the opportunity to:
Bridge communication gaps: Connect the dots between those who train workers, fund programs and hire employees. Interactive exercises, networking and information-sharing opportunities abound.
Influence curriculum and capacity: Share insights on certifications and skills that are currently in demand, helping education and training institutions align their programs with industry needs.
Leverage resources: Learn about available state, local and community resources for program development, deployment, and support services for students and others learning new skills.
Commit to solutions: Build lasting connections to contribute to actionable strategies for workforce development in the nuclear trades.
This summit is designed for a diverse group of stakeholders who play a vital role in workforce development, including:
Industry leaders and HR executives: Share workforce demand signals (such as customer traffic and job posting velocity), as well as educational, training and hiring needs.
Trade union leadership: Highlight capacity and training requirements to meet industry demands.
Education administrators: Collaborate on curriculum development and inspire interest in nuclear trades careers. We want all levels involved – K-12, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT), community colleges, universities, and those who are retraining and reskilling the workforce.
National, regional and local government representatives: Provide insights into available resources and support opportunities.
Non-profit and community partners: Offer wrap-around services and support for students and programs.
Why your input matters
The Pathway to Trades Summit is more than a discussion. It’s a call to action. Your expertise and insights are essential to shaping the future of Tennessee’s nuclear workforce. Together, we can ensure the seamless development of a skilled workforce pipeline that meets industry needs and drives economic growth.
Save the date
Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference! Join us and be part of the collaborative effort to build the nuclear trades pipeline. The Pathway to Trades Summit is your chance to contribute to a vital initiative that will shape the future of the nuclear trades in Tennessee. Whether you’re an industry leader, educator, government official or community partner, your voice matters. Let’s build the pipeline together!
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Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-04-14:/blog/education/1776270339515Tick-tock! Time is running out for East Tennessee teachers to apply for ORAU’s 2026 education grantsAttention, East Tennessee STEM teachers in Anderson, Campbell, Morgan, Roane and Scott Counties! Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to bring your innovative ideas to life. ORAU’s annual Education Grants program is now open for applications, and the deadline to submit your proposals is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 24. Mark your calendar and plan accordingly!
ORAU is committed to advancing science, technology, engineering and math education by empowering teachers with the resources they need to inspire the next generation of innovators. Each year, we allocate thousands of dollars in funds to support teachers from our surrounding communities in paying for projects that foster creativity, educational enrichment and hands-on learning in STEM fields. Whether you’re dreaming of new robotics equipment, interactive STEM stations, or tools to enhance spatial reasoning, this grant program could make your vision a reality.
How it works
Teachers submit proposals for specific projects they aim to implement in the upcoming school year but lack the resources to execute. Our selection committee, comprised of former classroom educators, evaluates submissions based on proposal quality, educational enrichment, creativity and available funding from ORAU.
Success stories from last year
Last year, ORAU awarded grants to eight local teachers, enabling them to pursue exciting STEM projects. Here are just a few examples of how the funding made a difference:
Clark Ward, Glenwood and Woodland Elementary Schools:
Ward, the Innovation Coach at Glenwood and Woodland Elementary Schools, provided teachers at his schools with 3D pens and filament to help young learners explore engineering and design. “This project brings hands-on 3D design experiences to our youngest learners, sparking creativity and deepening spatial reasoning from an early age,” he explained.
Glenwood Elementary kindergarten teacher works with a student on fine motor skills.
Kimberly O’Dell, North and South Clinton Elementary Schools:
O’Dell purchased drones to teach students block coding and introduce them to accelerometers, gyroscopes and obstacle detection. “From coding to drone flight to computer science, these projects aren't just exciting—they're essential for building 21st-century skills that prepare students for the future,” she said.
South Clinton Elementary students are all smiles as they hold their new classroom drone.
Bobbie Clements, Rockwood High School:
Her journalism students received professional-grade TV technology, including a green wall, cameras, microphones, and lights. “This equipment will not only preserve the vital storytelling our students do—it will elevate it, giving them access to professional tools and helping us build a modern, innovative media environment,” Clements shared.
Rockwood High School students show off their new green screen and lights for their journalism class.
Dawn Huckeby, Robbins Elementary School:
Huckeby brought stop-motion animation tools and LEGO Education sets to her library to help her students connect with stories in new ways. “I think they will pay closer attention to details and become more involved with the story when they know they will be creating a project to animate,” Huckeby shared.
Librarian Dawn Huckeby displays new STEM tools she will use during story time.
Courtney Bass, Norwood Elementary School:
Bass used her ORAU grant to create sensory and STEM stations for kindergarteners, including a STEM wall and light table. “Students will be able to take their learning a step further through hands-on experiences,” she said.
Norwood Elementary student learns with new light table.
Why apply?
Since its inception, ORAU has awarded more than $580,000 in education grants to East Tennessee schools, helping teachers and students reach new heights in STEM education. Could your classroom be next? Imagine the possibilities for your students if your STEM dream is supported!
Submit your proposal today!
Don’t wait. This is your chance to make a lasting impact on your students and their futures. Learn more about our grant program and submit your application today. Together, we can inspire curiosity, innovation and a love for STEM in classrooms across East Tennessee.
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Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 EDTEducationtag:orau.org,2026-03-18:/blog/people/1776270369297ORAU historical spotlight: The story of Clarence Lushbaugh, the experimental pathologist
Image of C.C. Lushbaugh in 1984 giving a presentation
Known professionally as C.C. Lushbaugh (March 15, 1916 – Oct. 13, 2000), Dr. Clarence Lushbaugh preferred friends to call him “Lush.” He practiced nuclear medicine during a time that’s now considered a golden era of radiation research—the time when radionuclides were discovered and tested for biological and medical properties. Leaning into this developing field, Lushbaugh excelled. His curiosity and intellect produced a robust resume of impressive experience. At the end of his illustrious career, Dr. Lushbaugh was an internationally recognized specialist in radiation injury.
Early life and inspiration
His journey into medicine was influenced by personal loss: his father died during the influenza epidemic of 1918, when Lushbaugh was a toddler. From that time, he was fascinated (and fearful) of death and decided early on that he wanted to become a doctor. He proudly carried his father’s name and credits his mother, who never remarried, for nurturing his dream and supporting his ambitions. Her unwavering backing was exemplified when she gifted him the $300 she had received and saved after his father’s death to celebrate his graduation from medical school 30 years later.
Lushbaugh attended college at the University of Cincinnati, just across the river from where he grew up in Kentucky. He followed a favorite teacher and transferred to the University of Chicago where he earned his bachelor’s degree in anatomy in 1938. Rather than going straight to medical school, Lushbaugh says he “diddled and daddled” and entered the Ph.D. program in pathology as that field had captured his attention while he was taking pre-clinical courses. This decision would shape his career trajectory.
After earning his Ph.D. in experimental pathology in 1942, Dr. Lushbaugh was appointed to the pathology faculty at the University of Chicago where he continued research and teaching. He was promoted to the rank of assistant professor and became the pathologist for the university’s toxicology laboratory.
Dr. C.C. Lushbaugh, internationally recognized specialist in radiation injury.
Frustrated he had trouble persuading doctors to take his suggestion seriously, Lushbaugh decided it was time to get his medical degree, so he’d be able to speak with doctors as peers. He re-enrolled in the University of Chicago’s medical school and finished his education with honors: an M.D. in pathology in 1948.
14 years in Los Alamos
The next year, Lushbaugh left Chicago to become the pathologist at the Los Alamos Medical Center in New Mexico and a staff member in the Biomedical Research Group of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Los Alamos was one of three secret cities that was established in the war effort to develop atomic weapons. It was a sequestered city invested in nuclear research when Lushbaugh arrived and was ripe with case studies for an experimental pathologist to learn how radiation affects the body.
It was here that Dr. Lushbaugh began investigating radiation accidents. One of the most well-known cases he handled was the autopsy of Cecil Kelley, a chemical operator at Los Alamos National Lab who died after a criticality accident exposed him to a lethal dose of radiation. In the postmortem analysis of Kelley’s case, Lushbaugh helped document the progression of radiation sickness and the specific ways in which high-dose radiation impacts various systems in the human body. In Los Alamos’ publication “The Cecil Kelley Criticality Accident” the investigation is documented and demonstrates that Lushbaugh’s contributions yielded valuable insights to the field of radiation pathology.
In another investigation, Dr. Lushbaugh studied “Cedar City Sue,” a sheep from Cedar City, Utah, which was sent to Los Alamos after it was believed its flock was exposed to fallout. During the 1950s, the government conducted aboveground nuclear tests in Southern Nevada. After one particular atomic shot in 1953, scientists believed drifting clouds were seeded and rained fallout downwind over Cedar City. Many sheep reportedly suffered from radiation sickness and lesions on their ears. Lushbaugh observed “Sue” and autopsied all the sheep that died. He concluded that while radiation may have affected the sheep, there was no evidence that the animals had ingested radiation. His studies were part of a broader effort to understand the impact of radiation on living organisms, inform safety protocols and mitigate risks associated with nuclear testing.
Dr. Lushbaugh is also remembered during his Los Alamos days for his extensive research into determining the lethal dose of radiation that kills 50% of exposed people within 30 days (known as LD50/30). He visited labs, hospitals and physicians who had irradiated people, looking into the data on as many as 3,000 patients. The LD50/30 is a critical measure used in radiation biology that provides a benchmark for evaluating the severity of exposure to radiation. When doctors know the LD50/30, they can estimate the risk of mortality and implement measures to mitigate the risks. Lushbaugh considers this project one of his major contributions to the field of pathology.
From one secret city to another
In 1963, Lushbaugh moved his family one more time. This job change took them to Oak Ridge, Tenn., where he joined the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (ORINS, later ORAU) as chief scientist in the medical division’s applied radiobiology department. Like Los Alamos, Oak Ridge played a significant role in the Manhattan Project and was a center for nuclear research. In fact, the federal government designated the ORINS Medical Division as one of three research hospitals in the country that was investigating the use of radioisotopes for cancer treatment. Lushbaugh was excited to become more involved in medical research.
These images demonstrate how a patient spent time in the LETBI facility at the ORINS Medical Division
During Dr. Lushbaugh’s tenure at the medical division, ORINS developed the Low Exposure Total Body Irradiator (LETBI). This revolutionary technology was designed to provide controlled, uniform radiation exposure for therapeutic purposes. The treatment rooms were basically small apartments where patients would live during the treatment. Radioactive sources were located throughout the room, so patients would receive the radiation while reading a book or watching television. Dr. Lushbaugh oversaw patient care and research at LETBI. He saw patients with illnesses such as lymphatic disease, leukemia and lymphoma, among other ailments. This facility was instrumental in pioneering the use of radiation technology for cancer treatment and other applications, and LETBI in particular was a key innovation that contributed to advancements in total body irradiation techniques, which improved outcomes.
As medical radiation research expanded across the country and transitioned to other institutions, ORAU closed its medical division in 1974, having fulfilled its mission as a research hospital. Dr. Lushbaugh took all that he had learned through the medical division and leveraged that to establish the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center Training Site (REAC/TS) in 1976. REAC/TS was created to provide specialized expertise in radiation emergency medicine, including training and medical management of radiation exposure and contamination incidents. It is a 24/7 deployable asset for the Department of Energy. Lushbaugh was the first director of the organization, and REAC/TS remains a critical resource in radiation emergency medicine today.
Image from a 1975 REAC/TS training event.
During this time, Lushbaugh was named the chairman of the medical and health sciences division of ORAU in 1975, after a reorganization of the programs emphasized the study of occupational and industrial diseases related to energy production. In 1979, Lushbaugh’s leadership and experience was needed again as he was tapped to serve as the acting director of ORAU’s Center for Epidemiological Research. He filled this role until 1982.
While the epidemiological work the team did is very important (such as ORAU’s involvement in studies focused on workers in the nuclear industry, assessing the long-term health effects of radiation exposure), one of the most endearing legacies Lushbaugh is remembered for around ORAU is the hobby he shared with his wife: making stained glass. One of their most elaborate projects was a double window featured in the lobby of the Center for Epidemiologic Research. Each window is a quarter circle with a seven-foot radius, which is a total of almost 80 square feet. The medallions represent each of ORAU’s member universities at the time.
Dr. C.C. Lushbaugh with his wife Dorothy when their stained-glass windows were installed in ORAU’s Center for Epidemiologic Research in 1982.
Modern-day picture of the same windows.
Respected advisor
Because Dr. Lushbaugh was internationally recognized, he served as a consultant on behalf of the World Health Organization in radiation accidents including the infamous incident in Chernobyl, Ukraine. He also responded to incidents in Juarez, Mexico; Goiania, Brazil; and San Salvador, El Salvador, providing insights and guidance in radiation emergency response.
Domestically, his contributions were far-reaching. In addition to general radiation research, he also worked with the Food and Drug Administration, leading ORAU’s study of DTPA, an agent used to remove radionuclides from the body after accidental internal contamination. His work contributed to advancements in radiation safety and treatment protocols.
Recognition and legacy
Beyond titles and leadership, Clarence Lushbaugh’s career was decorated with awards. In 1984, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award presented by the Health Physics Society. Borrowing from the storyline of The Wizard of Oz the presenter said, “History has shown that Clarence C. Lushbaugh has courage, a heart, brains, and much experience, but never in Dr. Lushbaugh’s long, distinguished career has he been content with simply getting back to Kansas.”
The next year, he was named the Landauer award winner by the American Association of Physicists. This award is an honor that recognizes outstanding contributions in medical physics, particularly in the areas of radiation dosimetry and associated technologies.
Even local media members were Lushbaugh fans. In the Oct. 31, 2000, edition of The Oak Ridger, the founding editor of the paper, Richard D. Smyser, wrote a memorial article stating that Lushbaugh, “continued as a valued senior staff member [at ORAU] for decades, during which he played not only a major medical but also a major public information role. He was readily available to explain the intricacies of radiation exposure to the press, an essential function in which is still a time of often gross misinterpretation of such accidents.”
Dr. Lushbaugh giving an interview.
In his nearly 50-year career, he authored more than 150 scientific articles, book chapters and books, mostly on chemical and radiation pathology and human radiation biology.
He retired in 1990 as ORAU’s chief of radiation medicine.
After a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, Clarence Lushbaugh died in the year 2000.
His longtime friend John Storer, who met him when he was a medical student and Dr. Lushbaugh was an instructor, memorialized him this way: “He was always somewhat of a nonconformist and early on decided that he would always observe Friday the thirteenth as a personal holiday. He called it “Pogo Day” after the cartoon character of Walt Kelly. It is perhaps appropriate that Lush died on Pogo Day, Friday, Oct. 13,” Storer wrote.
Dr. Lushbaugh using a microscope
Dr. Clarence Lushbaugh left an indelible mark on the fields of pathology, radiation medicine and nuclear research. His groundbreaking work, leadership and dedication to advancing science and medicine have inspired generations of researchers and practitioners.
Thank you, Dr. Lushbaugh, for sharing your brilliance with us. We are better for it.
Radiation Research Society, March 2001, “In Memoriam” article by John Storer (friend who met him as a medical student when Lushbaugh was an instructor)
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Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 EDTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-03-13:/blog/programs/1776270397756ORAU’s mission: Developing, connecting and strengthening the workforce for a better worldAt ORAU, we believe that building a better world starts with empowering individuals at every stage of their career journey. For nearly 80 years, this belief has driven our mission to cultivate a strong, resilient and impactful workforce. From sparking curiosity in young minds to promoting innovation among seasoned professionals, ORAU is a trusted partner in every phase of workforce development.
Explaining our work isn’t as simple as describing a factory that produces a single product. Instead, our efforts are multifaceted, encompassing a wide range of capabilities that collectively contribute to strengthening the scientific and technical workforce.
For example, ORAU through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is not only leading national efforts to enhance the workforce by appointing more than 9,000 early-career STEM graduates per year in research participation programs at federal agencies, but we are also addressing local needs. In Tennessee (and beyond), we are spearheading initiatives to build a robust workforce pipeline for the nuclear industry. This includes engaging scientific and technical subject matter experts to deal with critical personnel gaps and ensure the labor pool is equipped to meet future demands.
ORAU is there for all phases of the lifecycle of a member of the workforce from start to finish, or “K to Gray.”
Our approach: Supporting the lifecycle of scientific and technical workers
Our story is built around the lifecycle of scientific and technical workers, a broad range of STEM and technical professionals. What we do encompasses distinct phases of the employee’s lifecycle: discovery, development, connection and support—with a through-thread of strengthening and safeguarding worker and community health. Throughout all these phases, we believe that innovation and progress are built on the foundation of a thriving workforce and resilient communities.
Let’s take a practical look at what that looks like in ORAU’s day-to-day operation.
Discovery phase: Igniting curiosity early in life
Elementary-aged students learn math with clay during a free summer mini academy we offered in 2025.
The journey begins in the classroom, where ORAU sparks curiosity and inspires a lifelong love for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Through free hands-on STEM activities, engaging competitions and educator tools, we help students from kindergarten to high school explore the wonders of STEM. By fostering curiosity and providing resources for career exploration, we aim to nurture the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.
Recognizing the importance of technical trades, ORAU also supports programs like Extreme Trades Makeover, which awards welding teachers with $30,000 in shop equipment upgrades. This initiative, a spinoff of our renowned Extreme Classroom Makeover program for STEM educators, underscores our commitment to advancing education and fostering excellence across diverse fields.
Development phase: Preparing emerging professionals
A 2025 ORISE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) participant. The SULI program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) and is administered by ORISE.
As students transition to college and early career stages, ORISE equips them with opportunities to grow and thrive in STEM and technical fields. Through internships, research programs and specialized training, we help emerging professionals gain the skills and experience they need to succeed. These programs are designed to bridge the gap between education and the workforce, ensuring a strong foundation for future leaders in scientific and technical industries.
Connection phase: Advancing innovation among mid-career professionals
For mid-career professionals, ORAU serves as a vital connector—linking them to expert networks, collaboration opportunities and resources that support the advancement of their work. Through fostering innovation and facilitating scientific discovery, we help professionals achieve their full potential while driving progress in their respective fields.
Our primary method of connecting people, ideas and research is through our university consortium. In a previous blog, we explored the consortium in detail: ORAU’s consortium—What’s that? At its core, our consortium serves as a matchmaking hub, introducing professionals with like-minded colleagues and industry opportunities. This collaboration propels ideas and research passions into groundbreaking discoveries, aligning with our overarching strategy of enhancing worker health, safety and resilience.
A panel discussion during ORAU’s 2025 annual meeting of sponsoring institutions.
Support phase: Empowering seasoned professionals
Seasoned professionals play a vital role in advancing STEM and technical excellence, and ORAU is here to support them in sharing their knowledge and continuing their contributions. Whether through mentorship, collaboration, or specialized programs, we empower experienced professionals to make a lasting impact in their industries and communities.
ORAU has a network of 24,000+ global subject matter experts because when it comes to scientific peer reviews, merit reviews and program evaluations, the results are only as good as the professionals who bring their expertise to the review process. Learn about ORAU peer review.
Peer review is the evaluation of scientific work by subject matter experts from the same or a related field. ORAU gives professionals the opportunity to share their expertise.
Beyond workforce development
While workforce development is at the heart of what we do, ORAU is equally committed to strengthening and safeguarding the health and resilience of workers and communities. From addressing occupational health challenges to enhancing emergency preparedness and advancing public health research, we promote safer working and living environments. Our work ensures that individuals and communities are equipped to thrive in the face of challenges and uncertainties.
The ORAU story is one of discovery, development, connection and support of workers and strengthening worker and community health. Our dedication to workforce readiness and worker health creates a ripple effect of positive impact. By strengthening individuals at every stage of their journey, we are building a stronger workforce and communities for a better world.
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Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-03-11:/blog/programs/1776270397289Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2026March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, an observance that promotes screening starting at age 45 to prevent colorectal cancer or catch cancer early.
The White House issued a statement in support of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month that read: “We stand alongside every citizen courageously battling colon or rectal cancer, we pay tribute to those who lost their lives to the disease, and we renew our pledge to build a future that is healthy, strong, and totally cancer-free.”
This year, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month arrives with a heightened sense of urgency. New data shows that colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for people under age 50.
The new data comes as a shock. As a 14-year survivor of stage-IIIB rectal cancer and a long-time advocate for an organization called Fight Colorectal Cancer, that single data point is a call to action to promote screening for prevention and early detection. Colorectal cancer is the only cancer that is completely preventable with screening and, if caught early, has a 90 to 95% survival rate.
ORAU’s Michael Holtz (pictured second from the left) meets with Tim Cannon, MD., (pictured on far left) co-director of the gastrointestinal cancers program at Inova Shar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, Virginia, along with research advocates for Fight CRC and Rep. James Walkinshaw (pictured third from right).
Sadly, we’ve known colorectal cancer deaths were rising. For years we’ve been urging lawmakers to increase funding for research and early detection programs because projections told us colorectal cancer would be leading cause of cancer death for people under 50 by the year 2030.
Turns out, we actually crossed that threshold back in 2023, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Alarming data on colorectal cancer
While that statistic is alarming on its own, there’s more.
Colorectal cancer deaths are rising. Of the five leading cancers in the United States – lung, breast, prostate, colorectal and skin – only colorectal cancer has seen its death rates increase.
Rectal cancer is on the leading edge of the rise in both colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths. When we talk about colorectal cancer, we are talking about two parts the large intestine: the colon, which is about five-feet long and absorbs water and electrolytes as waste passes through; and the rectum, the last 6-8 inches, which acts as a storage reservoir until the waste can be eliminated.
People born after 1990 have twice the risk of developing colon cancer than people born before 1990; they are at four times the risk of developing rectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates have been on the increase since 1950.
158,850 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year; 55,230 people will die of colon or rectal cancer.
Why is this happening?
Some research suggests the increase in colorectal cancer diagnosis and death is due to obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Other causes singled out in research include consumption of ultra processed foods, changes in the gut microbiome, environmental exposures and microplastics in the human body, according to the National Cancer Institute.
More research is needed to better pinpoint the causes and stop the rise in colorectal cancer diagnosis and death.
The state of colorectal cancer screening
When I was diagnosed in March 2012, age 50 was the recommended screening age for colorectal cancer. I was 43. Both the American Cancer Society and the United States Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended screening age to 45 in 2021. This is important because both ACS and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) screening guidelines are used for insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings.
Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. During this 30- to 60-minute procedure, a flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the anus that allows a gastroenterologist to see, biopsy or remove polyps that may be found during the procedure. Patients are sedated, and preparation is required to clear the colon of any waste.
Stigma around the “back door entry” of a colonoscope and the preparation process keep some people from getting colonoscopies. I tell any audience that will listen that I would do the “prep” for a colonoscopy every day for the rest of my life to never hear the words, “you have cancer,” ever again.
While the ctDNA blood tests are relatively new, fecal DNA tests have existed for more than 10 years, and fecal occult blood tests for far longer. Even so, more than 50% of people don’t know that there are colorectal cancer tests that can be done at home, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance 2026 State of Screening Study. Nearly 60% of people surveyed didn’t know a colonoscopy would be a necessary follow up step if there is a negative finding in any of the non-invasive tests.
Clearly, there is work to do in educating the public about the need for screening and the various methods of screening for colorectal cancer.
Don’t dismiss the symptoms
While colorectal cancer can have no symptoms in early stages, as the disease progresses symptoms may develop that include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, unexplained abdominal cramping, strange-looking or strange-smelling stools. Additionally, feeling fatigued or anemic can also be signs of colorectal cancer.
As colorectal cancer rates continue to rise in people under age 50 – I know and have lost friends who were diagnosed in their 20s and 30s – it is important for younger people to talk to their doctors if they are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above.
Sadly, medical professionals often dismiss these symptoms in young people, especially young women, as hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome or other illnesses. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, 45% of adults under 45 say their symptoms were dismissed by their doctors.
What can you do?
While the latest colorectal cancer data are alarming, it’s important to know there are things we can all do to prevent colorectal cancer or catch it early.
Stay up to date on your screenings. Eat a healthy diet high in fiber. Exercise more. Know the symptoms and talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of them.
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Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 EDTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-02-25:/blog/video/1776270407085Relive the excitement of the 2026 Tennessee Science Bowl!
The 2026 Tennessee Science Bowl is in the books (Feb. 20-21), and Farragut High School—Team One—from Knoxville, Tenn., is the reigning champion.
Since 1991, high school students across the state have gathered on a February Saturday to go head-to-head in a quiz-show-style competition to test their knowledge in biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy and math. This year, 60 teams from 46 schools contended for the title.
The morning featured dynamic round-robin sessions, while the afternoon brought intense elimination rounds, where quick responses to toss-up questions provided a competitive edge.
The winners walked away with bragging rights, a trophy and cash for their school.
Next up is the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. (April 30 – May 4, 2026). For the first time in history, because Tennessee Science Bowl is the largest regional science bowl in the country, the first and second place winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Tennessee at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl.
Here’s how the competition ended:
Farragut High School – Team One, first place ($1,000 and trip to National Science Bowl)
Collierville High School – Team One, second place ($750 and trip to National Science Bowl)
Farragut High School – Team Two, third place ($500)
Ravenwood High School – Team One, fourth place ($250)
Knoxville Catholic High School – Team One, Civility Award ($100)
Watch our video recap from the weekend that started with dinner, a keynote speaker and a professional opportunities fair before the action-packed day of competition began the next day.
In addition to ORAU, ORISE and DOE, Tennessee Science Bowl is sponsored by Pellissippi State Community College and LIS Technologies, Inc.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 ESTVideotag:orau.org,2026-02-24:/blog/history/1776270346501‘ORAU has been a vital link’: Lee Riedinger discusses ORAU’s critical, historical role in Oak Ridge and at the University of Tennessee
Retired University of Tennessee Physics Professor Lee Riedinger and his book about the history between UT, ORAU and Oak Ridge.
Lee Riedinger, Ph.D., wrote a book about the history of the connection between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge because he felt a responsibility to tell the story.
“I’ve been around UT for a long time,” said Riedinger, who is partially retired after serving on the faculty of the UT Physics Department for 49 years. “I just felt the need to write this down because you see leaders of institutions come and go. When they come, they usually do not understand the history of the organization. Too often, leaders reinvent the wheel because they don’t understand where the current status came from.”
ORAU has been a vital link in the connection between UT and Oak Ridge since the sunsetting of the Manhattan Project after World War II, Riedinger said on an episode of Further Together, The ORAU Podcast.
A key figure in the early connections between UT and Oak Ridge was William G. Pollard, Ph.D., founder of the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (now ORAU). Pollard was a nuclear physicist who researched gaseous diffusion extraction of Uranium-235 at Columbia University in New York during the Manhattan Project.
UT Physics Professor William Pollard, Ph.D., founded ORINS (what became ORAU) to continue research efforts in the Oak Ridge, Tenn., area after WWII.
ORAU and creation of the national lab
After the success of the Manhattan Project, the United States military was unsure what to do with the laboratory facilities—Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge—that had been created to support it. Did the government need to continue funding a laboratory for a project that had ended? If the laboratory closed, the scientists and engineers who worked there were likely to leave the region.
A suggestion over dinner in September 1945 changed the course of Oak Ridge’s history and its economy.
Robert Bortz, who was head of the chemical engineering department at UT, convened a dinner for Katharine (Kay) Way. Three years earlier, Way had been teaching physics at UT when she was recruited to join the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago, where she worked under future Nobel Prize winner Eugene Wigner in the metallurgical laboratory.
Pollard and Kenneth Hertel, head of the UT Department of Physics, attended that dinner where Way explained that some of the universities in the Chicago area, where Argonne National Laboratory is located, were talking about forming a consortium to access the laboratory. Way wondered if the same thing could happen with the laboratory in Oak Ridge.
Way’s suggestion ultimately led to the formation of the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies as a university consortium in 1946.
“Bill Pollard picked that ball up, ran with it, and formed a consortium of 14 universities, and that was officially kicked off in October of 1946,” Riedinger said. Pollard led ORINS, and the Atomic Energy Commission, a federal agency charged with managing the national laboratories, was created in January 1947, and Pollard got ORINS approved by the AEC.
The first ORINS council meeting on Oct. 17, 1946, included the University of Tennessee as one of 14 member universities.
ORAU and the University of Tennessee
ORINS had a role in keeping Manhattan Project scientists in the region by helping the University of Tennessee create doctoral education programs.
Riedinger says many of the Manhattan Project scientists and engineers had been pulled out of graduate school to work on the project. Following the Allied victory and the end of World War II, these scientists and engineers were inclined to go back to their respective schools to finish their doctoral work.
William Pollard, Ph.D., pictured with a radiation detection instrument
This was 1944, and UT was not considered a very advanced university at the time. It was a land grant school with a primary focus on agriculture. There were no doctorate-level education programs.
“UT created its first Ph.D. programs – chemistry in 1945, physics in 1946 – primarily to serve Oak Ridge,” Riedinger said. “Offering these programs enabled Manhattan Project Workers to stay in Oak Ridge, get their Ph.D. degrees locally and continue their work at three plants [K-25, X-10 and Y-12],” Riedinger said.
Pollard led the effort to expand UT’s educational offerings and taught one of the first physics courses on site in 1945, Riedinger said.
ORAU and UNISOR
On the podcast and in his book, Riedinger tells the story of how ORAU and its member universities combined resources to build an isotope separator at ORNL around 1970.
Joe Hamilton, a professor of physics at Vanderbilt University and Riedinger’s mentor in graduate school, led the idea to build the isotope separator with funds contributed by a dozen universities, including Vanderbilt and UT.
The University Isotope Separator at Oak Ridge (UNISOR) was installed at the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron, an accelerator for producing short-lived radioactive isotopes. “The separator that was built by these universities enabled you to separate out the newly created radioisotopes and study their nuclear properties,” Riedinger said.
Historic image from UNISOR at an early stage of installation.
ORAU was the administrative glue that held this together and provided management of the facility. UNISOR helped researchers at the partner universities better understand radioactive decay, isotope identification and nuclear structure.
“It was a huge success,” Riedinger said. “That was the first user facility at Oak Ridge National Lab, and maybe I think the first at any U.S. National Lab.” Today, there are at least a half dozen user facilities at ORNL.
Lee Riedinger, Ph.D., pictured around the time he was involved in some of the UNISOR experiments through his work at UT.; Courtesy: Ken Carter
UNISOR made it easier for faculty at partner universities to get time to do experiments at the Oak Ridge cyclotron. Previously, they had to befriend a laboratory staff member convince him or her of your idea and get beam time that way. Researchers still had to compete for time at the cyclotron, but the scheduling process was managed by the UNISOR organization through ORAU.
ORAU has been and always will be an integral part of the scientific and technical workforce community in Oak Ridge and beyond. Riedinger said he looks forward to seeing how ORAU continues to make its mark in the years to come.
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Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 ESTHistorytag:orau.org,2026-02-17:/blog/programs/1776270396925From science fiction to reality: NASA researchers pioneering crop growth in spaceIn the 2015 sci-fi movie, The Martian, astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, is inadvertently left behind when his fellow crew members abort a manned mission to Mars during a dust storm. In his effort to survive until he can be rescued, Watney grows potatoes using the crew’s biowaste and Martian soil.
While the movie was fiction, for Luke Fountain, Ph.D., a third-year NASA Postdoctoral (NPP) Fellow, determining how astronauts can best grow food in space is a very real problem to be solved. Fountain is based at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., through the NPP fellowship program that ORAU manages, and he is part of the space crop production team there.
“The whole point of us doing all of this [research] is because we want to grow crops in space, and we want astronauts, particularly on future deep space missions, to be able to support themselves and be less reliant on resupply from Earth,” Fountain said on an episode of Further Together, the ORAU Podcast.
Fountain’s research focus is on nitrogen uptake, which is a critical component of plant growth. Understanding, in a space flight environment, how plants uptake nitrogen, which is contained in human biowaste and other sources, could lead to the development of waste recycling processes for crop production and allow astronauts to control how nitrogen is distributed to crops.
He added that astronauts understand how to grow plants on the International Space Station, but growing plants on the Moon or Mars has a wide set of variables.
Nitrogen uptake is a critical component of plant growth. Getty stock image
These variables are part of a nine-point framework, called the Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) Readiness Level, designed to assist scientists and manned space flight crew members in overcoming challenges to establish resilient, sustainable crop production in space. The framework was included in a paper, which Fountain co-authored, and was published in the New Phytologist in November 2025.
The BLSS Readiness Level priorities are drawn from the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) Plants for Space Exploration and Earth Applications workshop, held at the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) conference in Liverpool, England, in September 2024.
“The idea really was to bring the international space plant biology community together,” Fountain said. “It had been a long time since all of us had come together in the same room to discuss the developments and advancements we’ve made over the last several years.”
Taco Tuesday in space?
While astronauts have been growing plants on the International Space Station for years, the most famous example occurred in 2021. The Plant Habitat-04 Experiment (PH-04) involved growing chili peppers in a small, controlled chamber to see if they could be grown as a viable food source.
“The astronauts got to eat chili peppers on the space station. They made space tacos, and it was all over the media,” Fountain said. “It was amazing. It was before my time at NASA, but they really got excited about it.”
Plants and psychological well-being
In addition to cultivating plants to grow food for astronauts, there is another reason growing plants in space is important.
Growing crops in space has multiple benefits for astronauts. Getty stock image
“It’s for the psychological well-being of the astronauts,” Fountain said. Plants have a mental health benefit, but astronauts don’t have the ability to go for a hike in the woods or walk in a park. Growing plants in space has similar benefits.
“We’ve made a lot of advances in that area,” Fountain said.
Ohalo III and the ISS
Fountain is excited to be working alongside scientists who are part of Ohalo III, a prototype crop production system intended to be deployed to the ISS in August 2026. Ohalo III will inform design decisions for future crop production systems for deep space missions, including how to deliver water effectively and optimize the volume of crops grown. The system is currently being tested at Kennedy Space Center.
“The real goal is less on research and more on how we turn this into something astronauts operationally can use to support future missions,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of astronauts growing food that they want to grow, us validating systems, of course, but astronauts growing food that they want to grow from start to finish and doing it repeatedly.”
Fountain said the Ohalo III system will help determine how much crew time is involved in growing crops, what kind of consumables might be needed because resupply from Earth is difficult, and any pitfalls that might need to be addressed before deployment to deep space.
Getting to Mars and beyond will take a greater understanding of how to feed crew members without relying on resupply from Earth. Fountain and other researchers are working out how to make that happen.
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Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 ESTProgramstag:orau.org,2026-01-15:/blog/people/1776270368791Beyond the degree: The rising demand for skilled trades and technical workers Over the past few decades, discussions about maintaining the United States' competitive edge globally have primarily centered around the importance of STEM careers. While STEM-focused and other professional careers continue to be vital to the future of our nation, there has been a growing recognition and renewed focus on the critical role of skilled trades and technical workers in enabling innovation and supporting essential industries for supporting our country as well. What does this shift mean for the workforce and the economy? In today’s blog, we’ll answer that question by exploring the increasing demand for these roles and their significant impact on the nation’s success.
In recent memory, the prevailing mindset has been rooted in the belief that a college degree was the ultimate pathway to success. This perspective was fueled by societal norms, economic trends and cultural narratives that correlated higher education with upward mobility and professional respect. While the "college-first" mentality has been dominant and remains a highly valuable career path, recent shifts in the economy and workforce needs have sparked renewed interest in alternative career paths as well.
According to Forbes and NPR, the growing demand for technical and craft workers, coupled with rising concerns over student loan debt and underemployment among college graduates, has led to a broader conversation about the value of skilled trades and non-traditional career routes. These changes highlight the importance of recognizing and promoting diverse pathways to success, ensuring that men and women can consider a wide range of careers that align with their skills and aspirations.
To better understand the increased attention on this segment of the workforce, I spoke with ORAU recruiter Lori Couts who recruits for a National Nuclear Security Administration site, filling both technical and professional, non-technical positions. “Craft and technical workers make up the group that delivers a final product, which the customer can see and touch. They manufacture it and assemble it,” Couts explained.
These technical workers may or may not have degrees. They are mechanics, assemblers, machinists, electricians, logistics operators and many others who rely on specialized skills and training rather than formal academic instruction to do their jobs. “We’ve always needed these workers, and we always will,” Couts said. “As a society, we’ve learned a lot about what essential roles are over the past five years. People who keep the lights on are essential. And technical workers will continue to be a vital part of the companies they work for. These employees are necessary for an organization to function as a well-oiled machine.”
Workers on the factory floor emphasize the importance of human involvement and critical thinking in skilled labor roles alongside emerging technologies and AI.
While emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) have automated some positions, the human element remains indispensable for many jobs “on the factory floor.” Beyond acumen, critical thinking skills and technical knowledge are necessary to operate machines, inspect parts and handle final products.
“Consider what’s to come for nuclear energy,” Couts said. “Or look at the oil and gas industry and the high demand for pipeline workers and employees in manufacturing. These individuals may not have degrees, but they have well-respected jobs and extremely successful careers and are earning great money,” she added.
Those in technical jobs and skilled trades can attest to the rewards. “If you’re hired with a good company, the benefits aren’t going to be much different for someone in human resources, accounting or engineering compared to an individual hired for their trade skills. You’re starting out with great pay, the customary annual increases, benefits and insurance. And for tech workers, you likely don’t have the college debt that typically accompanies a degree,” Couts noted.
Skilled trades are essential across all communities, with high demand for roles like machinists, quality inspectors, mechanics and maintenance workers—hands-on careers that require technical aptitude and mechanical comprehension.
Like medical professionals, teachers and scientists, skilled tradespeople will always be essential. Couts advises that the right candidates for these roles possess a high mechanical comprehension and technical aptitude. As for “hot jobs,” she points to professions in the machine trades, such as quality inspectors, machinists, mechanics, assemblers, maintenance workers, and supply chain employees. “Hands-on work is always in demand, and the need for craft workers is universal, whether you live in a big city or a rural area,” she said.
ORAU recruits for a wide variety of positions. Get in touch with the ORAU Workforce Solutions team to see what we have to offer.
Right now, ORAU is also offering a $30,000 welding equipment prize to support welding teachers in Alabama with the aim of inspiring more students to pursue welding careers, as the U.S. Maritime Industrial Base transforms its nuclear-powered submarine fleet to maintain its critical undersea advantage. Check out the eligibility requirements for our Extreme Trades competition.
The shift in more skills-based hiring represents a significant opportunity for people pursuing alternative education pathways, while also emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning, technical training and hands-on experience in today’s evolving job market. This transition not only benefits the men and women who choose this route, but it is also foundational to the nation’s economy, strengthening its ability to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
As industries continue to evolve, the recognition of skilled and technical workers as essential contributors to innovation, infrastructure and productivity will remain vital. By embracing diverse career pathways, the U.S. workforce and economy can achieve greater resilience and adaptability for the future.
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Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 ESTPeopletag:orau.org,2026-01-13:/blog/programs/1776270396450Everything you need to know about the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competitionORAU launched the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition in mid-October to award three Alabama welding teachers with $30,000 in new equipment or upgrades for their workshops or classrooms.
Teachers who enter the competition are required to create a three- to four-minute video creatively explaining what they would do with $30,000 if they are selected to win. The competition is open now and ends on January 30, 2026. Winners will be announced in late March or early April, and equipment will be delivered by the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The competition is a riff on ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover, which has been awarding East Tennessee teachers with new classroom technology for more than 15 years.
Why Alabama?
Alabama plays a key role in the United States maritime industrial base, generating a $57.8 billion economic impact for the industry, according to American Waterways Operators. From Mobile’s world-class shipyards to Huntsville’s advanced manufacturing facilities producing cutting-edge components, to workforce training programs across the state—Alabama delivers. Nationwide, there is an urgent need to build and repair ships and submarines that are critical to national security and global power projection. It is estimated that more than 250,000 tradespeople, especially welders, will be needed with the skills, training, and commitment to excellence required to meet the nation’s needs. Addressing this critical workforce gap is the focus of initiatives like Build Giants Alabama, which aim to bring awareness to the critical roles of skilled tradespeople that the maritime industry urgently needs.
Build Giants Alabama is a regional workforce initiative highlighting the people, industries, and communities powering the nation’s naval fleet. The initiative connects Alabamians to the mission of the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program—revitalizing American shipbuilding and repair capabilities through a coordinated network of shipbuilders and suppliers. Designed to inspire high school students, veterans, tradespeople, and individuals seeking in-demand skills. Build Giants Alabama underscores the state’s critical role in delivering the expertise and talent needed for national security.
Why welding?
Welding isn’t just a skill; it’s a national security asset.
“The nation’s maritime industrial base depends on welders who can deliver precision under pressure,” said Chelsea Hill, manager of ORAU Workforce Solutions. “Every perfect weld supports a mission that protects our country.” Workforce Solutions specializes in scientific and technical staffing support, including recruiting for very specialized and hard-to-fill positions.
ORAU Extreme Trades Makeover is offering $30,000 in new equipment or upgrades to Alabama public-school welding workshops.
Hill says that with the wave of senior welders retiring, it’s more important than ever to bring fresh talent into the field. “Our nation’s ability to build and maintain critical infrastructure depends on it.”
In today’s labor market, welding offers one of the fastest, most reliable paths to a high-earning career. Whether it’s defense, energy, or advanced manufacturing, welders have opportunities that rival and often beat traditional degree routes.
Earning potential for welders
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the earning potential for welders is strong, especially for welders with distinct specializations and certifications. The median income for entry level welders is $35,000, but salaries increase quickly based on experience. Additionally, welders who specialize in underwater/pipeline or aerospace welding, are welding engineers, or certified welding inspectors can earn $100,000 a year or more.
How does Extreme Trades Makeover work?
To be eligible for the competition, teachers must:
Be employed by a public school located in Alabama.
Actively teach welding to high school students or plan to teach welding to high school students in the 2026-27 school year.
Submit a creative, 3-4-minute video that highlights the need for welding equipment or other upgrades and their potential applications in your classroom.
Deadline to submit video applications is Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Winners will be announced in March/April 2026.
The winner will be determined by a panel of educators, welding industry professionals, and program staff. Entries will be judged on how well they:
Clearly articulate the imperative for innovation, evolution, and creation of new and existing welding programs and pathways.
Effectively showcase how the new equipment or other upgrades will be utilized to enhance student learning.
Display creativity and originality in the video submission.
Provide a thoughtful explanation of the teaching philosophy or approach that will expand welding education and inspire students to pursue careers in the field.
Welding is critical to the U.S. maritime industrial base.
Educational resources
BuildGiantsAlabama.com offers educational resources for educators, including collaborations with industry and educational partners, along with student and teacher development programs, and a curated library of videos, worksheets and other tools that may be useful in the classroom or workshop.
Questions?
Have a question about Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders? Send an email to extremetrades@orau.org.
For more information about the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition, visit the competition website.
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Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 ESTProgramstag:orau.org,2025-12-19:/blog/programs/1776270395901What’s going on with men facing cancer?
Members of the Man Up to Cancer Leadership Team
Just over a million men will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Colorectal cancer is the number one cancer killer of men under the age of 50, according to The Colorectal Cancer Alliance
In other words, men are supposed to hide their emotions and fight cancer alone. The American Cancer Society (ACS) published a 2024 study on the impact of loneliness on the mental health and clinical outcomes of cancer patients. According to the ACS, about 28% of survivors reported severe loneliness and another 24% reported some loneliness. Those reporting severe loneliness were 68% more likely to die from their disease.
In my humble opinion, the ACS study served as proof of concept for Man Up to Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping men facing cancer find social and emotional support by other men facing cancer. Since its founding in December 2019, the organization boasts a community of nearly 4,000 men from around the world who offer peer-to-peer support for patients in active treatment, their caregivers and survivors.
Gaps in research about men and cancer
In 2023, as part of a white paper I wrote on ORAU’s history of work in the cancer space—we operated a research hospital to investigate the benefits of using radiation to treat cancer for 24 years—I proposed a research study about Man Up to Cancer because at the time there was no research on the benefits of peer-to-peer support for men facing cancer. There is, though, lots of research on the benefits of such support for women facing cancer.
Michael Holtz with Trevor Maxwell, founder of Man Up to Cancer
ORAU stepped into this research gap and, through an ORAU-Directed Research and Development grant, funded a one-year pilot study on the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of peer-to-peer support intervention for men facing cancer. Katherine Chyka, MPH, a health education specialist at ORAU, served as the principal investigator, and she teamed up with Teresa Hagan Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing (Pitt), who has done a lot of research on self-advocacy and cancer.
“This was a pilot study where we were trying to get both a group of newer members of Man Up to Cancer and more seasoned members of Man Up to Cancer to participate,” Thomas said on a recent episode of Further Together: The ORAU Podcast. “The newer ones, we were hoping that they would receive mentorship from the people who had been in the community longer.”
Mentors underwent 17 hours of navigation training through The George Washington University and five hours of training designed by Thomas and her team at Pitt. One of the early findings of the study is the need to develop a training model that is customized for providing peer-to-peer support rather than professional navigation services.
Newer members of Man Up to Cancer—those who joined within a year of the study start—were randomized to either receive support from a trained mentor or to continue with the support of the Man Up to Cancer community generally.
Men are willing to accept support and want to support other men
Data from the pilot study, which includes survey responses and interviews, are still being analyzed, but early takeaways indicate:
Men are willing to accept formal and informal support from other men.
Men facing cancer can connect over shared hobbies and interests, like guitar playing, fishing or tattoos, not just a shared cancer type.
Men are willing to be trained as peer navigators to support other men facing cancer.
Peer-to-peer support does not need to be overly prescriptive for either the navigator or the mentee.
Michael Holtz with his late best friend, Ryan Vieth
That last point opens a broader question for further research, Chyka said. Was successful mentorship based on the prescriptive training that the navigators underwent or did the navigator-mentee pair make mentorship their own depending on the situation?
“My hunch is it’s a mix of both,” she said. “Our participants did such a great job of making the [navigation] their own. That helped us elucidate the finding that it’s up to the navigator-mentee pair. It’s up to them to find out what works best for them.”
Having recently completed the mixed-methods data analysis, Chyka and Thomas are currently developing a research paper for publication in a peer reviewed journal and are making plans to expand the study.
Disclosure
The fire of remembrance at the annual Gathering of Wolves event
I serve as chairman of the Man Up to Cancer board of directors and previously served as fundraising director for two years. In addition to conceiving the basic idea for the ODRD grant project, I assisted with recruiting participants and providing the Pitt navigation training with Thomas. I also aided in the recruitment of members of the Community Advisory Board, which provided input on the study design and interpretation of preliminary results. I have not been privy to any participant information (i.e., screening, consent, enrollment, reported data).
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Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 ESTProgramstag:orau.org,2025-12-16:/blog/people/1776270367802From the lab to the pulpit: the multifaceted brilliance of ORAU founder William Pollard
William Pollard, Ph.D., looking at a portrait of himself in the Pollard Auditorium on ORAU’s campus in Oak Ridge, Tenn.; photo credit: Ruth Carey, Oak Ridge Public Library Digital Collections
Throughout history, few individuals have held the diverse titles of nuclear physicist, author, teacher, administrator and Episcopal priest all at once. Yet, William Grosvenor Pollard (1911-1989) uniquely embodied this remarkable combination. Over the course of his 40-year career, these seemingly divergent roles often intersected, showcasing his multifaceted brilliance. Those who knew him fondly recall his ever-present smile and signature pipe.
This is the story of Dr. William G. Pollard, the visionary founder of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).
William Pollard’s background
Pollard was born in Batavia, New York, which is about an hour’s drive from Niagara Falls. When he was 12, his family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, and the Volunteer State would become his lifelong home. Pollard attended the University of Tennessee and received his bachelor’s in mathematics in 1932. That same year, he married Marcella, a woman who profoundly influenced his life. Together, they raised four sons. Pollard went on to earn his Ph.D. in physics from Rice University in 1934.
Marcella, who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, was deeply rooted in her Christian faith. She expected her husband to attend church with her, but Pollard, despite his own Christian upbringing, had embraced skepticism and described himself as anti-religious. In an interview with The New Yorker, Pollard reflected on a pivotal moment early in their marriage:
“Three months after our wedding, I remember, Marcella very much wanted me to go to church with her one Sunday, but I told her that the studying I was planning to do at home was more important. The church was a mile away, and she told me later that as she walked toward it alone, she kept looking back, hoping that I would be trying to catch up with her. I was doing no such thing, but neither could I get any work done as I sat at home thinking of her. And since I couldn’t, I figured that one of us might as well have our way, so after that I went to church with her. But I wouldn’t say the creed. I considered it too ridiculous.”
Dr. William Pollard founded ORAU and served as its executive director for 28 years.
While Pollard may have been skeptical of religion at the time, he was unwavering in his passion for science. He felt incredibly fortunate to be studying physics during what he considered a golden age of discovery. The year before he began his graduate studies, James Chadwick discovered the neutron, opening the door to other groundbreaking advancements. Pollard’s education was peppered with revelations from luminaries such as Marie Curie who shaped the field of physics. In 1935, his Ph.D. thesis focused on a theory Enrico Fermi was advancing about beta radioactivity. Fermi went on to win the Nobel Prize in physics in 1938. For Pollard, it was an exhilarating time to be immersed in the world of science, surrounded by innovation and discovery.
After earning his doctorate, Pollard moved his family back to Knoxville and joined the University of Tennessee faculty as an assistant professor of physics. In a 1980 article entitled “The Coming of Age of Southern Universities in Science” Pollard described returning to UT in 1936 “full of ambitions and dreams of continuing this heady course of development. The eight years that followed were quite productive for me personally, but the isolation of the university from the centers of action was depressing. Southern universities were almost exclusively devoted to teaching while schools in the north and west had all the excitement of research and discovery.”
This realization set the stage for a serendipitous task that would change the trajectory of his career—and Southern universities—forever.
Setting the stage: How ORAU came to be
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) traces its origins back to October 1946, when it was established as the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies (ORINS). It was a year after World War II ended, and its founding represents a pivotal moment in American history, born from the foresight of two visionary physics professors—Katharine Way, Ph. D., and William Pollard—whose conversation at a dinner party laid the groundwork for the organization’s creation.
A few years earlier, in 1944, the world was engulfed in conflict, with the United States committed to ending the threat to democracy at the hands of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. President Roosevelt had secretly authorized the clandestine Manhattan Project, and thousands of men and women (military and private citizens) were working feverishly to complete the first nuclear weapon, whether they knew it or not.
In this effort, top researchers in various fields were recruited to drop what they were doing and help get this work to the finish line. That call included Way and Pollard, who both taught at UT. Way went to work for the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago and joined the efforts to develop nuclear chain reaction calculations and reactor design. Pollard reported to Columbia University in New York and conducted research on the gaseous diffusion method of extracting uranium 235 (the explosive in atomic bombs) from common uranium.
When the mission was complete and the bomb ended the war, life resumed its familiar rhythms. Pollard found himself back at his teaching position at UT. Way moved back to the area but worked in Oak Ridge rather than at the university. It was at a dinner party in October 1945, that she and Pollard had the opportunity to catch up and discuss the future of the federal facilities built during the war. Both professors lamented the perception of Southern universities as second-rate compared to prestigious institutions in the Northeast and on the West Coast.
William Pollard, Ph.D., is pictured center right holding his pipe at the first ORINS council meeting on Oct. 17, 1946.
Way talked about what was happening with the universities around Chicago and how there were plans to continue nuclear research. She suggested something similar should be done with the complex in Oak Ridge because that would ensure the region would maintain an open door to scientists and critical research opportunities for UT and elevate the reputation of Southern universities. This was just what Pollard was waiting to hear. He loved the idea and saw it through, as Way decided to move on to other projects, particularly focusing on nuclear data.
In the following months, the head of UT’s Physics Department agreed to give Dr. Pollard time to spearhead the formation of a consortium of 14 universities. This group would advise the federal government on training and hiring scientific personnel and facilitating collaboration between researchers and educational institutions. On Oct. 14, 1946, (about a year after Dr. Way and Dr. Pollard had that dinner party conversation), the state of Tennessee granted Pollard the charter of incorporation for ORINS, marking the official beginning of what we now know as ORAU. The first council meeting met days later.
The front page of the Oak Ridge Journal documented the first ORINS council meeting.
The organization’s impact was immediate and deep. According to the ORNL Review, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s research magazine, “The existence of ORINS played a pivotal role in the decision to keep Oak Ridge’s Manhattan Project facilities funded,” as noted by Lee Riedinger, retired University of Tennessee physics professor and former deputy for science and technology at ORNL.
Pollard shared the same sentiment. In his article “The Coming of Age of Southern Universities in Science.” He wrote, “The accident of the war which placed ORNL in the wilds of East Tennessee can be seen in retrospect to have been a major factor in this transformation. ORAU, because of its early formation soon after the war, was able to secure a large participation of the southern universities in ORNL and so to maximize its impact on higher education in the region. As one whose professional career spans both the pre- and post- war periods covering a full half century of this history of southern universities and who was in a position to seize the opportunities as they arose, I take great personal satisfaction from the role that I was privileged to play in this achievement.”
Early initiatives and expansion
In its early years, ORINS prioritized graduate training programs, research participation opportunities, and isotope tracer techniques. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)—now the Department of Energy—soon expanded ORINS’ scope to include nuclear medicine research. This led to the establishment of the ORINS Medical Division, one of three designated cancer research hospitals in the country at the time. Under the leadership of pioneers like Marshall Brucer, Gould Andrews, Karl Hubner and Nazareth Gengozian, the Medical Division achieved significant advancements in nuclear medicine.
Dr. Pollard (second from left) shows the ORINS Medical Division cobalt machine to visitors; photo credit: Ruth Carey, Oak Ridge Public Library Digital Collections
You can practically hear Pollard brimming with pride as he put on his executive director hat and wrote the “ten-year appraisal” in ORINS’ 1956 annual report: “Probably no one can observe the first blundering steps of a small child without occasionally marveling that he eventually grows up to be an adult capable of carrying out the most complicated mechanical and mental procedures smoothly and efficiently,” the 10th Annual Report started out. “By the same token, a survey of the beginnings of the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies can only make one marvel that it has grown, in the space of 10 years, to be the organization that it is today.”
ORAU integrates academia, government and industry to advance the nation’s learning, health and scientific knowledge. Pictured is ORAU in its early beginnings (left) and ORAU’s main campus today.
The growth continued, and a decade later, the 1965 annual report recorded that ORINS’ meeting of presidents and council representatives voted to change the name of the organization to ORAU, or Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
Now 79 years later, our university consortium members are more than 160 strong and our corporate capabilities range from research and STEM education to workforce solutions, public health to environmental solutions, health physics training to peer review, and beyond.
From skeptic to priest
William Pollard stands in front of the ORINS Medical Division.
While Pollard’s contributions to science were monumental, his journey into faith was equally transformative. After his initial reluctance, Pollard regularly attended the Episcopal church with his wife and sons, but he didn’t consider himself particularly religious—that is, until he watched what unfolded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Dr. Pollard was pleased when he realized his work contributed to the success of the Manhattan Project, but when a second bomb was dropped, those emotions shifted. “After the Nagasaki bomb, my exuberance was replaced by something approaching terror,” Pollard told TheNew Yorker. “I thought the bombs would be sprinkled all over Japan.”
This moral reckoning led Pollard to embrace his faith more deeply. He became more actively involved in the development of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge whenever he wasn’t at work. In his interview with The New Yorker, Pollard remembered this time of his life when he was open to helping his baby church grow. “At best I might have wound up a good, solid Episcopalian, but Oak Ridge was only five years old, and its churches had little or no resources. It was hard not to lend a hand, but if you did, you let yourself in for more than you bargained for.”
William Pollard was ordained as an Episcopal priest after two and a half years of intense theological study.
It began with a simple question. When Pollard asked the rector whether their parish, which had been meeting in a school gymnasium, would ever have a building of its own, he was met with a request to lead the fundraising effort. Pollard quipped that, having raised the issue, he felt obligated to accept the challenge. His dedication paid off, resulting in $8,000 for the building fund. (The equivalent in 2025, is more than $107,000!)
Soon after, the rector approached Pollard again. This time, he asked him to help with Sunday school lessons. “I wanted to turn him down,” Pollard said, “but I had four children going to Sunday school—more than most of the parishioners—so I was stuck.” True to his nature as a lifelong learner, Pollard began digging into scripture so he could better understand and explain the message of Christ. That got his own intellectual wheels turning in a challenging and satisfactory way that he didn’t expect. “I had to read up on the subjects at the library. I was amazed at how absorbing the material was,” he told The New Yorker.
From there, Pollard became a licensed lay reader, which lead to hours of study. “Here was a field of bona fide scholarship that commanded my intellectual respect, without which, I imagine, I couldn’t have embraced religion. It was exciting to find that the Bible didn’t have to be accepted solely on the basis of its philosophical and metaphysical values. It could be accepted as a piece of history describing the unique fortunes and experiences of a people, which culminated in the revelation of God among them,” Pollard explained.
When he realized he had already spent so much time reading seminary materials, he decided to take the step toward the diaconate—an order of the ministry just below the priesthood that carries with it the privilege of assisting with communion and possibly delivering sermons. “The idea of having my religious studies organized, as my scientific studies had been appealed to me,” he said. “I could always quit at any time along the way. I’d say that my approach then was more curious than dedicated.”
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Oak Ridge, Google Maps (street view) today.
Thanks to his scientific notoriety, Time Magazine even dubbed Dr. Pollard the “atomic deacon” in an article they published in 1951. During this time of formal study, his wife later reflected, “Bill’s only recreation was doing carpentry and rolling asphalt walks for the church we were building,” Mrs. Pollard told The New Yorker. The church building was completed in the middle of 1951.
In 1952, at 41 years old, he was invested as a deacon with holy orders in ceremonies held at St. Stephen’s Church—a church he literally helped build with his own hands. His four sons served as acolytes.
One more round of intense study and examination, and William Pollard, Ph.D., was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1954. Mrs. Pollard told The New Yorker, “And all I ever hoped was that maybe Bill would go to church on Sundays.”
Faith and science
While building ORAU and St. Stephen’s ministry simultaneously, Pollard was preoccupied with theology. He had come to believe that science was a way to investigate the wonders of God’s creation. Articles he wrote such as “God and the Atom” are still discoverable in online archives of the Episcopal Church today.
William Pollard is pictured at a computer with his pipe.
Pollard’s voice was uniquely important in post-World War II science-religion dialogue. The man who graduated from Rice University with a Ph.D. in physics is the same man who bi-vocationally served his church in the clergy. As a man whose career and calling straddled both worlds, he took opportunities to deliver lectures and write books addressing the struggle between advancing nuclear science and its potential consequences. Listen to a convocation address he gave to Augsburg University on April 18, 1963, in which he spoke of “Dark Ages in the Twentieth Century.”
The Oak Ridger, a local paper, took notice of and published one of Pollard’s sermons addressing nuclear warfare. In this message, he told his congregation, “The genie has been let out of the bottle and there is no way to put him back.” He went on to acknowledge man’s fallen nature and how that relates to God.
Dr. Pollard follows behind Billy Graham (pictured walking front left) who was in Oak Ridge to speak to scientists May 23, 1970; photo credit: Ruth Carey, Oak Ridge Public Library Digital Collections
“Perhaps if men were not men but angels, disarmament would be feasible. But men are self-centered and prideful sinners, and a world without a single nuclear weapon in it would be a fearfully dangerous world… All mankind cries out for a Savior who will save him from his most stubborn intractable enemy, himself.”
He even met with evangelist Billy Graham who hosted a crusade stop in nearby Knoxville. Graham made time to speak with a group of a few hundred scientists in Oak Ridge about integrating faith and science, and Pollard was one of the men to welcome him to town.
William Pollard’s legacy
In 1974, upon reaching the age of retirement, Dr. William G. Pollard stepped down from his role as ORAU’s executive director. However, his commitment to science and the organization’s mission persisted. He continued working for several years as a distinguished scientist in ORAU’s Institute for Energy Analysis, contributing his expertise to energy-related research.
Dr. Pollard was a nuclear physicist, author, teacher, administrator and Episcopal priest.
Recognizing the vital role ORAU had played in the story of Oak Ridge as well as its profound impact on East Tennessee and Southern universities, Pollard resolved to document the organization’s history. He authored “ORAU: From the Beginning,” a book that chronicles the origins and evolution of ORAU.
Pollard’s determination to complete this book was steadfast, even as he endured intervals of physically devasting experimental therapy. In 1972, he had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma on his forehead—a battle he faced with both faith and cutting-edge treatments. Despite the challenges of his illness, he continued his work, demonstrating remarkable resilience.
Throughout his health struggles, Pollard also remained dedicated to his spiritual calling, serving as a priest associate at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church up until his death. His commitment to both science and faith defined his later years. On Dec. 26, 1989, Dr. Pollard succumbed to cancer. Though absent from the body, he left behind a legacy of perseverance, brilliance and service to his community.
Looking ahead
Nearly eight decades after its founding, ORAU remains a leader in advancing science, education and workforce development. From its humble beginnings as a consortium of 14 universities, ORAU has grown into a robust organization with diverse capabilities, driving progress in areas of national priority.
As the world experiences a nuclear renaissance, ORAU is providing leadership in preparing the nuclear energy workforce. With our roots reaching back to World War II, we’re priming today’s labor pool for the Manhattan Project 2.0, which will require new skills, more training and enhanced educational experiences to answer challenges of the modern-day nuclear energy industry. We know Dr. Pollard would be thrilled. In an article The Oak Ridger published entitled “William G. Pollard: Man of Science, Man of God” Pollard said this, “nuclear energy is the universal common and natural kind of energy in creation as a whole.” He said he saw the emergence of nuclear power as a clear example of God’s providence.
Picture from ORAU’s main campus in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Pollard led our organization through the first nuclear era as the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies, and he’d be proud of how we’re trailblazing now with our Partnership for Nuclear Energy initiative and ORAU’s Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, among others. His legacy of innovation continues to inspire ORAU as we forge new paths in advancing nuclear energy and academic collaboration for the challenges of tomorrow.
To learn more about our journey, watch this five-minute video that answers the question: What is ORAU?
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Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 ESTPeopletag:orau.org,2025-12-10:/blog/programs/1776270395515Understanding the National Supplemental Screening Program and ORAU’s role in supporting DOE former workersThe National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) offers medical screenings to Department of Energy (DOE) former workers who may have been exposed to toxic substances during their employment at DOE sites. Managed by ORAU since its inception in 2005, the NSSP helps former workers understand their health and identify potential occupational illnesses. Through collaboration with trusted partners and a dedicated team, ORAU has ensured the success of this program for nearly two decades.
What is the NSSP?
The NSSP is part of the DOE Former Worker Medical Screening Program, which was established following a congressional directive in 1993. Its purpose is to offer medical screenings to individuals who worked at DOE sites. Former workers include eligible DOE federal employees, contractors and subcontractors. These screenings help participants identify health conditions that may be linked to workplace exposures to toxic substances such as beryllium, asbestos, radiation and other hazards.
The program has enrolled more than 25,000 former workers from more than 80 DOE sites across the country. Former workers are eligible for an initial screening and can return for re-screening every three years, allowing the program to watch for changes in participants’ health over time.
What happens during a screening?
The NSSP offers comprehensive medical exams tailored to each participant's work history and potential exposures. These exams may include:
Physical exam
Hearing test
Spirometry (lung function tests)
Chest X-ray with specialized readings
Beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (for workers exposed to beryllium)
Diagnostic lab tests, including blood work and urinalysis
The results are reviewed by a medical team, who provide participants with detailed reports and recommendations for follow-up care. Urgent findings are shared promptly to ensure timely medical attention. Many participants have expressed gratitude for the program, with some sharing stories of how NSSP screenings identified health conditions early and even saved lives.
NSSP aims to identify health conditions that could be associated with occupational exposures, such as radiation, chemicals or other hazardous materials.
ORAU’s role in the NSSP
ORAU has managed the NSSP since its inception. The program is supported by a dedicated team of professionals who handle everything from participant enrollment and outreach to operations and medical reviews. ORAU’s expertise in occupational health, beryllium research, and program management has been instrumental in the program’s success.
Key aspects of ORAU’s involvement include:
Nationwide Reach: ORAU ensures that screenings are accessible to participants across the U.S., regardless of where they live. This eliminates the need for workers to travel back to the site where they were employed, greatly improving accessibility.
Partnerships: ORAU collaborates with organizations such as Acuity, National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado to deliver screenings and provide specialized expertise. These partnerships allow the program to leverage the strengths of each organization.
Participant-Centered Approach: The NSSP team works closely with participants, providing personalized support and ensuring their health information remains confidential. The team’s dedication to the program’s mission is evident in their commitment to helping workers navigate their health journey.
Listen to ORAU’s Wendy Benade, NSSP operations manager, and Heather O’Maonaigh, NSSP outreach manager, discuss the program in Further Together, the ORAU podcast, Episode 192, For the health of former energy workers: A deep dive into the National Supplemental Screening Program
ORAU coordinates the evaluation of DOE former workers through the National Supplemental Screening Program. Through the NSSP, the U.S. Department of Energy offers free customized medical screenings to their former workers who may have been exposed to hazardous substances on the job site. On this episode of Further Together, host Michael Holtz and Wendy Benade, operations manager, and Heather O’Maonaigh, outreach manager, take a deep dive into the program, from outreach to enrollment and so much more. ORAU manages the program along with great partners, including National Jewish Health, Acuity International, Cority Software, and the Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health.
The program is part of DOE’s commitment to ensuring the health and safety of its workforce, even after their employment has ended.
DOE former workers interested in enrolling in the NSSP can contact the program directly. The enrollment process involves completing a health history intake form and discussing potential exposures with an enroller. This information helps determine eligibility and tailor the medical exam to the participant’s needs.
For more information, visit the DOE Former Worker Program website or contact the NSSP team directly: https://orau.org/nssp/ or 1-866-812-6703.
The National Supplemental Screening Program exemplifies ORAU’s commitment to advancing worker health and safety. Through collaboration, innovation, and a participant-focused approach, the NSSP has made a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of former DOE workers. As the program continues to evolve, ORAU remains dedicated to supporting its mission and ensuring that workers receive the care and attention they deserve.
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Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 ESTProgramstag:orau.org,2025-11-26:/blog/programs/1776270394944MAHA: Gaining insight into what people think about ultra-processed foods through social listeningLow diet quality is a significant public health problem in the U.S. and is associated with elevated risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and even mortality. Research published in journals like Diabetes Care and the New England Journal of Medicine underscores the critical need to address dietary behaviors to reduce disease burden and improve population health outcomes.
While ultra-processed foods – think packaged snacks, frozen meals and hot dogs – have become dietary staples due to their convenience, affordability and aggressive marketing, health experts are emphasizing the importance of educating the public about the impact these kinds of foods have on the body. Food scientists and policymakers want to influence diet changes through relatable, actionable health communication strategies that are tailored to consumer needs.
An assortment of ultra-processed foods, including chips, cookies and candy, highlighting the convenience and prevalence of these items in modern diets.
“Experts don’t necessarily agree on the definitions of processed foods, wrote ORAU health education specialist and nutritionist, Diane Krause, MS-MPH, CPH, RDN, and former ORAU employee Kristin Mattson, MPH, MCHES, in their white paper, Insights from Social Media Conversations on X about Ultra-Processed Foods and Recommendations for Health Communications.” (.PDF) This lack of consensus complicates efforts to develop consistent and effective health communication messages for the public.”
As part of its “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans for a public marketing campaign focused on ultra-processed foods and their link to diabetes.
The power of social listening
Diane Krause, MS-MPH, CPH, RDN, ORAU health education specialist and nutritionist
Krause and Mattson write that “effective implementation of such campaigns requires insights into public discourse. Social media platforms provide a unique opportunity to analyze public discourse around health topics and better understand audiences’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.”
Krause is an expert in social listening, which involves analyzing online conversations on social media, forums, blogs, and other sites to uncover insights into what people are saying about a specific topic. In this case, Krause and Mattson used Meltwater media intelligence software to analyze social media activity on the platform X about ultra-processed foods.
“Social media platforms provide a unique opportunity to better understand audience knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors,” Krause said on a recent episode of Further Together, The ORAU Podcast.
In their analysis, Krause said the two most common themes on social media were conversations offering dietary advice and those focused on policy and legislation.
“The policies and legislation posts often mentioned HHS Secretary Kennedy (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.). These posts had the highest engagement across different categories, meaning they had the most likes, comments, and shares,” she said. “And then the dietary advice posts shared tips for healthier eating, but they were often missing evidence-based information, so that was an important finding.”
ORAU experts used Meltwater media intelligence software to analyze stated opinions about ultra-processed foods on social media.
Krause added that federal, state, and local health agencies had almost no presence in social media discussions about processed foods. “There’s a need for scientifically accurate information in this space, so that was important to note,” she said.
People want to make better choices but don’t always know how
Additionally, Krause said people use the terms “processed foods” and “ultra-processed foods” without defining them or providing examples, which happens in public conversations as well, but there is confusion about what the terms mean.
So, let’s define them:
Processed Food:
Processed foods are whole foods that have been altered from their natural state for preservation, convenience or taste enhancement. This includes techniques like freezing, canning, drying, or adding salt, sugar or oil. Examples include canned vegetables, frozen fruits and cheese. These foods often retain most of their nutritional value.
Ultra-Processed Food:
Ultra-processed foods go beyond basic processing and are industrial formulations made primarily from food-derived substances, additives and artificial ingredients. They often contain little to no whole food and are designed for convenience, flavor enhancement and long shelf life. Examples include soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, and candy. These foods typically have lower nutritional value and higher levels of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives.
Despite the confusion, social media users have strong opinions about ultra-processed foods, which Krause said was a bit of a surprise because healthy eating often takes a backseat in American priorities.
Social media platforms offer unique opportunities to analyze public attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding food.
“When we analyzed our sample posts, we found that the majority, about 80%, were opposed to ultra-processed foods while the remaining 20% were neutral,” Krause said. “More research needs to be done in this area, but this suggests there may be significant public interest in reducing consumption of these industrial foods.”
There is also a tremendous need to educate people about healthy alternatives to ultra-processed foods, Brenda Blunt, ORAU senior director for Health and Resiliency Strategy, told Further Together, The ORAU Podcast. People “need to know what the other options are,” she said.
Brenda Blunt, ORAU senior director for Health and Resiliency Strategy
ORAU can help make change happen
Blunt sees a great opportunity to partner with agencies, foundations, and other organizations that want to drive the change toward healthier eating.
“Together, we can help develop the impactful messaging and education materials that meet people where they are and to ensure that the information is relatable and actionable for them,” Blunt said. “We have to be able to craft the messaging and the educational materials to meet people where they are.”
Meeting people where they are is critical, said Jennifer Reynolds, ORAU senior manager of public health. “We say in public health, if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one, right?” adding that messages need to be tailored to the audience you want to reach.
Jennifer Reynolds, ORAU senior manager of public health
ORAU has been a leader in helping our clients gather information about the groups they want to reach.
“We regularly conduct formative research studies, both qualitative – applying methods like interviews and focus groups – and quantitative – doing surveys of large magnitude and secondary data analysis,” Reynolds said.
Barriers to change
There are significant barriers to overcome to get more people to eat healthier, both Blunt and Reynolds said.
Food is cultural. “Each of us within our family systems, within our cultural systems have a lot of patterns and opinions and beliefs about food,” Reynolds said, adding that ORAU understands cultural competency and how culture affects how messages are developed and received.
Access is not equal. “Not everyone has readily available access to healthy food. We have food deserts. We have inflation that is making it really challenging for folks to purchase healthy foods at the grocery store.
Change isn’t easy. “We can say you just need to choose healthier options or you need to reduce your reliance on processed foods, but if you don’t know what that means or how to do it, you’re stuck,” Blunt said.
System change is required. While it may be true that individuals need to make changes to what and how they eat, there are systemic changes that need to take place. Manufacturers are starting to change some of what they’re putting in foods; government agencies like HHS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and local health departments, and foundations and non-profits need to work together to drive change at the national level, Blunt said.
Krause said she hopes the white paper will serve as a valuable resource for professionals working toward the system change Blunt talked about.
“It would be great to see federal and state agencies, nonprofits and other organizations fund more research and launch communications campaigns around ultra-processed foods. And we encourage health practitioners like healthcare providers, nutrition professionals, and school leaders to use the insights to help people make informed nutrition choices and improve systems and overall health,” she said.
ORAU’s Health and Resiliency Strategy team stands ready to help these organizations and individuals develop meaningful and impactful messaging to reach their respective audiences.
From Further Togther, the ORAU podcast: Insights into ultra-processed foods gained from social listening: A conversation with ORAU subject matter experts
Ultra-processed foods – think packaged snacks, frozen meals and hot dogs – have become dietary staples due to their convenience, affordability and aggressive marketing. However, these foods have low to no nutritional value and can contribute to significant health issues like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and colorectal cancer. In this episode of Further Together, three of ORAU’s subject matter experts – Diane Krause, Brenda Blunt and Jennifer Reynolds – talk about a recently published white paper on social listening and perceptions of ultra-processed foods. Improving diet quality is a critical goal of the Make America Healthy Again Agenda promulgated by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Health and Human Services secretary. Our experts talk in detail about the white paper and what their findings mean for future research and policy initiatives.
