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Oak Ridge Associated Universities

Pop culture in the atomic age

Pop culture in the atomic age

The dawn of the atomic age in the 1940s and 50s influenced all aspects of life in the United States, including pop culture. Movies like “The Gamma People” and “The Atomic Monster” spoke to the fears stoked by the use of radiation, while toy ray guns and Geiger counters were signals of radiation’s common place in society.

A number of these pop culture items are part of the Health Physics Historical Instrumentation Museum, which is only accessible to the public at orau.org. Join Paul Frame, Ph.D., a health physicist and trainer at ORAU, as he shares a sampling of these items and their backgrounds. This is the first in a series of videos about the Health Physics Historical Collection.

Frame started the collection in the 1980s when he discovered x-ray tubes and other items in a cabinet. Over time, the collection has grown to include hundreds of items, many of them donated or purchased by either the Health Physics Society or the non-profit ORAU Foundation.

See more from the collection

Mobile device applications in use

App software development emerging as a top career path

Applications software developers are a hot commodity in the current job market. That’s according to the April 2018 Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Laboratory technician hand holding vials

Learn more about our forensic science services

ORAU helps strengthen our nation’s defenses by aiding government agencies and law enforcement in their mission to protect citizens and stop threats to communities. ORAU provides forensic science expertise in several areas, including analysis and laboratory operations, consulting, and education and training.

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Teachers: Could you be the next winner of ORAU's Extreme Classroom Makeover?

Teachers: Could you be the next winner of ORAU's Extreme Classroom Makeover?

It's that time of year! Our 2019 Extreme Classroom Makeover contest is now open for applications. Check out this year's contest guidelines and create a video that shows us why your classroom needs a technology makeover! The deadline to submit your application and video is January 25, 2019.

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  • Be Respected - make me a part of the conversation. Inform me of changes before they are implemented and ask for my input. I may have ideas to make things better.

    5 reasons your organizational culture may be in trouble

    Wondering why your organization is not performing as expected? 

    Your employees know the answer.

  • Make a Difference - Be Respected - A Sense of Stability - Fairness - Be recognized as an individual

    Employees need five basic conditions met to thrive in an organization

    When employees are unhappy and disengaged, it is the result of one or more of five basic conditions not being met. These include employees’ desire to make a difference, be respected, have a sense of stability, be treated with fairness and be recognized as an individual. When these five conditions are fulfilled, their perceptions and attitudes are more positive, and their performance is more likely to meet or exceed expectations.

  • Make a Difference - I want to be part of the solution. Nobody wakes up with the thought Today I just want to be average. Help me succeed.

    Making a difference

    The vast majority of people really want to be successful. Most people want to make a difference. They want to be part of the solution. Nobody wakes up with the thought, “Today, I just want to be average.” If employees understand the bigger picture and see how they fit in, they will be more engaged and contribute more to the team. If management keeps them in the dark, employees will do their job, but nothing more.

  • cube-respected.jpg

    Being respected

    People want to feel respected. They wanted to be included in the conversation. They want managers to ask for their input. They want to know about changes before they are implemented. They may have ideas to make things better if someone will just ask.

  • cube-stability.jpg

    Having a sense of stability

    It is human nature to seek stability. People want to know what to expect, especially when they are surrounded by change. Employees want management to just keep them informed and tell them the truth, instead of saying one thing when something else is meant.

  • cube-fairness.jpg

    Being treated with fairness

    Employees want decisions to be fair. They want to know why something is being done a certain way. Their determination of what is fair is often influenced by hearing the reasons behind how decisions are made. They may not agree with the decision, but at least they understand why it was made.

  • cube-recognition.jpg

    Being recognized as an individual

    People want to be recognized as an individual. They want managers to get to know their unique talents and acknowledge their contributions to the organization. Paying attention to these conditions and working to ensure employees’ needs are met are the best ways to get your organizational culture back on track and improve employees’ overall performance and satisfaction.

  • Be Respected - make me a part of the conversation. Inform me of changes before they are implemented and ask for my input. I may have ideas to make things better.

    Want your own blue cube?

    Drop us a line, and we’ll ship one to you!

    Jeffrey R. Miller, PhD, CIH, CSP
    jeff.miller@orau.org
    Office: 865.576.7912
    Mobile: 865.440.6337

ORAU research project seeks to improve accuracy of radiation dose calculations

ORAU research project seeks to improve accuracy of radiation dose calculations

Researchers at ORAU are working to make radiation dose reconstruction more accurate by removing the limits built in to SOURCES-4C code, which helps calculate radiation dose.

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Radiation safety & health physics training

PTP sealORAU also offers some of the best radiation safety and health physics training available in the United States at our Oak Ridge, Tenn., facility. Whether you are just starting your career in the health physics field and want to learn in a hands-on, classroom environment, or are a seasoned professional who needs a refresher or way to develop new skills, Professional Training Programs has a course for you! Browse our course listing:

  • Applied Health Physics Course instructor and students

    Applied Health Physics

    The use of radiation in industry, medicine, and education has created a need for persons trained in the principles of radiation safety and health physics. To meet this need, ORAU conducts a five-week training course—Applied Health Physics. The American Academy of Health Physics grants 40 Continuing Education Credits for completion of this course.

    Register Now

  • Air Sampling

    Air Sampling for Radioactive Materials

    This five-day, laboratory-oriented course introduces participants to the basic theories and mechanics of air sampling for radionuclides. Approximately 40% of the time is spent collecting and analyzing air samples; the remaining time is devoted to lectures.

    Register Now

  • Environmental Monitoring Course instructor and students in the field

    Environmental Monitoring

    This five-day, laboratory-oriented course introduces participants to the basic theories and mechanics of environmental monitoring for radioactivity. Approximately 50% of the time is spent collecting and analyzing samples; the remaining time is devoted to lectures.

    Register Now

  • Gamma Spectroscopy Course instructor and students in classroom

    Gamma Spectroscopy

    This five-day, laboratory-oriented course covers the basics of radionuclide identification and quantification by gamma spectroscopy. Approximately 50% of the time will be spent in the laboratory.

    Register Now

  • Health Physics Statistics Course instructor and students in classroom

    Health Physics Statistics

    This five-day course introduces participants to the use of statistics in operational health physics. The course is divided between lectures and practical laboratory activities designed to reinforce important principles. Core concepts such as probability distributions, descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing are included to support more detailed discussions on uncertainty propagation and statistical tests.

    Register Now

  • Introduction to Radiation Safety Course student in lab

    Introduction to Radiation Safety

    This five-day lecture/laboratory course is an introduction to the basic science behind radiation safety and to common applications of radiation safety principles. Lectures include a description of common radiation sources, interactions of radiation with matter, biological effects, detection and measurement. Laboratory exercises emphasize radiation detection and measurement techniques using both fixed and portable instrumentation.

    Register Now

  • Medical Radiation Safety Training Officer Course instructor and students

    Medical Radiation Safety Officer

    This five-day lecture/laboratory course introduces course participants to current issues and technologies in the medical applications of radiation. The issues and technologies are discussed in the context of improving and developing an institution’s radiation safety program.

    Register Now

  • MARSAME Course student in class

    MARSAME

    This four-day training course focuses on the methodology and practical application of the MARSAME standard. This standard supplements the MARSSIM manual that has become the basis for real property final status surveys. The objective of the course is to provide attendees with a solid understanding of the MARSAME standard, practice through exercise and provide practical information related to its implementation.

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  • MARSSIM Training Course instructor in class

    MARSSIM

    This five-day course emphasizes the decision-making processes involved in the design and implementation of a MARSSIM-based decommissioning survey. Topics include an overview of radiological survey types, the data quality objectives process, selection and application of DCGLs, background reference area selection, survey instrument detection sensitivity, area classification, statistical design of surveys, measurement uncertainty and performing statistical tests.

    Register Now

  • Human figure showing circulatory system

    Occupational Internal Dosimetry

    This five-day course is designed to provide course participants with a thorough understanding of current methods for determining radiation doses resulting from intakes of radioactive materials by workers. The course covers the basic concepts and principles of internal dose assessments, and describes the ICRP internal dosimetry systems and models currently in use in the United States and internationally.

    Register Now

  • Radiation Safety Officer Training Course equipment

    Radiation Safety Officer Training

    This five-day lecture/laboratory course introduces course participants to relevant issues that influence the effectiveness of a radiation safety program. The course emphasizes a variety of administrative and technical issues that a radiation safety officer has to address. An interactive format offers the opportunity for instructor/group discussions to facilitate the learning process.

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  • Worker conducting site characterization survey

    Site Characterization in Support of Decommissioning

    This five-day course emphasizes site evaluation, data planning, survey implementation and tools, data interpretation, and decision-making processes involved in the historical site assessment, scoping survey and characterization survey phases of decommissioning. Topics include: site assessment, surveys for radiological and chemical contaminants, data quality objectives and assessments, safety evaluations, planning and budgeting.

    Register Now

Upcoming Events

  • Come talk to us about public health and healthcare preparedness capabilities

    Come talk to us about public health and healthcare preparednes at the ORAU booth at the 2019 NACCHO Preparedness Summit March 26-29, 2019 in St. Louis.

    The Preparedness Summit is the first and longest running national conference on public health preparedness. The Summit convenes a wide array of partners; presenting new research findings, sharing tools and resources and providing a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn how to implement model practices that enhance the nation’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.

  • Come see us at the Tennessee Library Association Annual Conference

    The TLA Annual Conference will be held April 24-26, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    April 24, 2019 - Half-day workshop: “Walking Together Through Open Doors: Successful Mentoring” featuring speaker Dr. Diane Kelly, professor and director, University of Tennessee School of Information Science. The workshop will also include a one-hour panel discussion and a one-hour mentoring plan exercise.

    April 26, 2019, 9 a.m. - One-hour presentation: “Resilience in Leadership: Balancing your Heart and Mind.” Feeling burned out? Are you beginning to have a hard time adapting to the speed of change? How about the constant task changing and multitasking that goes on in our library jobs and personal lives? It’s time to recharge! Join the TLA Leadership Roundtable to learn how to get rid of the anxiety, learn to disconnect appropriately, and take time for you and focus on things that really matter.

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