Instilling public confidence in radiological cleanup
ORAU provides decontamination and decommmissioning services to instill trust and confidence that public health and safety is protected following radiological site cleanup. We are a trusted partner to regulators and DOE affiliates in the environmental management community, including federal, state and local governments.
Lifecycle approach ensures candidates are STEM-career ready
ORAU focuses on a lifecycle approach to developing the next generation of scientific and technical talent. From K-12 science education programs to hands-on jobs and internships, we provide a wide range of experience for STEM talent acquisition.
Improving adult vaccine communication, education with virtual reality
ORAU and the University of Georgia partnered in 2017 to study the use of virtual reality and eye-tracking technologies to improve adult vaccine communication and education. ORAU and UGA also used eye-tracking technology to measure participants’ visual attention to vaccination education materials. With eye-tracking technology, researchers can evaluate the type of content a person chooses to look at and which content the subject views the longest.
ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance science education and workforce development and protect health and the environment. We connect the right people and resources to get things done, and we put the full power of our organization behind every project—both large and small.
Eradicating polio: Mission possible for Alan Janssen
ORAU's Alan Janssen’s personal and professional mission to eradicate polio dates back to his time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he worked for 25 years—the last eight in global health, which included polio eradication. He traveled to Asian and African countries including India, Nigeria, Kenya and Liberia, where he and his team members worked with community leaders to educate the public about the need to vaccinate against poliovirus.
Rare collection and its curator hold insights into health physics history
The ORAU Health Physics Historical Instrumentation Museum contains a number of unique items that provide a throwback to pop culture in Atomic era. Paul Frame, Ph.D., a health physicist and trainer at ORAU, started the collection in the 1980. The collection has since grown to include hundreds of items that spotlight the history of health physics.
ORAU employee Shelia Johnson and members of Oak Valley Baptist Church recycle grocery bags by cutting and weaving sleeping mats for the homeless. Each mat takes about 10 hours to produce and provide insulation against moisture and cold. Watch the video and read the Knoxville News Sentinel's feature on the work Shelia and Oak Valley Baptist Church are doing to help those in need.
Radium contamination from manufacturing is focus of survey work for NRC
Since 2016, ORAU survey teams have provided technical assistance to the NRC Radium Program by determining the radiological status of more than 40 sites. Surveyors perform radiation scans and collect soil, dust, water and radon sampling at the decommissioned sites. These samples are analyzed by a radioanalytical laboratory and radium concentration results are used by ORAU health physicists to perform dose assessments.
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'scontest guidelinesand 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.
ORAU 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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ORAU 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:
