Current News

Latha Vasudevan, PhD, CHP, Chapter Public Relations Chair
Photos courtesy of Latha Vasudevan

The State of Texas Chapter of the Health Physics Society (STC-HPS) held its two-day spring meeting 19–20 April 2024 at the Rudder Tower, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

On the first day, we had technical presentations from radiation safety professionals followed by the STC-HPS Executive Council meeting. The chapter typically hosts the spring meeting as a platform for students to highlight their project presentations and to offer the best paper presentation award. Part of the second day covered student paper presentations. All student presentations were equally good, and the judges had a tough time tallying the scores.

The highlights were the presentations from the high school science fair winners. The 2024 Texas Science and Engineering Fair was convened at Texas A&M University, where the regional science fair winners presented their projects. STC-HPS members Linda Morris and Latha Vasudevan served as judges, scanned through over 200 poster presentations from different categories, and identified one that closely aligned with the chapter's mission on radiation protection. They presented the STC-HPS Excellence Award for Best Radiation or Radiation-Related Project to Londyn Franklin, a state finalist from the Dallas Regional Science Fair. Her project was titled "Radiation Resilience: A comparative Analysis of Super Absorbent Polymers and Traditional Space suit Materials for Radiation Protection." She was also offered an opportunity to present her work at our chapter's spring meeting in College Station. Londyn was able to come and present her work on 19 April. It was quite impressive to see her present her work flawlessly in front of radiation safety professionals.

Another high school student who was invited to present her work during the chapter meeting was Samikshya Mahapatra. She is a College Station High School student, and her project was titled "Development and Demonstration of a low-cost strip PET Scanner Prototype." She was qualified for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held in Los Angeles in May 2024. Her work was so thorough, and her presentation piqued so much interest among the audience. It was quite encouraging to see the young researcher making an extremely well-prepared presentation reflecting the caliber of future professionals.

We had about 40 attendees for the spring meeting and the meeting was successfully concluded by announcing the prize winners for both undergraduate and graduate student category. The STC-HPS presented checks for the best presentations.

• First Place ($250) undergraduate category—Maxwell Koester
• First Place ($250) graduate category—Zavier N. Ndum
• Second place ($150) graduate category—Christopher Martin
• Third place ($100) graduate category—John Corder

The chapter also offered a $50 check to Jordan Hillis for the work she has done for the HPS student branch and $50 gift cards to each of the high school students for their phenomenal work.

The chapter thanks the speakers and the attendees for their outstanding contribution and for making this meeting successful.

The full agenda can be found on the State of Texas Chapter website. 

 

 

 

 

The electronic version of the program for the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting is now available on the meeting website.

Click here to take a look at the program and see all the wonderful oral presentations that will be given at the meeting, which will be held in Orlando, Florida, 7–12 July 2024.

Click here to register for the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting.

Add the dates of the following Health Physics Society meetings to your calendar. Check the Meetings and Conferences page of the website for the most current information.

• 2024 IRPA 16th International Congress/69th HPS Annual Meeting
  7–12 July 2024, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• 70th HPS Annual Meeting
  13–17 July, 2025, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI
• 71st HPS Annual Meeting
  5–9 July 2026, Gaylord National Harbor, MD

The American Nuclear Society (ANS) invites you to a unique event featuring six former leaders of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy on Monday, 20 May 2024, 11:00 am–12:00 pm ET.

Charting the course at the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy is no easy task; however, some amazing individuals have served our nation in the Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Office of Nuclear Energy role. ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy will host a roundtable discussion featuring some of those stellar leaders and will discuss their perspectives on the current state of nuclear energy and where the industry is headed. ANS holds this special event featuring these former impactful civil servants in honor of Peter Lyons (1943–2021), appointed Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Office of Nuclear Energy in 2010 and former ANS Fellow.

Register now. Can't attend live? Register and we will send you a link to the recording. Submit questions for the roundtable discussion in advance.

J. Matthew Barnett and Christine Lobos

On Tuesday, 23 July 2024, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency are hosting a no-cost virtual/hybrid Rad Air NESHAP meeting. The event will run from 11:10 am to 3:15 pm EDT. On Wednesday, 24 July 2024, for those attending in-person in Richland, Washington, there will be an opportunity to tour the Hanford Site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to learn more about radioactive air emissions programs.

Program presentations include:

• Department of Energy Subpart H Report, by C. Lobos and S. Snyder
• US Environmental Protection Agency Overview of the Radionuclide NESHAPS, by J. Walsh and J. Rustick
• CAP88-PC – Lessons in Proper Use, by B. Littleton
• Tritium Exit Signs – Are They a Rad-NESHAP Concern?, by K. Hyatt, D. Fuehne, R. Lattin, and S. Didla
• Flanged Tritium Waste Containers at Los Alamos – Adventures in Design, Planning & Permitting, by R. Lattin, D. Fuehne, K. Hyatt, and S. Didla

Registration is now open at the 2024 Rad Air NESHAP Meeting Registration Link. Or copy/paste the link into your browser to register: https://www.energy.gov/ehss/articles/national-emission-standards-hazardous-air-pollutants-neshap-compliance-monitoring

Additional information including time and weblink to the session/meeting will be emailed to registrants as it becomes available. Individuals may also contact Matthew Barnett and Christine Lobos for other information.

The organizing committee includes:

• Christine Lobos, DOE-HQ
• Matthew Barnett, PNNL
• Jonathan Walsh, EPA-HQ
• Sandra Snyder, PNNL
• Joe Rustick, EPA-HQ

Written by Emmanuel Matey Mate-Kole, Georgia Institute of Technology
Edited by Johnson Aina, HPS Student Support Committee

The Student Support Committee is proud to showcase another outstanding health physics graduate student, Emmanuel Matey Mate-Kole, who is a nuclear and radiological engineering PhD candidate in the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics (NRE/MP) Program, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). We hope you get to know Emmanuel through learning about his background, experiences, and current PhD research work.

Emmanuel is currently a third-year PhD candidate working under the supervision of Dr. Shaheen Dewji in the Radiological Engineering, Detection, and Dosimetry Laboratory (RED²). Achieving candidacy status involved a two-stage process for Emmanuel: passing his PhD qualification examination at the end of the first year at Georgia Tech and successfully defending his PhD proposal during the third year. In addition to his primary PhD track, Emmanuel chose to maximize his utilization of course resources from other departments at Georgia Tech, culminating in a minor in computational mathematics and statistics. His current research encompasses "Evaluation of Exposure Pathway, Internalized Uptakes, and Dosimetry for Defense and Consequence Management Applications" and "Enhancement of Biokinetics Using Physiologically Based Models for Internalized Radionuclides." Specifically, his research involves a novel stochastic expansion of biokinetic models for dose assessment and the development of radiation countermeasures for internalized radiation exposures during mass population exposure events and military scenarios. Essentially, his research directly supports US national security efforts in preparedness for malicious events such as nuclear attacks, radiological incidents, and chemical accidents, providing crucial assistance to agencies such as the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and National Institutes of Health. His experiences in internal dosimetry with expertise in biokinetic modeling seamlessly align with pharmacokinetic modeling for pharmaceuticals.

Emmanuel graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi-Ghana with a BSc in physics (with a biomedical physics emphasis). After completing his undergraduate studies, he served as a teaching and research assistant in the physics department for one year. During this period, he provided assistance in undergraduate-level courses, including but not limited to, health physics (including nuclear energy), atomic physics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, medical physics, and radiobiology. Additionally, he supervised general physics laboratory work and managed research projects in nuclear and biomedical laboratory physics.

Prior to attending Georgia Tech, Emmanuel earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering with a major in nuclear reactor physics and engineering at the Université Paris-Saclay in France. Throughout his master's program, he was a recipient of the prestigious and competitive Université Paris-Saclay International Master's Scholarship. During the first year of his master's program, he embarked on a research internship at Ire`ne-Joliot Curie Laboratory of Physics of Two Infinities (IJCLAB) – Health Unit, Paris-Saclay. His research focused on the characterization of 3D microdosimeters and the development of a graphical user interface using Python for application in hadron therapy. The analysis toolkit developed during this internship continues to be utilized by the laboratory to date. Emmanuel also interned as a research engineer at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in Paris-Saclay, France, within the Reactor Studies and Applied Mathematics unit (SERMA) and under the Laboratory of Stochastic & Deterministic Transport (LTSD) division. His research work at the CEA focused on the Study of Doubly Angular and Energy Differential Gamma-Ray Albedo Library for Gamma Dose Rate Calculation, involving the TRIPOLI-4 Monte Carlo Code and the NARMER-1 code, which ultimately formed his master's thesis.

Currently, Emmanuel is an active member of the Health Physics Society (HPS), Radiation Research Society, American Nuclear Society, and World Institute for Nuclear Security, demonstrating his active commitment for professional engagement. He has played a pivotal role in the success of the HPS conferences since 2022. His contributions include serving as a graduate student worker during the 67th HPS Annual Meeting, as well as having the honor of being invited as a session chair of the HPS Hybrid Internal Dosimetry Workshop at Oregon State University in 2023. He was also the recipient of the HPS J. Newell Stannard Fellowship in the 2022/2023 academic year—a recognition of his academic achievements, outstanding scientific contributions, and professional dedication in the field of health physics as a graduate student. Emmanuel has delivered technical presentations nationally and internationally, including a number of invitations to serve as a course instructor in internal dosimetry, biokinetic modeling, radiation dosimetry, and basis of computer programming (C++ and Python) as applied to radiation transport and dosimetry. Recently, he was invited to join the leadership of the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurement and Standards (CIRMS), where he volunteered to support the Radiation Protection and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Emmanuel anticipates graduating in summer 2025 and aims to secure a research appointment at a national laboratory. He is a talented investigator and an advocate for harnessing the power of computational science for transformative change. His expertise extends to the application of machine learning techniques, bringing data-driven precision to radiation dosimetry and monitoring domains.

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

The Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB) 44th meeting will take place 6 June 2024, 1–5 pm ET, and will explore topics of (1) the Department of Energy's plans for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste, (2) the National Nuclear Security Administration's support for and updates on medical isotope production without the use of highly enriched uranium, (3) the latest scientific advancements on FLASH technology and high-dose rate cancer treatment, and (4) the Los Alamos National Laboratory's nuclear programs relevant for NRSB, including nuclear security, neutron science, radioactive waste management, and securing disused radioactive sources.

This hybrid meeting will take place both online and in person at the Keck Center in Washington, DC. Registration is required to attend. To learn more about this meeting, please visit the event web page. Email NRSB with questions.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) will host the virtual (via Zoom) workshop "30 Years of Scientific Achievements for International Radiological Protection: Summary of the Southern Urals Health Studies Program" 24–25 May 2024.

Be part of our first digital event of the year, a two-day digital workshop celebrating three decades of scientific achievements in international radiological protection. Explore the Southern Urals Health Studies Program with professionals who know it best.

For nearly 30 years, the United States and the Russian Federation have cooperated in radiation effects research focused on the workers at, and the public around, the Mayak Production Association in the Southern Urals region north of Chelyabinsk/south of Ekaterinburg. The studies have included about 30,000 monitored workers in the nuclear facilities and over 60,000 members of the affected public in the region, with up to 75 years of multigenerational follow-up. The workshop will summarize the key scientific advances and findings of the dosimetric and epidemiological studies of that research and describe how they have been incorporated in ICRP recommendations, as well as the areas of potentially productive future research.

Our digital events are free to attend, with paid options for those wishing to support our mission of universal accessibility. For more information and to register click here.

Jill Newmyer, Student Support Committee Chair

The Student Support Committee of the Health Physics Society (HPS) will be hosting a variety of events during the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, which will be held in Orlando, 7–12 July 2024. Come by and check them out!

Student Icebreaker Event

The student icebreaker will be held on Sunday, 7 July, 2–3 pm, right before the Quiz Bowl. Come out to meet and network with fellow students!

Quiz Bowl

Ever wanted to test your radiation protection knowledge against other students? Which school actually has the best health physics program? Group together and quiz your smarts in our annual HPS Quiz Bowl, sponsored by the Student Support Committee. The 2024 Quiz Bowl will be on Sunday, 7 July, 3–5 pm. Teams will be limited to eight teams with a maximum of six people per team. Sign-up for teams will be sent out via email and on-site 30 minutes before the start. See you there!

Speed Networking

The popular "Speed Networking" event will be back this year on Monday evening, 8 July, 5:30–6:30 pm. Open to all meeting registrants, this event is a whirlwind mixer designed to connect anyone looking for mentorship in health physics with those who have resources and advice to share! Participants are encouraged to bring LOTS of business cards and can certainly bring résumés or job postings if they would like. This is a great way for new attendees to find a mentor for the remainder of the conference or start a long-term mentoring relationship. This event is cohosted by the Mentorship and Student Support Committees.

The May short course offerings have been posted on the Short Courses page of the HPS website. Information on the following courses is available:

Occupational Internal Dosimetry—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Gamma Spectroscopy—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Laser Safety Officer (LSO) Training—Kentek Corporation

Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) School and Refresher Class—RSO Services, Inc.

Facility Decommissioning Training Course—Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

The Editorial Board of the Health Physics Journal has selected the paper "Potential Airborne Releases and Deposition of Radionuclides From the Santa Susana Field Laboratory During the Woolsey Fire" as the 2023 winner of the Michael T. Ryan Outstanding Paper of the Year Award. Authored by Arthur S. Rood, H. Justin Mohler, Helen A. Grogan, Colby Mangini, Emily A. Caffrey, and John E. Till, this paper was selected from among all those published in Health Physics in 2023. The papers were judged on scientific merit, accuracy, balance, innovation, and impact.

The Michael T. Ryan Outstanding Paper of the Year Award is named in honor of the late Michael T. Ryan, who served as editor in chief of the Health Physics Journal from 1999 to 2017.

"Potential Airborne Releases and Deposition of Radionuclides From the Santa Susana Field Laboratory During the Woolsey Fire" is available to Health Physics Society members on the Health Physics website.

Congratulations to the authors!

Deirdre Elder, Chapter President
Photos courtesy of Thomas Johnson

The Central Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Health Physics Society held its annual Spring Technical Meeting at Colorado State University (CSU) on 25 April 2024. Thirteen CSU graduate students in radiochemistry, health physics, and radioecology spoke about their research work and competed for prizes for best talk.

 

All of the talks were interesting and informative, and the job of the judges was not easy. At the end of the day, Maella Coupannec won first prize for her talk "Evaluation of Extraction Chromatographic Resin for the Purification of Ra-226 Legacy Waste: A New Ac-225 Production Pathway for Cancer Treatment." Paige Witter won second prize for "Alanine Neutron Dosimetry at Colorado State University" and Billy Stephenson won third prize for "Determination of Strontium-90 and Cesium-137 in Freshwater Fish Near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant."

 

 

 

 

Rick Whitman, Kathi Haldeman, Stan Hampton, Patrick Byrne, and Tim Kleyn

The Hoosier Chapter (Indiana) held a meeting on 25 April 2024 at the Rathskeller Restaurant in Indianapolis. Twenty-five members were in attendance for a dinner and presentation by Dr. Aaron Specht of Purdue on his research using XRF to detect bone lead levels in people at several locations in the United States, Iraq, and elsewhere. Two in attendance joined our chapter that evening.

Liz Brackett, HPS President, 2023–2025

The technical program for the IRPA/HPS meeting is now available! Check it out here. With numerous international speakers, this is shaping up to be a great meeting. But that's not all—we have many other exciting plans in store for you. HPS is dedicated to providing a safe, welcoming, and productive experience for all participants at Society events and as we gear up for the meeting, our committees have been working hard to make sure there's something for everyone. Here are just some of the things we have planned:

At the meeting, attendees can expect to receive assistance and information, including resources for the LGBTQIA+ community, information for our international attendees provided by the International Collaboration Committee, and local area information provided by the Local Arrangements Committee. Childcare is once again available for those wishing to bring their families (click here for information and to register)—Orlando is a great family destination.

The popular "Speed Networking" event will be back this year on Monday evening, 5:30–6:30 pm. Open to all meeting registrants, this event is a whirlwind mixer designed to connect anyone looking for mentorship in health physics with those who have resources and advice to share! Participants are encouraged to bring LOTS of business cards and can certainly bring resumes or job postings if they would like. This is a great way for new attendees to find a mentor for the remainder of the conference or start a long-term mentoring relationship. This event is cohosted by the Mentorship and Student Support Committees.

For anyone who enjoys noodling on a technical health physics problem, and especially those who are preparing for (or recently completed) a certification exam, we're excited to bring back the Challenging Health Physics Questions (CHPQ) activity on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the meeting during the lunch hour. Participants will work in small groups to solve written questions authored by Drs. Deepesh Poudel and Thomas Johnson, the creators of the popular question series published in Health Physics News. Wherever you are on your technical journey, this is a great opportunity to meet health physicists from multiple disciplines and discuss practical and fundamental HP problem solving. Click here for photos and information from the 2023 CHPQ activity.

Every IRPA Congress has a public outreach event, and this year is no different! Ask the-Experts volunteer topic editors and experts will be on hand at various times throughout the conference to answer questions about radiation safety, medical exposures, waste management, nuclear power, and so much more. To increase participation and reach, the Radiation Expert "office hours" will be offered virtually, advertised locally, and available to anyone with an internet connection. Interested in volunteering? Reach out to ate@hps.org with your specialty ASAP!

Dr. Sara Dumit, the HPS nominee for the IRPA 16 Young Professional Award in Radiation Protection, is set to give an exciting presentation. Check out the teaser video and get a glimpse of what's in store for you. Don't miss this opportunity to see a rising star in the field!

Join the Membership Committee from Sunday, 7 July, through Wednesday, 10 July, at the Exhibit Hall, where you can receive HPS swag giveaways! Discover our booth for a chance to win fantastic prizes—including a beach basket, fine wine, and an exclusive HPS thermos—in our free raffle. Explore the benefits of HPS membership and learn why it's essential for professionals to stay connected in the field. Plus, take advantage of our special membership discount promotion available exclusively during the event. Whether you're already a member or considering joining, don't miss out on this opportunity to connect, engage, and win with HPS! See you at the Exhibit Hall—your gateway to a thriving community and invaluable resources.

Stay tuned for more information as we continue to plan events. We can't wait to see you at the meeting! 

Renate Czarwinski, IRPA 16 Program Chair

The IRPA 16 Congress to be held in Orlando, Florida, 7–12 July 2024 is an important international conference, attracting radiation protection practitioners from around the world. This is an opportunity to share practices, reconnect with colleagues and friends, and build your network.

For this congress, the topical area of Communication, Stakeholder Involvement, Education, and Training aims at sharing experiences in interacting with the public and developing the capacity to appropriately apply the radiological protection system. Two sessions will be dedicated to education and training, one session will address risk perception and communication, and one session will share experiences on stakeholder involvement and radiological protection culture.

The organizers received 86 abstracts for the main topical area Communication, Stakeholder Involvement, Education, and Training, with only 20 selected as oral presentations. The remainder, evaluated as high quality by the Programme Committee, will be offered as poster presentations.

Speakers from nine different countries and two international organisations (IRPA and IAEA) will be giving presentations addressing general topics on education and training and communication as well as their application in specific domains such as medical, waste management, legacy sites, or environmental monitoring.

Join us in July for an opportunity to learn from your colleagues around the world.

Charles Wilson, IRPA 2024 Task Force

 

Well over 850 abstracts were reviewed for the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, which will be held in Orlando 7–12 July 2024. But the program organizers have focused on much more than just high-quality presentations. At this year's meeting, panels and opportunities for focused discussion are carved heavily into the program, required in nearly every session and sometimes the focus of the session. We are very confident this will be a meeting unlike any in recent Health Physics Society history. There are as many as six simultaneous tracks some days, and the program lasts through Friday morning. Register NOW!

The hotel block has continuously filled up unusually fast despite adding more room blocks and the Secretariat is comparing room reservations to registrations. We cannot add any more rooms on Wednesday and Thursday.

Our Program Committee recommendations:

• Go ahead and reserve the days the rooms are available in the block (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday) at the time of this news article.
• Depending on the day you check, Rosen Shingle Creek has non-HPS rate rooms available from Wednesday on. You'll quickly notice the exceptional rate the HPS was able to negotiate and will see why we aren't able to add more.
• Alternatively, you can still reserve the days the rooms are available in the block (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday) and then book one of the hotels down the street for about the same rate. Recommendations include:
  • Hampton Inn & Suites Orlando-John Young Pkwy/S. Park
  • Home2 Suites by Hilton Orlando South Park
  • Courtyard Orlando South/Grande Lakes Area

While this may not be ideal, this speaks highly of how well attended this meeting will be!

HPS Web Operations

We have received more great books!

Each year, we gather new copies of health physics-related books and then hold a drawing to give the books away—free!—to many lucky winners. This year's meeting, being held 7–12 July 2024 in Orlando, Florida, will be bigger than ever and will include a great number of international attendees. Make sure you come visit the Health Physics Society Publications Booth in the exhibit hall Monday through Wednesday for your chance to win.

Thank you to the authors, editors, and publishers who have donated over $4,000 worth of books (and more are coming):

• American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer – Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (available from Penguin Random House, ISBN 9780375726262)
• An Introduction to Radiation Protection in Medicine – Edited by Jamie V. Trapp and Tomas Kron (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN 9781584889649)
• The Atomic City Girls – Janet Beard (available from HarperCollinsPublishers, ISBN: 9780062666710)
• At Work in the Atomic City: A Labor and Social History of Oak Ridge, Tennessee – Russell B. Olwell (available from The University of Tennessee Press, ISBN 13: 978-1-57233-644-5, ISBN 10: 1-57233-644-7)
• City Behind a Fence: Oak Ridge, Tennessee 1942–1946 – Charles W. Johnson and Charles O. Jackson (available from The University of Tennessee Press, ISBN: 978-0-87049-309-6)
• Dead Hot – M.K. Coker (available from Amazon, ISBN-10: 1545120609, ISBN-13: ‎978-1545120606)
• Decommissioning Health Physics: A Handbook for MARRSIM Users, Second Edition – Eric W. Abelquist (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 9780367867133)
• Environmental Health, Fourth Edition – Dade W. Moeller (available from Harvard University Press, ISBN: 9780674047402)
• Fundamentals of Health Physics & Radiation Protection – Dr. Philip C. Fulmer (available from Amazon, ISBN-13: ‎979-8989597901)
• The Girls of Atomic City – Denise Kernan (available from Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 978-1-4516-1752-8)
• The Health Physics Solutions Manual, Third Edition – Thomas E. Johnson (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN: ISBN-10: 1929169051, ISBN-13: 978-1929169054)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot (available from Penguin Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-5218-9)
• Khan's The Physics of Radiation Therapy, Sixth Edition – John P. Gibbons (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 9781496397522)
• Laser Safety Management – Ken Barat (available from CRC Press, ISBN 9780824723071)
• Low Dose Radiation: The History of the U.S. Department of Energy Research Program – Antone L. Brooks (available from WSU Press, ISBN: 978-0-87422-354-5)
• Nuclear Medicine Physics: A Handbook for Teachers and Students – Technical Editors: D.L. Bailey, J.L. Humm, A. Todd-Pakropek, and A. van Aswegen (available from International Atomic Energy Agency, ISBN: 978-92-0-143810-2)
• Principles of Nuclear Radiation Detection – Geoffrey G. Eichholz and John W. Poston (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 9781315895970)
• Quantitative Environmental Risk Analysis for Human Health, Second Edition – Robert A. Fjeld, Timothy A. DeVol, Nicole E. Martinez (available from Wiley, ISBN: 978-1-119-67532-7)
• Radiation Answers: Answers to Your Questions About Radiation and You – Health Physics Society (out of print, ISBN: 978-0-9825161-0-2)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Technologists, Second Edition – Thomas E. Johnson (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169-16-0, ISBN-13: 978-1929169160)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Workbook for Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169078, ISBN-13: 978-1929169078)
• Radiation Protection: Solutions Manual – David J. Dolan and Thomas E. Johnson (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169153, ISBN-13: 978-1929169153)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Canadian Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson and Francis E. Tourneur (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169-17-7, ISBN-13: 978-1929169-17-7)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Workbook for Canadian Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson and Francis E. Tourneur (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169-21-4, ISBN-13: 978-1929169-21-4)
• Radiation Protection: Canadian Solutions Manual – David J. Dolan, Francis E. Tourneur, and Thomas E. Johnson (available from Pastime Publications, ISBN-10: 1929169-18-4, ISBN-13: 978-1929169-18-4)
• Radiation Protection in Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology – Edited by Richard J. Vetter and Magdalena S. Stoeva (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 978-0-367-57521-2)
• Radiation Risks in Perspective – Kenneth L. Mossman (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 9780367453435)
• Radioactive Air Sampling Methods – Edited by Mark L. Maiello and Mark D. Hoover (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 9780849397172)
• Radiobiology for the Radiologist, Eighth Edition – Eric J. Hall and Amato J. Giaccia (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN-13: 978-1-4963-3541-8, ISBN-10: 1-4963-3541-4)
• The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women – Kate Moore (available from Sourcebooks, ISBN: 978-1-4926-5095-9)
• Understanding Radiation Science: Basic Nuclear and Health Physics – James Mannie Shuler (available from Universal Publishers, ISBN: 1-58112-907-6
• X-Ray Imaging: Fundamentals, Industrial Techniques and Applications – Harry E. Martz, Jr., Clint M. Logan, Daniel J. Schneberk, and Peter J. Shull (available from Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, ISBN: 9780849397721)

Andrew Najjar, Chapter Secretary

The New England Chapter of the Health Physics Society will be hosting its annual technical meeting on 18 June 2024 at the Bentley University Conference Center located at 175 Forrest St, Waltham, MA. Please reach out to nechps@gmail.com for more information.

Brant Ulsh, CHP, PhD, Health Physics Editor in Chief

Heads up, readers! The June issue of Health Physics is a special issue organized by guest editor Mike Mahathy on The Science and Implementation of LNT. As you know, the linear no-threshold model of radiation effects is one of the most debated and long-running controversies in the field of radiation protection. Mike did a great job of soliciting articles from authors presenting the full range of opinions on this subject, and I encourage readers to challenge their views by reading them all.

As a reminder, because of my long and public history of publishing and presenting on the topic of LNT, I have recused myself from any involvement with LNT-related manuscripts submitted to the Journal. I have taken this measure so that authors and readers can be confident that there is no editorial conflict at Health Physics on this subject, and we will not censor any viewpoint on the topic. In short, I am committed to making the Journal a neutral forum where authors are free to make their case and where readers can encounter the diversity of opinion on LNT. Read the articles carefully, evaluate the arguments presented, and make your own informed decisions on this important issue!

Latha Vasudevan, Section President

The Academic, Industrial, and Research Radiation Safety (AIRRS) Section of the Health Physics Society (HPS) is still seeking nominations for the following positions. Self-nominations are always encouraged.

1. Secretary-elect (one-year term as secretary-elect, two-year term as secretary, 2024–2027)
2. Director (three-year term, 2024–2027)

Board members are expected to attend monthly/quarterly Executive Board meetings to discuss planning for a special session at the annual HPS meeting, AIRRS initiatives, AIRRS awards, and any other special projects that may come up. More information on officer roles is listed on the AIRRS website.

Please submit your nominations (including a brief biosketch) to the AIRRS Section officers by 7 May 2024 to be considered for the ballot. All officers and Board members must be HPS members in good standing to run.

Deanna Baker, Health Physics Journal Editorial Assistant

Did you know that you can earn two continuing education credits for reviewing an article in the Health Physics Journal?

Reviewers have an important job in assessing a submitted manuscript. The reviewers will evaluate a manuscript's scientific or technical merit, originality, practicality, interest to our readers, and conformance with our author guidelines. Reviewers decide if a manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected. It is important that reviewers complete a timely evaluation of a manuscript, and we ask that be done within two weeks.

Reviewers are invited to review a manuscript from a member of the Health Physics Editorial Board through the Editorial Manager system—an email invitation is sent with links to accept or decline the invitation.

If you are interested in serving as a reviewer, please contact Deanna Baker with your contact details as well as a short bio and a few keywords to ensure that you are invited to review papers in your areas of expertise.

Also, there is a reviewer tutorial on the home page of the Editorial Manager site (see screenshot). This is a helpful resource and answers a lot of questions reviewers might have.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff will hold a public meeting 8 May 2024 to discuss the license termination process for the historic Nuclear Ship Savannah, docked in Baltimore.

The meeting is scheduled for 6–7:30 p.m. Eastern time onboard the NS Savannah. Members of the public may participate in person, online via Microsoft Teams, or by phone. The ship is located at Pier 13, Canton Marine Terminal, at 4601 Newgate Ave. in Baltimore.

The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) submitted its license termination plan for the ship in October 2023. The NRC staff accepted the plan and a related license amendment request for formal review in December 2023. At the public meeting, the NRC staff will discuss the license termination process and receive public comments on remaining cleanup activities described in the license termination plan.

The plan addresses remaining remediation activities and final radiological surveys or scans to ensure that any residual radioactivity will be within allowable limits of NRC regulations. The NS Savannah's reactor was removed in 2022 and transported to a nuclear waste disposal facility.

The NS Savannah was removed from service in November 1970 and the fuel was removed from the ship in December 1971. As the first and only nuclear-powered commercial vessel, the ship is a registered National Historic Landmark. MARAD's intent is to decommission the NS Savannah in a manner that minimizes any physical impacts on the ship's structure. Unlike a land-based nuclear power plant, the NS Savannah is waterborne, mobile, and of historic significance, presenting unique aspects for decommissioning.

Written comments on the license termination plan may be submitted through the federal rulemaking website, www.regulations.gov, under Docket ID NRC-2024-0060, or by mail to Office of Administration, TWFN-7-A60M, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff. The deadline for filing comments is 3 June 2024.

More information about the decommissioning of the NS Savannah is available on the NRC website.

HPS Section Awards

Accelerator Section

 

Academic, Industrial, and Research Radiation Safety Section

 

Professional Education Program

Continuing Education Lectures

 

Professional Enrichment Program

 

Professional Development School

 

Bingo in the Exhibit Hall

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Elda Anderson Breakfast

 

2023 Members Meeting

 

IRPA 16 Planning Meeting

 

Science Teacher Workshop

 

Public Information Committee

 

Speaker Ready Room

 

Registration Desk

 

HPS Garage Sale

 

Student Travel Grant Recipients

 

Out and About in National Harbor

 

 

 

 

Military Health Physics Section

 

Women in Radiation Protection Section

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

 

 

AAHP Distinguished Membership 2023
Kenneth Skrable, George Chabot, Kathryn Pryor, Kim Kearfott, Frazier Bronson,
Paul Ziemer, Ruth McBurney, Richard Toohey, Ken Kase, and Kent Lambert

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section

Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section Award
Jacob Kamen

 

Military Health Physics Section

John C. Taschner Leadership Award
Jeffrey S. Caudill

 

Superior Civilian Service Award
Julie A. Clements

 

Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award
Aure J. Stewart

 

Women in Radiation Protection Section

Inclusivity Award
Lisa Manglass

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Elda E. Anderson Award
Deepesh Poudel

 

Elda E. Anderson Award Acceptance Speech

Deepesh Poudel

Good afternoon,

I feel quite anxious at giving speeches, and even contemplated just waving from my seat, but I feel like it is important for me to step out of my comfort zone and express my gratitude to the wonderful people who have helped me get to where I am.

First on the list are Dr. Richard Brey and Dr. Jason Harris, my professors at Idaho State University. In 2010, I was an undergrad at Idaho State University enrolled in the biology program, but I also wanted to study physics, chemistry, and more. I was flipping through the undergraduate catalog and stumbled upon the health physics program—it had a little bit of everything I wanted to study: physics, biology, computer science, and mathematics! I emailed Dr. Brey right away, talked to him for an hour, talked to Dr. Harris, and I was convinced right there that it was the right field for me. Three degrees in health physics and 12 years later, here I am accepting this incredible honor! I am so grateful to Dr. Brey and Dr. Harris for not only teaching me the fundamentals of health physics, but also instilling in me the love for the field and for always, always being there for me, no matter what I needed.

I must also express my gratitude to Eric Krage, my classmate from Idaho State University, who encouraged me to "get out there" and got me into this addicting—and rewarding—path of volunteering for the Society.

I want to thank my current and past bosses at Los Alamos National Laboratory—Dr. Milan Gadd, Stephanie Archuleta, Jeff Hoffman, and Maria Nappi—for their relentless efforts to overcome the challenges of my foreign nationality and ensuring I could continue my work at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). I am so thankful that my team lead at LANL, Dr. John Klumpp, thought I was the right fit for the job—I am very grateful that he provides an exceptional working environment that allows me to learn and grow. I am so grateful to have gotten a chance to work with Dr. Luiz Bertelli and Dr. Ray Guilmette and for the opportunities to continuously bother them with many questions. I am grateful for the opportunities to collaborate with incredible people in the field: Sergei Tolmachev, Guthrie Miller, Dunstana Melo, Maia Avtandilashvili, Sara Dumit, and George Tabatadze—I have learned so much from them! I am very grateful to Dr. Thomas Johnson for working with me together on many of the things I do for the Society.

I want to thank Dr. Charles Wilson from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) for convincing me that I am a suitable candidate for this award and for putting together the nomination package. I am also thankful to Dr. Emily Caffrey—my role model when it comes to service for the Society—for writing the letter of support. I want to thank Dr. Craig Little and many of the people I mentioned earlier—Drs. Brey, Caffrey, Harris, Johnson, Tolmachev, and Wilson—for their supporting letters.

I would not be standing here without the support of my wife Ramila—her boundless love and her constant presence have been my source of strength. She believes in me more than anyone else does—perhaps not as much as my team leader but definitely more than myself. I am thankful to have someone like her by my side for the last 15 years, constantly reminding me of my potential. I am thankful to my parents for allowing me to leave Nepal to pursue a better future in the Unites States. Now that I am a father myself—I have a 2-year-old—I understand the pain and suffering my parents endured in letting me come to a country thousands of miles away, where I knew no one and barely spoke the language. I am so glad they made that sacrifice for me.

Finally, I want to thank the Health Physics Society that has given me so much over the last decade or so, from travel grants to scholarships and fellowships, but most importantly, for the network it exposed me to and for the opportunities it provided me. I hope to give back to the Society as much as it has given me.

I also hope to be able to live up to the expectations of the award. I was at the award breakfast on Monday, and I looked around at the remarkable individuals who have previously received the award, including my own professors and other individuals I deeply admire. I am incredibly humbled, and I can't help but acknowledge that I still have much to learn and accomplish on my journey! To me, the award is more of a reminder of what I still must do than it is a testament to my accomplishments so far.

Thank you!

 

Elda Anderson Breakfast

 

Founders Award
David Connolly

 

Geoffry G. Eichholz Outstanding Science Teacher Award
Ann Marie Dubick

 

Fellows of the Health Physics Society

 

Lectureship Awards

 

HPS 50-Year Members

 

 

50-Year Affiliate Member: ORTEC

 

Student Fellowships

Burton J. Moyer Fellowship
Bryanna Wattier, Clemson University

Health Physics Society Fellowship
Anilu Diaz, Francis Marion University

Health Physics Society Fellowship
Heechan Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert Gardner Memorial Fellowship
Ignacio Bartol, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert S. Landauer, Sr., Memorial Fellowship
Dmitri Margot, Georgia Institute of Technology

Richard J. Burk, Jr., Fellowship
Annelise Gonzales, Clemson University

J. Newell Stannard Memorial Fellowship
Emmanuel Mate-Kole, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dade W. Moeller Scholarship
Suman Shrestha, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dade W. Moeller Scholarship Memorializing Kelly Austin
Anna Manfredo, Illinois Institute of Technology

F. Ward Whicker Scholarship
Jonathan Whipple, Oregon University

 

Student Travel Grant Recipients

Sherry Adadi, Georgia Institute of Technology

Johnson Aina, Idaho State University

Andrea Alipio, University of Santo Tomas

Samuel Arnold (AIRRS), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Eric Ofosu Asare, University of Ghana-School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences

Melissa Bailey, Oregon State University

Alex Baty (Decommissioning), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ridhita Binte Borhan (Decommissioning), University of Massachusetts Lowell

Chandler Burgos (AIRRS), Purdue University

Christine Dulohan, University of Santo Tomas Graduate School

Mohammad Omar Faruque Fahim, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Jacob Farkas (Decommissioning), Purdue University

David Gonzalez, Georgia Institute of Technology

Thomas Grier, Purdue University

Philip Gyan, KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School

Christina Hewett, Illinois Institute of Technology

Chukwuka James, Alcorn State University

Elif Kara, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Maruf Hassan Khan (Decommissioning), Purdue University, West Lafayette

Joeun Lee, Purdue University

William Lynn (Decommissioning), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Arielle Miller (Medical Health Physics), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Martin Murungi, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Stephen Reed, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Andrew Rosenstrom, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ricky Sahagun, Purdue University

Abdullahi Shittu, King Abdulaziz University

Lancer Smith (Medical Health Physics), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sarah Sublett, Colorado State University

Theodore Thomas, Purdue University

Yi Wei, Georgia Institute of Technology

Paige Witter, Colorado State University

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Plenary Sessions

 

Internal Dosimetry Session

 

American Academy of Health Physics Special Session

Thank you to the following publishers and authors who donated books for the Publications Booth book drawing in the exhibit hall at the 68th Health Physics Society Annual Meeting. If you would like to purchase one of the books, links for ordering are provided.

• Dead Hot: A Dakota Mystery – M.K. Coker (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1545120606)
• Environmental Health, 4th Edition – Dade Moeller (available from Harvard University Press, www.hup.harvard.edu, ISBN: 978-0674047402)
• The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Fourth Edition – Jerrold T. Bushberg, J. Anthony Seibert, Edwin M. Leidholdt, Jr., and John M. Boone (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 978-1975103224)
• The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging Study Guide – Jerrold T. Bushberg, J. Anthony Seibert (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 978-1975103262)
• The Health Physics Solutions Manual, 3rd Edition – Thomas E. Johnson (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1929169054)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1400052189)
• Low Dose Radiation: The History of the U.S. Department of Energy Research Program – Antone L. Brooks (available from Washington State University Press, wsupress.wsu.edu, ISBN: 978-0-87422-354-5)
• Laser Safety Management – Ken Barat (available at CRC press, ISBN 978-0824723071)
• Laser Safety: Practical Knowledge and Solutions – Edited by Ken Barat (available at IOP Publishing, Inc. [ebook, PDF, Kindle], Barnes and Noble (hardcover), Online ISBN: 978-0750355049, Print ISBN: 978-0750355001
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169061)
• Radiation Protection: Solutions Manual – Thomas E. Johnson and David J. Dolan (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169153)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Workbook for Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169078)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Canadian Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson and Francis E. Tourneur (ISBN: 978-1929169177)
• Silent Source – James Marshall Smith (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1939398703)

Jessica Joyce, Mentorship Committee Chair

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Mentorship Committee was happy to host a group of motivated individuals at the 68th HPS Annual Meeting for this year's early-morning Challenging Health Physics Questions (CHPQ) event! Participants worked in small groups to solve written health physics questions about ion chamber detectors, neutron activation, and internal dosimetry. Each question was designed to take 30 minutes to solve and relied on provided information as well as foundational health physics concepts. Volunteer coaches Deepesh Poudel, Thomas Johnson, and Zachariah Tribbett provided coaching and grading. Want to challenge yourself? Reach out to the Mentorship Committee to get a copy of this year's CHPQs or plan to join us for the next event.