Current News

Emily Caffrey, 2025 Workshop Cochair

Dates have been finalized for the THIRD Health Physics Society (HPS) Workshop. The workshop, on fusion and nonionizing health physics, will be held 31 March–1 April 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

But wait, that's not all! The Professional Development School "Overview of the Nonionizing Radiation Spectrum" will be held after the workshop, 1–4 April 2025. Make plans now to attend both.

With the Lawrence Livermore National Lab's National Ignition Facility achieving fusion ignition for the first time ever in December 2022, the exciting world of fusion health physics has never been more eminent. Join us for a comprehensive workshop that delves into the latest advancements and challenges in both fusion and nonionizing radiation. Learn from industry experts and network with peers as we explore the potential of fusion energy and the importance of safeguarding human health in a nonionizing radiation environment. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and contribute to the future of radiation safety.

Abstracts on fusion and nonionizing radiation topics are welcome. Please submit your abstract through this link. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 31 January 2025. Please note there will be no extensions; instead, if you need a little more time, reserve a slot by contacting the task force chair with your subject and topic.

IRPA 16 Young Professionals holding their certificates
Submitted photo

US Delegation to IRPA 16: Front row left to right, Sara Dumit, Caleigh Samuels, Carolyn MacKenzie, Kevin Nelson, Mike Mahathy, Elizabeth Brackett, Latha Vasudevan, Emily Caffrey, Kendall Berry, and Mike Boyd. Back row left to right, Scott Schwahn, Derek Jokisch, Jonathan Napier, Mike Lewandowski, Nolan Hertel, and Charles Wilson.
Submitted photo

Health Physics Society Women in Radiation Protection Section social event at IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting
Submitted photo

Held jointly by the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and the Health Physics Society (HPS), the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting took place 7–12 July 2024 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. The schedule on Monday, 9 July, included the Opening Ceremony, Keynote Lecture, Sievert Lecture, Plenary Panel #1, and Plenary Panel #2.

Photos courtesy of Stan Bravenac

Opening Ceremony Remarks

Kevin Nelson
IRPA 16 Congress President

Bernard le Guen
IRPA President

Elizabeth Brackett
HPS President

Renate Czarwinski
IRPA 16 Program Committee Chair

Charles Wilson
Task Force Chair
HPS Program Committee

Opening Ceremony Keynote Lecture

Norman Thagard
NASA (Retired)

Sievert Lecture

Dr. María del Rosario Pérez
La Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear Board of Directors Advisor

Plenary Panel #1: "The Systems of RP for Ionising & Non-Ionising Radiation"

Plenary Panel #1, left to right, John O'Hagan (Cochair), Emilie van Deventer, Sigurður Magnús Magnússon, Kathryn A. Higley, Werner Rühm, Sara Dumit (Rapporteur), Rodney Croft, and Christopher Clement (Chair)

Plenary Panel #2: Current Status of the Scientific Basis for Radiation Safety, Protection Recommendations, and International Standards

Plenary Panel #2, left to right, John Damilakis, Charles Wilson (Rapporteur), Jing Chen, Pete Bryant, Renate Czarwinski (Cochair), Thierry Schneider, Hildegarde Annie A. Vandenhove, Shengli Niu, Bernard le Guen, and Kevin Nelson (Chair)

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comments through 18 December 2024 on its updated proposal to streamline environmental reviews for new nuclear reactors by codifying the NRC's draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors, or NR GEIS. The GEIS aims to identify common environmental impacts, reducing the need to perform a number of extensive project-specific analyses and potentially saving up to $2 million per application. For more information click here.

Mike Lewandowski, CHP, FHPS, HPS President-elect

In my opinion, one of the best parts of being the president-elect of the Health Physics Society (HPS) is the opportunity to visit HPS chapters and interact with HPS members (and potential members) across the country. My first visit as president-elect was to the Columbia Chapter to attend its meeting on 12 September in person. The chapter was very gracious, and Columbia Chapter President-elect Christopher Royce arranged several activities for me while I was in Washington. One of the highlights of the chapter meeting for me was the opportunity to officially present the 50-year member recognition plaque to Dr. Dan Strom. My second president-elect visit was a virtual visit to the State of Texas fall meeting on 3 October. Chapter President-elect Erich Fruchtnicht was a great host and navigated all the technology challenges so that the virtual presentation was seamless. Each meeting had a little more than 30 attendees. I'm looking forward to virtual presentations to the East Tennessee Chapter and to a joint meeting of the New England Chapter and Delaware Valley Society later this month. I feel that I'm really off to a great start.

So far several chapters have contacted me about scheduling an in-person or virtual meeting. I encourage any chapter who would like me to visit or present to contact me at PE@hps.org. The list of scheduled chapter visits is available on the HPS website, including dates being held for tentative meetings. If your chapter needs help setting up a virtual meeting, HPS Headquarters can help.

You may have heard that we're going to replace our current website with a new and much improved version. One component of the website will be a chapter information hub. Please review the existing collection of resources for chapters and provide your feedback on what additional resources you would like to see. You can email your thoughts to me or directly to Website Development Planning Task Force Chair Kendall Berry.

I'm looking forward to hearing from more HPS members. Let me know what questions or concerns you have. Contact me at PE@hps.org.

The Health Physics Society is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar and roundtable discussion on Fusion Health Physics, to be held virtually on Monday, 2 December 2024, 12–2 pm Eastern. With the Lawrence Livermore National Lab's National Ignition Facility achieving fusion ignition for the first time ever in December 2022, the exciting world of fusion health physics has never been more eminent! Join us for a webinar and roundtable discussion that introduces the health physics community to the exciting and challenging world of fusion health physics.

Featured speakers

Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, will set the stage with an overview of the fusion industry. Scott Hsu, Senior Advisor and Lead Fusion Coordinator in the DOE's Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, will provide the federal strategy. Heather Jackson, Technology to Market Advisor for ARPA-E, will prep us for the roundtable by introducing key fusion health physics topics of interest.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and contribute to the future of radiation safety.

Register here today and join us on Monday, 2 December!

Andrew Holland

Scott Hsu

Heather Jackson

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

To take stock of various global activities related to small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as discuss emerging challenges and opportunities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the first International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and Their Applications in Vienna, Austria, from 21 to 25 October 2024.

The purpose of this conference is to provide an international forum to take stock of the progress and discuss the opportunities, challenges and enabling conditions for the accelerated development and safe and secure deployment of SMRs among all possible stakeholders for SMRs.

For more information, visit the conference page on the IAEA website.

The 2024 American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) and Health Physics Society (HPS) Salary Survey is currently underway until 31 October 2024. The objectives of the survey are to provide HPS members with appropriate information to determine relative market value and to assist in career planning with respect to prospective salary.

The survey is easy to complete and will only take a few minutes. Your confidential participation will benefit the entire membership. To participate in the 2024 AAHP/HPS Salary Survey, sign in to the Members Only side of the HPS website and then click here.

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is seeking individuals for the role of Assistant Scientific Secretary. Empower your organisation by nominating a standout individual to the Assistant Scientific Secretary position at the ICRP Scientific Secretariat in Ottawa, Canada. This collaboration not only bolsters your organisational reputation but also offers your team member an invaluable experience in international networking and ICRP operations. Take this step to broaden your horizons and strengthen your international ties.

Read more about this secondment opportunity by clicking here! The deadline for nominations is 30 November 2024.

Andrew Scott, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

In 2023, the International Consortium of Laboratory Networks (ICLN) Rad Lab Subgroup launched a new website to serve the radiochemistry community as an information and resource repository. The Rad Lab Subgroup recognized a gap in any type of compendium of laboratory-related radiological information. The subgroup also recognized the loss of many longtime laboratorians to retirement. To help fill this knowledge gap, it created a radiological laboratory hub of information and resources. This subgroup promotes consistency of analytical performance to ensure quality data supporting homeland security decisions and assessing and filling gaps in radioanalytical laboratory testing.

The Rad Lab Hub provides a first-of-its-kind, centralized collection of analytical methods, operational guides, and technical information focused specifically on laboratorians, researchers, scientists, incident commanders, and field response personnel in the radiological field. Information available on the website covers topics related to the analysis of food, clinical, plant, and environmental samples that may be taken for analysis during and following a major radiological or nuclear incident. The Rad Lab Hub currently includes 150+ different information and technical resources that will greatly benefit the radiological laboratory community.

The searchable resources are collected under the following categories:

• Analytical methods – radioanalytical methods for selected radionuclides applicable to all phases of a nuclear or radiological incident requiring integrated laboratory response.
• Operational guides – provide planning and technical information for laboratories to effectively:
  • Convert from normal to emergency-response operations.
  • Establish emergency-response methods (i.e., perform method validation).
  • Ensure contamination control.
  • Conduct screening techniques on sample receipt.
  • Prioritize analysis of samples.
  • Ship radioactive samples.
  • Segregate laboratory radioactive waste.
• Training, reference, and educational documents – self-paced training modules and information to other valuable resources.
• Documentary standards – list of applicable consensus standards (e.g., ASTM, ANSI, CLIA, ISO, and TNI).
• Calibration, traceability, and physical standards – physical standards and information on certified, well-characterized materials.
• Tools – automated measurement-modeling and calculation tools to provide information such as estimating the count times.
• Additional resources – information on radiochemistry and nuclear preparedness and response.
• Lessons learned - case studies and results from radiological exercises.

In addition to making the community aware of the Rad Lab Hub, we would like to encourage and invite interested colleagues to make radioanalytical laboratory related submission(s) to broaden and deepen the accessible resources available to the community. The Rad Lab Hub is intended to be dynamic and is continuously growing as new information and resources are identified. A "Suggest Resource" button on all the Rad Lab Hub pages enables access to a form with fields that may be filled in to submit a reference. Simply click on the "Submit Link" button on the bottom of the form to submit the suggested resource to be considered for inclusion. All content is reviewed by the Rad Lab Subgroup to determine relevance and categorization before posting to the site.

The point of contact for any questions is John Griggs.

A new message has been posted to the thread "Ionization Chamber Calibration Sources" under the Instrumentation category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society (HPS) website.

To join the discussion, HPS members should log in to Members Only and then click here.

To read all discussions in the Members Forum, click here.

Text and photos courtesy of Thomas Johnson, Faculty Advisor

Colorado State University (CSU) hosted four students from Fukushima University for two weeks this month. The Fukushima University students performed multiple experiments with CSU students and attended several CSU lectures. Water samples were taken from Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as multiple area dose-rate measurements. They were also able to watch a hot air balloon launch!

Fukushima University students participated in multiple activities with CSU students during the evenings, including a BBQ, bonfire, and bowling.

CSU and Fukushima University have a long-standing collaboration (over 10 years) and plan to continue student exchanges into the future. 

National Radiologic Technology Week (NRTW), an annual celebration to recognize the vital work of medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals in patient care and health care safety, will take place 3–9 November 2024.

NRTW was created by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists in 1979. The event is celebrated each year during the week of 8 November, the day German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the x ray in 1895.

For more information and suggestions on how your group or facility can celebrate, visit the NRTW website.

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

Facility Decommissioning Training Course—Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

Site Characterization Online Training Course—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Gamma Spectroscopy—ORAU's Professional Training Program

Laser Safety Officer (LSO) Training—Kentek Corporation

Online Health Physics Certification Review Course—Colorado State University Professional Education

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

Remember the promise of a nuclear renaissance much discussed around the turn of the 20th century? The Energy Policy Act of 2005 offered economic incentives and subsidies that led to applications for construction and operation licenses for over 30 nuclear power plants (NPP) being submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 2007 to 2009. Concerns were raised over the need to develop sufficient nuclear engineering and radiation protection resources to support these new NPPs. However, for a variety of reasons (e.g., increased use of relatively cheap natural gas for power production, schedule delays and cost overruns, what to do with all that radioactive waste, and public concerns—e.g., Three Mile Island Unit 2, Chornobyl, Fukushima), this renaissance never materialized. To date the only new NPPs that have been completed and brought online in the United States are the Vogtle Units 3&4 (2023 and 2024 respectively).

So, is nuclear power and the need for skilled nuclear and radiation protection professionals in the United States gone? Not so fast. With the rapidly expanding need for energy to support the burgeoning digital data industry (e.g., artificial intelligence) and emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to counter growing climate change concerns, a nuclear resurgence may be on the horizon.

This nuclear resurgence is the topic of a recent World Nuclear News article. This article provides a link to a new, 15-minute documentary in which several advocates, including Michael Goff, Acting Assistant Secretary and the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, discuss changes in perceptions and the current outlook for expansion of nuclear power.

Several examples of this nuclear resurgence in the United States have recently emerged:

• Microsoft Corporation has entered into an agreement with Constellation Energy to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 (shut down in 2019) and to purchase its entire generating output for the next 20 years to power new data centers.
• NextEra, owner of the Duane Arnold NPP in Palo, Iowa, is weighing bringing the facility back online to support energy-intensive data centers that have been built in Iowa.
• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the design of the NuScale small modular reactor (SMR). Interest in SMRs remains high both in the United States and globally.
• The Department of Defense has broken ground at the Idaho National Laboratory for a demonstration project (Project Pele) for development of a transportable nuclear microreactor. BWXT Advanced Technologies, lead contractor for construction of the reactor, hopes to use its experience on this project to advance development of its civil-focused BANR microreactor.
• A nice summary of current and potential US nuclear power capability has been issued by the US Department of Energy.
• For the fusion enthusiasts, Helion Energy has reached an agreement to provide power from a fusion reactor to Microsoft Corporation by 2028.

Will this nuclear resurgence lead to a nuclear renaissance? Only time will tell. But perhaps it is once again time to encourage young, ambitious science/technology-oriented students and early career professionals to consider careers in the nuclear and radiological sciences. If they do, will US educational institutions be prepared to meet the demand? An indication of future needs may be found in the classified listings on the HPS website.

HPS Web Operations

Did you know that the Health Physics Society (HPS) Ask the Experts (ATE) team is collaborating with MotherToBaby to provide information on radiation exposure to pregnant and breastfeeding women?

MotherToBaby is a service of the nonprofit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) and is dedicated to providing evidence-based information to mothers, healthcare professionals, and the general public about medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. More information can be found on the MotherToBaby website.

The ATE website Pregnancy and Radiation page covers radiation exposure while pregnant or trying to conceive, effects of radiation on the embryo/fetus, radiation effects on children, flying while pregnant, and so much more.

MotherToBaby frequently answers radiation questions with information found on ATE, so reached out to the HPS to connect directly. ATE Editor in Chief Emily Caffrey began collaborating with MotherToBaby in June 2024 to increase the visibility of both websites in providing information to pregnant and breastfeeding women.

MotherToBaby and ATE both receive a lot of questions around the topic of radiation and pregnancy, and Emily recently provided information for an interview with MotherToBaby, which is available as a podcast and as a video. Emily said this is an extended version of the HPS video on the same topic.

The next steps in this partnership will be another podcast and possibly a webinar for practitioners on radiation basics.

New threads have been started under the Instrumentation category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society (HPS) website.

To join the discussion, HPS members should log in to Members Only and then click here. Or to read the individual discussions, click on the thread titles below:

• Antech Model CD285-1540 Calorimeter
• Mirion WM3500 Passive Neutron Counter
• Q2 WM2110 Procedures
• Ionization Chamber Calibration Sources

R. DeWayne Holcomb, Section President

The Nonionizing Radiation (NIR) Section is holding its annual NIR Section Business Meeting on 28 October at 1:00 pm EDT. We expect the meeting to last approximately two hours. It will be conducted via teleconference using the MS Teams platform and is open to all HPS NIR Section members! The link will be provided to all NIR Section members via email. Any HPS members who are NOT NIR Section members who want to attend can reach out to any NIR Section Executive Board member for the link information.

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.

• 70th HPS Annual Meeting - 2025
  13–17 July 2025, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI
  
  Hotel Reservations
  HPS has secured discounted room blocks at three hotels for Madison. Below are the links to secure discounted rooms.
  
  The Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor's Club
  1 W. Dayton St. | Madison, WI 53703
  Rate: 168/night + tax
  
  Hilton Madison Monona Terrace
  9 East Wilson Street | Madison, WI 53703
  Rate: $211/night + tax
  
  Embassy Suites by Hilton Madison Downtown
  231 S. Pinckney Street | Madison, WI 53703
  Rate: $169/night + tax
  
  Reserve your room before the block sells out!
   
• 71st HPS Annual Meeting - 2026
  5–9 July 2026, Gaylord National Harbor, MD

Mike Lewandowski, FHPS, CHP, Local Arrangements Committee

The 70th Health Physics Society (HPS) Annual Meeting is months away, but now is the time to mark your calendars and start making plans to visit Madison. Madison is easier to reach than one might expect. Madison is served by the Dane County Regional Airport (airport code MSN). American, Delta, Frontier, and United all offer nonstop service from many hub cities including, but not limited to, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, LaGuardia, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Reagan National. Leisure airlines Breeze and Sun Country also fly into Madison. Flying directly into Madison is a convenient option.

Aerial view of downtown Madison
Photo courtesy of OVJ Photography, Destination Madison

Once you arrive at the Dane County Regional Airport, you'll note an atmosphere much different than found in many airports. This airport includes the architectural and artistic touches that make Madison a desired destination. The terminal's prairie style design was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the native landscaping around the terminal evokes a sense of harmony with nature. Inside the terminal you'll find cozy lounges with comfortable leather seating scattered about. Be sure to find the Meeters & Greeters Lounge with leather chairs around a fireplace, more reminiscent of a comfortable hotel lobby than an airline terminal. You'll also want to spend a few minutes at the Art Court. Changing exhibits offer samples from local and regional artists in a variety of media.

Some Madison hotels, including the Concourse Hotel (our meeting's headquarters hotel), offer complimentary shuttles to and from the Dane County Regional Airport. You can find the list of meeting hotels on the HPS website. Make your reservations now to guarantee you have a room. It's also easy to rent a car or hire a taxi or rideshare. Once you've visited the Dane County Regional Airport, I think you'll agree with me that it's a convenient and comfortable waypoint on your journey.

Flying directly into Madison is not the only option you have. Madison is located only a few hours by car from Milwaukee and Chicago. If your travel plans include exploring the area around Madison, you might consider flying into one of the major airports in Milwaukee (MKE) or Chicago (ORD or MDW). CoachUSA provides inexpensive bus service from the Chicago airports to the University of Wisconsin (about a mile from the Concourse Hotel or Monona Terrace Convention Center).

If you haven't watched Destination Madison's welcome video, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendar right now for 13–17 July 2025 to attend the 70th HPS Annual Meeting in Madison. If you have questions, feel free to contact our LAC cochairs Jessica Joyce and Jason Rusch.

Liz Brackett, HPS President, 2023–2025

The February 2023 issue of Health Physics News contains an article about the whimsical tradition of the Health Physics Society (HPS) rubber chicken, passed on from president to president-elect in anticipation of many chicken dinners during their tour of the HPS chapters. The president-elect visits and transfer of the chicken were impacted by COVID the last several years, but the tradition lives on. There have been a few transfers since those pictured in the article.

The most significant disruption of the ritual occurred in the transfer from Eric Goldin to then President-elect Dr. John Cardarelli. John took office in July of 2020, a year in which the annual meeting was entirely virtual. The passing of the chicken was postponed until the 2021 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, our first hybrid meeting. Being from Southern California, Eric and his wife Irene dressed him as a surfer dude in a Hawaiian shirt and swimsuit.

Eric Golden, left, passes the chicken to John Cardarelli, right, as Nolan Hertel looks on.
Submitted photo

John Cardarelli, right, passes the chicken to Liz Brackett.
Submitted photo

The chicken dressed up to be passed from Liz Brackett to Mike Lewandowski
Submitted photo

The next transfer was from John to me in 2022. We missed doing it at the annual meeting, so the chicken traveled to the Executive Committee (EC) retreat later in the year. He retained his beach outfit because we met in Navarre, Florida.

Family issues and the lingering effects of COVID restrictions limited the number of chapters I was able to visit in person but I'm happy to report that I had no rubber chicken in my travels. Dinner at two of the meetings (combined Greater New York/New Jersey chapters and Northern California) consisted of buffets with a variety of foods to choose from, and the East Tennessee Chapter had a morning meeting at which they served Dunkin' coffee and doughnuts. For a native New Englander, this was a perfect choice!

I passed the chicken on to President-elect Mike Lewandowski at the HPS/IRPA meeting in July 2024. Given the many virtual calls during my president-elect tenure and their continued use, he's dressed for a Zoom call—business on the top and jammies and bunny slippers on the bottom. The Dunkin' theme also carried over to his latest outfit—the EC teases me about my devotion to Dunkin' so I gave him his own cup. The pumpkin is from a misheard sentence (coincidentally also involving Dunkin') during an EC meeting. That's best left for a private conversation, but it had us laughing all day.

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

I continue to be gratified that my radiation safety colleagues from all over the world are reporting on their important work in the Health Physics Journal. The November issue includes articles from:

• Belgium: "Prediction Model for Defects in Lead and Lead-Free Aprons" by Pieter-Jan Kellens and colleagues.
• Cameroon: "Contribution of Thoron and Its Progeny to the Effective Dose by Inhalation in the Uranium-Thorium Bearing Regions of Mayo Kebbi and Guéra in Chad" by Ziebno Patale and colleagues.
• Chile: "Regional Workshop on Optimization of Protection in Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Latin American and Caribbean Countries" by Carlos Ubeda and colleagues.
• China: "A Survey of Mean Glandular Doses and Suggestions on National Diagnostic Reference Levels for Digital Mammography in China" by Hui Xu and colleagues.
• Iraq: "The Concentration of Uranium-238 in Soil Samples From the Central Maysan Governorate Determined Using ICP-MS" by Mostafah Ahmed Algrifi and colleagues.
• Japan: "Effects of High Temperature and High Humidity on the Degree of Ocular Damage Caused by 60 GHz Millimeter Wave Exposure" by Masami Kojima and colleagues.
• Sweden: "An Estimation of the Monetary Value of the Man Sievert Useful for Occupational Radiological Protection Within the Health Care System of Sweden" by Andreas Engström and colleagues.
• USA: "Conversion of Site-Specific Meteorological Data for Use in CAP-88 PC" by Brad Fritz and colleagues and "Assessing the Mental Model State (MMS) of Radiation for HAZMAT Technician-Level Emergency Responders in the Context of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) Incidents: A Multi-State Study" by Angela Leek and colleagues.

It's exciting to see the breadth and diversity of the work of our international colleagues. Be sure to check out radiation protection work from around the globe in the November issue of Health Physics!

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

Explore the newest insights of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) on digital radiology in ICRP Publication 154: Optimisation of Radiological Protection in Digital Radiology Techniques for Medical Imaging. Check out the abstract and Executive Summary on ICRP.org. Full report access details are also available. While it will become free in two years thanks to Free the Annals, reading it today puts you ahead of the curve!

Thomas Johnson, Faculty Advisor

Colorado State University (CSU) hosted four radiochemistry/health physics students from Hirosaki University in September. These students were able to perform multiple radiochemistry and health physics experiments that are not possible at Hirosaki University. Outside the educational program, they joined CSU students in a BBQ, hikes, and other local activities. Four CSU students participated in a similar program at Hirosaki University in March 2024, and plans are for five CSU students to participate in an exchange program in March of 2025.

CSU and Hirosaki students
Photo courtesy of Donovan Anderson

In the CSU radiochemistry lab
Photo courtesy of Donovan Anderson

In the counting lab
Photo courtesy of Thomas Johnson

At the welcome dinner
Photo courtesy of Thomas Johnson

The North Central Chapter of the Health Physics Society (HPS) will hold a joint fall meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, with the North Central Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). The meeting will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Friday, 8 November, and will include a social night out at The Coopers Tavern. Information can be found on the NCC website, and more details will be provided as they become available.

Click here to register for the meeting.

HPS Web Operations

Stephen Samson Mkoloma, left, accepts his book from HPS News Editor Mary Walchuk
Submitted photo

Stephen Samson Mkoloma from Dar es Salaam Tanzania won a copy of Fundamentals of Health Physics & Radiation Protection, by Philip C. Fulmer, at the HPS Publications Booth book drawing at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

We gave away more than 50 great books and enjoyed meeting and talking with so many people about HPS publications and the HPS website!

Thank you to the authors, editors, and publishers who donated over $4,000 worth of books, including fiction and nonfiction, covering a wide range of topics.

If you saw a book that you would like, but didn't win, click on the links below for ordering information.

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)

Critical Connections: The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge from the Dawn of the Atomic Age to the Present – Lee Riedinger, Al Ekkebus, Ray Smith, and William Bugg (available from The University of Tennessee Press, ISBN 13: 978-1621906544, ISBN 10: 162190654X)

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-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 – D.L. Bailey, J.L. Humm, A. Todd-Pokropek, 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, and 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)

Silent Source – Jim Smith (available from Amazon, ISBN: 978-1939398703)

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)

Charles Wilson and Emily Caffrey

The largest Health Physics Society (HPS) meeting in years just wrapped up. When new challenges occur, we have the opportunity to grow stronger. The HPS Program Committee tried several new things during the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting and we are eager to get feedback from the rest of the community. A few specific highlights include:

1. CELs at 7:45 am and the technical program at 9:00 am.
2. Blind peer reviews of all abstracts.
3. Scheduled Q&A at the end of sessions.
4. More 20-minute talks.
5. Plenary Panel Discussions.

CELs (refresher courses) had a much higher attendance than usual. It seems like attendees appreciated the extra hour of sleep or being able to visit with colleagues a little later.

Our new program-management software includes the ability to digitally send out abstracts for blind review and ratings. For many reasons, we believe this will drastically improve the quality of the program. If you'd like to be a peer reviewer, please reach out to HPSPCannual@hps.org right after the abstract deadlines.

There were also challenges that we struggled with and hope to omit in the future. These included app duplication bugs, lack of Wi-Fi, visa complications, and a printed program. While not all of these are within our control, we can better prepare and organize for them. We plan to change the format of the printed program to include program at a glance, exhibitors, and notes only. This will increase our flexibility to respond to program changes after printing.

Do you have feedback on the meeting or recommendations for improvement? Reach out to us at HPSPCannual@hps.org!