Current News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Radiation and Environmental Biophysics open-access paper "The System of Radiological Protection and the UN Sustainable Development Goals" was published 10 September 2024 and is now available.

The 2015 United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass broad social, economic, and environmental challenges. This paper discusses the relationship between the current System of Radiological Protection and SDGs. Initially, it suggests an implicit link through analysis based on the International Commission on Radiological Protection's (ICRP) standards. It further advocates for explicit consideration of sustainability in the upcoming ICRP recommendations, encouraging global collaboration in radiological protection to enhance sustainability.

Click here to access "The System of Radiological Protection and the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

Health Physics Society (HPS) member Bill Dundulis died 23 August 2024. His obituary can be found on on the Menard Funeral Home website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

Health Physics Society (HPS) member Warren E. Keene died 20 August 2024. His obituary can be found on the National Cremation website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

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.

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

Deadline: Tuesday, 24 September

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to participate in the Gilbert W. Beebe Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Applications in Radiation Therapy, Diagnostics, and Occupational Health and Safety (a two-day workshop).

Using these suggestions, National Academies staff will be looking to build a committee of five to six volunteer experts in addition to collecting information for potential speakers, participants, and peer reviewers for any publications resulting from the activity. Experts will be drawn from diverse areas, including:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Machine Learning
• Data Science
• Clinical Data Science
• Bioinformatics
• Radiation Therapy
• Radiation Diagnostics
• Radiation Occupational Health and Safety
• Radiation Risk Assessment and Management
• Environmental Management for Radioactive Waste Cleanup

For more information about the call for nominations, please view the event page. You are invited to submit your nominations by 24 September 2024 at 11:59 pm Eastern.

To learn more about the Gilbert W. Beebe Symposium, please click here. To learn more about the responsibilities and commitments of our volunteer committee members, visit the information web page.

If you have questions, please email nrsb@nas.edu.

HPS Web Operations

Did you know that the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) conducts an annual CHP Salary Survey and a Health Physics Society (HPS) Salary Survey?

The objectives of these surveys are to provide CHPs and HPS members with appropriate information to determine relative market value and to assist in career planning with respect to prospective salary.

When you complete the HPS Salary Survey, the information you provide is only collected to ensure that only HPS members take the survey, and do so only once. Your identity is not stored with your survey entry and is not revealed to the survey analysts. The only personal data that is revealed to the survey analysts is the name of the state in which you reside and your HPS membership classification. If you wish your state to be suppressed, an option exists on the survey form.

The results of the CHP Salary Survey and the HPS Salary Survey since 2012 can be found on the HPS website Careers in Health Physics page, at the bottom of the page.

There is still time for HPS members to take the 2024 survey. It will be underway until 31 October 2024, is easy to complete, and only takes 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.

Health Physics Society (HPS) member Joel Ian Cehn died 29 July 2024. His obituary can be found on the Legacy.com website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

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!