Current News

Kevin Nelson, IRPA VP for Congress Affairs, IRPA 16 Organizing Committee Chair

 

As I write this piece for the newsletter, IRPA 16 is only about a week away. I truly hope Health Physics Society (HPS) members take advantage of this unique opportunity to attend an IRPA International Congress. We have had over 880 abstracts submitted from 67 countries. Two hundred twenty (220) oral presentations covering 11 main areas will be presented as well as over 450 posters. The world is smaller than you think, and this is a chance to discuss common issues with our radiation protection colleagues from around the world. Astronaut Norman Thagard will be providing the Landauer Lecture at the Monday morning plenary. Scientists from the International Commission on Radiological Protection, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and other radiation protection organizations will be giving presentations throughout the week. This will be the first time in 51 years that an IRPA International Congress has been held in the United States. Who knows when this opportunity will avail itself again?

Fifty-one years ago, as the US was about to host its first IRPA International Congress in 1973, my counterpart at the time, Claire C. Palmiter, wrote an article for the newsletter titled "IRPA – What Is in It for Us." The article concludes with a quote from then HPS Past President W.T. Ham:

"The question is not 'what is in it for us' but rather 'will such a move improve the status of radiation protection throughout the world.' It is the firm belief of the [HPS] Board of Directors and of prominent health physicists in other countries that this question can be answered in the affirmative. Furthermore, the Society would be promoting democratic principles at a time when they are badly needed in many parts of the world."

It is my belief this is still very true today.

I hope to see you in Orlando!

Dan Sowers, Chapter President

The Virginia Chapter of the Health Physics Society hosted its annual meeting at Surry Nuclear Power Station on 24 June 2024. The meeting included a fascinating and educational tour of Surry along with talks from Nick Dorrell and Emily Caffrey. Safe, clean, reliable nuclear power from Surry charges Dan's Model Y Tesla every night, which we all rightly consider to be a nuclear-powered vessel.

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

Click the links below to access the recordings of some recent events of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). All available recordings can be found through the ICRP Events Page.

• ICRP 2023 Session Recordings
• 30 Years of Scientific Achievements for International Radiological Protection: Summary of the Southern Urals Health Studies Program
• Radiological Protection in Areas Contaminated by Past Activities

Rod Reed and Matthew Barnett, Accredited Standards Committee N13, Radiation Protection

ANSI/HPS N13.45-2024, Incineration of Low-Level Radioactive Waste, was recently issued. It is available to HPS members on the Members Only side of the Health Physics Society website and to members of the public at the Accuris standards store for $60.

The ANSI/HPS N13.45 standard addresses the following topics on low-level radioactive waste incineration: objectives, a glossary of terms, acronyms, identification of waste sources, selection of incinerator equipment, incinerator siting considerations, administrative and operational controls, monitoring program, disposal of residues, documentation, decontamination and decommissioning, licensing and permitting requirements, a discussion of major agencies that regulate air quality, modeling methods, and a bibliography. The standard also has a flowchart for process flow for the incineration of combustible liquid waste, liquid scintillation cocktail, biological waste, and combustible solid waste.

It is intended to provide minimum requirements for incineration of low-level radioactive waste that is generated at facilities such as medical centers, universities, and research institutions. It describes the identification and characterization of wastes, selection and siting of incineration equipment, licensing and permitting requirements, control and monitoring, disposal of residues, documentation, and decontamination and decommissioning.

This standard is not intended to address nonradiological issues associated with incineration; however, it is not feasible to separate them completely. The low-level radioactive waste that would be a candidate for incineration would have a composition of materials that affect the incineration. To properly operate a combustion device, the other pollutants of interest need to be controlled as well, and it is hoped that many of the radionuclides would be captured in the process. It is also recognized that the incineration process and the flue gas cleaning process are both crucial elements of the incineration process and maintaining compliance.

ANSI/HPS N13.45-2024 updates the 2012 version to reflect current technical and regulatory requirements and guidance. It incorporates contemporary information and is intended to be consistent with current US regulatory requirements or guidance. The process of licensing and permitting an incinerator will require a thorough knowledge of state and local regulations that may be more stringent than this standard. Institutions may wish to refer to this standard when discussing licensing or permitting requirements with regulators.

The following individuals were members of the working group:

• Rodican P. Reed, Health Physics Consultant, WG Chair
• Hans Arlt, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Kara Beharry, AECOM
• Britt Edquist, Idaho Cleanup Project
• Glenn M. Sturchio, Mayo Clinic
• Mark A. Tries, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Christopher D. Vanderpool, Hopewell Designs, Inc.

Consultant

• Brian Parsons, Energy Solutions

Kendall Berry, MSPH, CMLSO, HPS Treasurer, 2022–2024

That's right, we are drawing closer to the annual meeting, and it is raffle time! This year we are again tapping into the electric vehicle idea with a fun twist. Did you know VW has reintroduced the van as an electric vehicle? The VW ID. Buzz will arrive at US dealers in 2024. Enter this year's drawing and you could win the first-place award of $50k toward a VW ID. Buzz (or take the cash).

But wait, there's more! There will be a second-place award of $2,000 and a third-place award of $1,000, if we reach our raffle sweet spot. Until that point, we will run this as a 50/50 raffle (Health Physics Fund and the first-place winner each get half of the proceeds).

Ticket sales will be closed on 9 July 2024 at noon ET or after 2,000 tickets have been sold. Winner(s) will be announced during the 9 July HPS Business/Members Meeting. Winners do not need to be present to win.

Please consider supporting the Health Physics Fund and participate in this year's raffle by texting "HPF2024" to 33100 or by clicking here!

Held jointly by the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and the Health Physics Society (HPS), the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting will take place 7–12 July 2024 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida.

Make your plans to attend and take part in the highlights listed here and many more daily sessions, committee meetings, and other activities. See the meeting website for schedules and more information. Click here to register.

Plenary Sessions

Sunday, 7 July
Associates Society Forum

Monday, 8 July
Opening Ceremony: Keynote Lecture by retired astronaut Norman Thagard
Sievert Lecture
Plenary Panel #1: The Systems of RP for Ionising & Nonionising Radiation
Plenary Panel #2: Current Status of the Scientific Basis for Radiation Safety, Protection Recommendations, and International Standards

Wednesday, 10 July
Plenary Panel Discussion IRPA/IOMP/FORO Safety Culture
Plenary Panel Discussion World Café "Finding the Next Generation of Radiation Protection Professionals"
Plenary Round Table WIN/WIR

Friday, 12 July
Plenary Panel #3: Fostering Education, Training, and Competences in Radiological Protection
Plenary Panel Discussion #4: Recurring Medical Exposures of Patients
Closing Session

Business Meetings

HPS Business Meeting—Tuesday, 9 July
AAHP-ABHP Business Meeting—Tuesday, 9 July
IRPA General Assembly—Wednesday, 10 July

Social Events

Sunday, 7 July
Welcome Reception

Monday, 8 July
Coffee Breaks and Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
Open Mike Night

Tuesday, 9 July
Coffee Breaks and Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
AAHP Luncheon
Gala Dinner

Wednesday, 9 July
Coffee Breaks in the Exhibit Hall

Thursday, 11 July
HPS Awards Lunch

Student Events

Saturday, 6 July
Student Orientation

Sunday, 7 July
Student Icebreaker
Quiz Bowl

Monday, 8 July
Speed Networking

Tuesday, 9 July
Free Professional Headshots

Courses, Posters, and More

AAHP Courses—Saturday, 6 July
Professional Enrichment Program—Sunday, 7 July
Poster Sessions—Monday–Wednesday, 8–10 July
Continuing Education Lectures—Tuesday–Thursday, 9–11 July
Refresher Courses—Tuesday–Friday, 9–12 July
Challenging Health Physics Questions—Tuesday–Thursday, 9–11 July
Childcare—Sunday-Friday, 7–12 July

Exhibit Hall Hours

Sunday, 7 July, 5–7 pm, Welcome Reception
Monday, 8 July, 9:30 am–5 pm
Tuesday, 9 July, 9:30 am–5 pm
Wednesday, 10 July, 9:30 am–4 pm

Registration Desk Hours

Saturday, 6 July, 3–4:30 pm
Sunday, 7 July, 9:30 am–5:30 pm
Monday, 8 July, 8:30 am–3 pm
Tuesday, 9 July, 8:30 am–3 pm
Wednesday, 10 July, 8:30 am–2 pm
Thursday, 11 July, 8:30 am–2 pm
Friday, 12 July, 8:45–10:45 am

David J. Allard, CHP, Committee Chair

The History Committee (HC) has been meeting via regular Zoom calls through 2023 and 2024. Many old Health Physics Society (HPS) meeting photos have been organized by Jim Willison and posted on the website. And we are also working on several In Memoriam write-ups of HPS members who have passed. A major task in coming months will be the review and update of posted HC materials for the new HPS website that is currently being designed. We want to ensure key HC materials and work products are maintained and available to members and (if appropriate) the public.

A good example of such materials are the video interviews with senior members. However, since the passing of our former HC chairperson (Ray Johnson), we continue to search for missing media (i.e., hard drives, tapes, and DVDs) containing dozens of interviews with senior members performed over some 20+ years. It is believed that Ray may have given these media to someone to digitize; however, we have no record of who that might be. If anyone knows where these materials are, please contact me.

Nonetheless, we have begun these interviews again and have posted two new ones—with Ruth McBurney and Ron Kathren. We would encourage Society members and all HPS chapters to review the posted interviews and consider performing an interview via zoom with an HPS senior member. These can be fun to do, and if you're interested, please contact me for the normal question set used and the contact at the Secretariat who can assist with the recording and posting.

The HC has also located digital versions of the FDA's Vignettes of Early Radiation Workers. There are two dozen fascinating interviews by Dr. Lauriston S. Taylor of early medical and health physicists done in the late 1970s. The video files are being reviewed for quality, and the hope is to have them posted in the next few months.

Lastly, we've recently contacted the University of Tennessee (UT) Knoxville, where the HPS archives are located. Given the past few pandemic years limited our access, we wanted to connect with the appropriate UT staff. It is our understanding that the Society's materials are being maintained; however, they are unable to take any additional papers from the HPS or chapters. This raises the question of how to preserve and make the materials available for use by members and scholars. Stay tuned as we work through this issue.

History Committee – http://hps.org/aboutthesociety/organization/committees/committee7.html

Pictorial History of the Health Physics Society – http://hps.org/meetings/pictorial-history.html, http://hps.org/meetings/myphotos/index.html

In Memoriam – http://hps.org/aboutthesociety/people/inmemoriam/

HPS History Committee Interviews – http://hps.org/media/hps_videos_history-committee-interviews.html

Health Physics Society's official archives at UT Knoxville – http://hps.org/aboutthesociety/historyandmission/utarchive.html

Liz Brackett, HPS President, 2023–2025

By now you might be tired of hearing about the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, but the time is finally here! It's packed with a lot of activities and more technical presentations than the typical HPS meeting. This has been in the planning stages for more than a decade so we're very excited about it. You'll probably hear more about it in other articles in this newsletter, so I'd like to focus on our chapters here.

In recent years, chapters have faced challenges with declining membership and a lack of willing volunteers, worsened by the pandemic. Despite losing some chapters, there's a positive shift as some are now experiencing a resurgence. I've seen several meeting notices on LinkedIn and my own local chapter, New England, recently held a live meeting with more than 50 attendees, thanks primarily to the efforts of Rusty Lorenzen and Andrew Najjar.

We've had similar challenges at the national level, so we don't always manage to provide as much support as the chapters request. We're still working to find the most effective ways to support the chapters and I welcome your thoughts on the matter. The Society Rules (the rules) require that we convene the Chapter and Section Councils at least once each year during the annual meeting. The Board voted to suspend the rules this year and hold the Chapter and Section Councils virtually after the meeting. In addition to having a busier than usual schedule during the annual meeting, this move comes after feedback from last year's meetings, where many chapters favored virtual gatherings for increased member participation. Dates for these virtual councils, likely in September, are yet to be finalized. We'll also be pursuing a revision to the rules to allow for a more flexible council schedule.

Stay tuned for notices about the council schedule, as well as updates on the revised rules to accommodate this preference and ensure inclusivity. Your input is valuable as we work towards a more flexible council schedule.

HPS Web Operations

We will be giving away these great books at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, being held 7–12 July 2024 in Orlando, Florida.

Be sure to visit the Health Physics Society Publications Booth in the exhibit hall Sunday evening through Wednesday afternoon for your chance to win. It's as easy as dropping off your business card or a piece of paper with your name. We are giving away over $4,000 worth of health physics-related books!

While you are there, visit the HPS editors and share your thoughts on what we are doing and what you would like to see us do. The HPS issues several types of official publications: the HPS website, Health Physics News, the Health Physics Journal, Operational Radiation Safety, special publications (proceedings and educational materials), and American National Standards. The HPS also has an active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

For a list of the books being given away, see the June 2024 issue of Health Physics News.

A new thread has been started under the Decommissioning Section category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society (HPS) website. The message provides a link to the latest issue of the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management EM Update bulletin, Vol. 17, Issue 23.

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

Text and photos courtesy of William (Rusty) Lorenzen, FHPS, Chapter President

On 18 June 2024, the New England Chapter of the Health Physics Society (NECHPS) held its annual meeting at the Bentley University Conference Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. This was the first live annual meeting event the chapter has had since 2019. The meeting was attended by over 60 members and supported by 10 vendors. The agenda consisted of a variety of topics including laser safety, advanced reactors, the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Securing the Cities program, emergency response, current trends in radiopharmaceuticals, dosimetry comparison study, and two student presentations on the evaluation of lanthanum-bromide detectors and the assessment of aerial radiation detectors.

 

 

Congratulations to the recipients of the following Health Physics Society (HPS) awards, which will be presented in July during the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award – Dr. Darrell Fisher

Elda E. Anderson Award – John Klump

Distinguished Public Service Award – Ken Groves

Health Physics Honor Roll – Fred Haywood, East Tennessee Chapter

2024 Fellows (alphabetical) – J. Matthew Barnett, Jason Harris, William (Bill) Irwin, Derek W. Jokisch, CHP, Carolyn MacKenzie, CHP, Matthew C. McFee, CHP, Steven E. Rademacher, CHP, Rodican P. Reed, CHP, Sergey Tolmachev, Richard T. Whitman

G. William Morgan Lectureship Award – Valeriia Starovoitova

Robert S. Landauer, Sr., Lectureship Award – Norman E. Thagard, MD

Dade Moeller Lectureship Award – Charles Daniel Ferguson

HPS Web Operations

Did you know that the Health Physics Society website includes an application that allows you to calculate the activity of a radionuclide after a specified interval of time? Just go to the Decay Calculator page and select a radionuclide to get started. You will then be taken to a page where you can enter an amount, select the units, and enter the beginning and ending date/time of activity. Then just click the = button to make the decay calculation.

Share this helpful tool with your friends and coworkers!

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

The National Academies announces the publication of two new reports.

Nuclear Terrorism: Assessment of US Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction

A public report release webinar will be held 18 June 2024, 2–3 pm ET for Nuclear Terrorism: Assessment of US Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction.

For nearly eight decades, the world has been navigating the dangers of the nuclear age. Despite Cold War tensions and the rise of global terrorism, nuclear weapons have not been used in conflict since Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Efforts such as strategic deterrence, arms control and nonproliferation agreements, and the US-led global counterterrorism have helped to keep nuclear incidents at bay. However, the nation's success to date in countering nuclear terrorism does not come with a guarantee–success often carries the risk that other challenges will siphon away attention and resources and can lead to the perception that the threat no longer exists.

This report found that US efforts to counter nuclear or radiological terrorism are not keeping pace with the evolving threat landscape. The US government should maintain a strategic focus and effort on combatting terrorism across the national security community in coordination with international partners; state, local, tribal and territorial authorities, the national laboratories; universities and colleges; and civil society. Developing and sustaining adequate nuclear incident response and recovery capabilities at the local and state levels will likely require significant new investments in resources and empowerment of local response from Federal Emergency Management Agency, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health.

Get the report

Read the report highlights

Join the livestream public webinar
 

Chemical Terrorism: Assessment of US Strategies in the Era of Great Power Competition

Domestic and foreign violent extremist organizations, or terrorist groups, have caused a greater amount of harm with chemical agents than with biological or radiological weapons. The United States capacity and capability to identify, prevent, counter, and respond adequately to chemical threats is established by the strategies, policies, and laws enacted across multiple levels of government. While the number of chemical terrorism incidents has risen and fallen over time, there is no empirical or analytical indication that the threat is disappearing.

Chemical Terrorism: Assessment of US Strategies in the Era of Great Power Competition comes at a time when the nation's highest-level strategies have shifted from focusing primarily on violent extremist organizations to focusing more on Great Power Competition. This shift in relative perceived threat and consequent prioritization will impact efforts against chemical terrorism and, in turn, affect funding priorities. Revised risk assessments are needed to reprioritize risks guided by new strategies so strategy-aligned budgets can be created. The report recommends weapons of mass destruction budgets be aligned with evolving priorities and incentivize activities that transition promising research to operations.

Get the report

Health Physics Society (HPS) member F. Morgan Cox died 7 December 2023. His obituary can be found on the Dignity Memorial website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

HPS Membership Committee

Tell your friends and coworkers not to miss out on this limited-time opportunity!

In celebration of the first International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) International Congress held in the United States in 51 years, non-Health Physics Society (HPS) members new to the HPS can pay just $52 for an HPS membership lasting until 31 December 2025. This new member discount will be available 1 July–30 September only and applications must be completed online. Attendance at the HPS/IRPA meeting is not required to take advantage of this discount, and we encourage you to share this offer with your non-HPS peers, counterparts, and professional contacts across your respective industries.

If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Najjar.

Cheers to many more successful years of the HPS!

Kevin Nelson, IRPA 16 Organizing Committee Chair

Held jointly by the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and the Health Physics Society (HPS), the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting will take place 7–12 July 2024 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. Here is information on events you should be sure to attend.

The Associates Societies Forum (ASF), being held Sunday, 7 July, is an opportunity to present topics of interest to all IRPA Associate Societies. HPS in one of 53 IRPA Associate Societies. An update from all IRPA Task Groups will be presented, as well as brief presentations from those running for IRPA Executive Council for the next term and from Associate Societies wishing to host IRPA 18 in 2032. It will be similar to our HPS Business Meeting.

We are really excited about the Opening Ceremony for IRPA 16 on Monday, 8 July! All attendees are welcome and are encouraged to attend. As part of the Landauer Lectureship, we have arranged to have a former NASA astronaut speak at the Opening Ceremony. This only makes sense since we are so close to the Space Coast. As the chair of the IRPA 16 Organizing Committee, I will be moderating this session. You will also hear remarks from IRPA President Bernard Le Guen, HPS President Elizabeth Brackett, and IRPA 16 Program Committee Chair Renate Czarwinski. Come early as we may have a surprise waiting for you.

The Seivert Lecture will occur immediately following the Opening Ceremony on Monday. The Rolf M. Sievert Award is IRPA's highest award in recognition of outstanding contributions to radiological protection, and the award honors the memory of a leader and pioneer in radiological protection, Professor Rolf Sievert. This year's recipient, Dr. María del Rosario Pérez, is from Argentina. From 2007 to 2022, Pérez worked at the World Health Organization (WHO) Radiation Program. Currently, she serves as an advisor of the Board of Directors of the ARN, the nuclear regulatory authority of Argentina, in the area of radiation protection of patients, workers, and the public, including medical preparedness and response to radiological and nuclear emergencies.

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Business/Members Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 9 July, at 5:30 pm. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Brief updates will be given on the meeting and the Society in general, after which members are given the opportunity to ask questions and provide input to the Board of Directors.

The Gala Dinner will occur on Tuesday evening, 9 July, from 7 to 9 pm in room Gatlin B in the Convention Center. Tickets are $100 each. Dress is business casual, and the dinner will offer attendees an opportunity to socialize in a relaxed atmosphere with your radiation protection colleagues from around the world. Chicken will be the main course but, of course, we are used to this at HPS meetings.

The IRPA General Assembly, being held on Wednesday, is where the official business of IRPA occurs. Based on the current paying membership of the IRPA Associate Society, delegates vote on key issues and topics including rule changes, new IRPA Executive Council members, and preference for upcoming IRPA International Congress meetings. The United States, i.e., HPS, has the largest delegation with 17, followed by Great Britian with 13. Only delegates are allowed to attend this meeting.

For more information, to view the program, and to register for the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, visit the meeting website.

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

It's that time of year where we here at the Health Physics Journal are setting our sights on the Health Physics Society's (HPS) annual meeting. This year, we return to Orlando, where the HPS is partnering with the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) for a joint meeting. As always, the July issue of the Health Physics Journal will contain the abstracts from the HPS meeting, and this year we will have the IRPA abstracts too! Make sure to peruse the presentation abstracts and highlight those you want to be sure not to miss in Orlando.

Each year, the HPS annual meeting gives us the opportunity to connect with our readers and authors at the Publications Booth in the exhibit hall. We invite all of you to stop by the booth and say hello, ask questions, and provide feedback to us. We really do enjoy renewing our relationships with each of you, and this year the partnership with IRPA will extend this opportunity to our colleagues from around the world. Don't forget your sunscreen, and see you in Orlando!

Do you have professional health physics books you no longer use but that would be helpful to someone else in the field? As you clean out your office, consider listing the books you want to share on the HP Professional Book Sharing page on the Health Physics Society (HPS) website.

Are you looking for professional health physics books, but have a limited budget? Peruse the titles on the HP Professional Book Sharing page and see if any fit your needs. Then contact the person giving away the book to arrange shipping. The book giver and receiver are responsible for arranging and paying for shipping. The upcoming annual meeting would be a good time to deliver books to each other to avoid having to ship them.

To have a book that you want to give away listed on the page, email HPS News Editor Mary Walchuk a photo of the cover; the title, author, publisher, and publication date; and your email address and we will list your book(s).

Health Physics News will not be published on 15 July 2024. We will publish a 1 July issue and then after the IRPA 16/69th Health Physics Society (HPS) Annual Meeting, we will be busily preparing our annual meeting photo highlights and continuing work on preparing for the new HPS website. News items will still be posted in the Current News section of the HPS website from time to time, but a newsletter recap will not be emailed to members until 1 August. Then we will be back on our regular two-issues-a-month schedule.

A new thread has been started under the Decommissioning Section category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society website. The message provides a link to the latest issue of the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management EM Update bulletin.

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

A new thread has been started under the Decommissioning Section category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society website. The message provides information on Department of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel & Waste Disposition Paul Murray's update to the San Onofre Community Engagement Panel (CEP) on the key priorities of the federal spent fuel management program at the CEP's 13 June quarterly meeting.

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

Steve Rademacher, Military HP Section Awards Committee Chair

The Military Health Physics Section is honored to announce the section's 2024 awards:

• The John C. Taschner Leadership Award: Captain Thad Sharp, MSC, USN
• The Superior Civilian Service Award: Richard T. Whitman, PhD, US Customs and Border Protection (Retired)
• The Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award: Captain Jian Zhang, USAF, BSC

A new thread has been started under the Decommissioning Section category in the Members Forum on the Health Physics Society website. The section Board is reaching out for volunteers for officer and Board member positions and is asking for input on increasing Decommissioning Section activity.

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

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.

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

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)

Environmental Monitoring Online Training Course—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Applied Health Physics—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Kendall Berry, MSPH, CMLSO, Website Development Planning Task Force Chair

Have you noticed ads on the HPS.org website? Ads like this at the bottom of the page:

This is only a test!

As your Website Development Planning Task Force has been gathering data, we have learned that the decay calculator and Ask the Experts pages are viewed frequently. The idea that ads could generate income is one that has been floated numerous times, but never tested. Right now, as we are redeveloping our website, the task force opted to gather some data and learn if ads are an untapped potential revenue source. The intent was to have ads on the decay calculator and Ask the Experts pages only, but ads have been popping up on other pages too, which is good information for the task force. The task force will use the data and knowledge gained to inform the Board of their options and the HPS Board will ultimately decide if ads are part of the new website. So, for now, this is a test, this is just a test.

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

Bridget Smith, Chapter Secretary

The San Diego Chapter of the Health Physics Society is up and running after a four-year hiatus. Officers Brianna Tuma-Marcella, Rene Michel, and Bridget Smith have organized a number of events, including a virtual meeting with speaker Carolyn MacKenzie, CHP, discussing "Securing, Removing, and Replacing Possible Dirty Bomb Material" and a live meeting at San Diego State University with speaker Barbara Hamrick, CHP, discussing "Artificial Intelligence and Health Physics."

In addition, we are holding social mixers throughout the year for our members. Our next virtual meeting will be 11 June 2024 at 7 pm PST. Our speaker will be Dr. Armin Ansari, director of the Center for Science and Technology at the US Environmental Protection Agency. We will be posting and/or live streaming this video on the San Diego Chapter YouTube channel.

Please contact us for more information about our chapter.

 

 

Written by Sophie Brodish, Oregon State University, and Auden Oliveri, Reed College
Edited by Jillian Newmyer, Oregon State University

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Cascade Chapter Meeting was held at Reed College on 10 May 2024. We wanted to highlight Sophie Brodish and Auden Oliveri, two students serving in leadership positions in this chapter.

Sophie Brodish (she/they) is the president-elect of the HPS Cascade Chapter. She is a second-year graduate student at Oregon State University, focusing on neutron radiography and its application to post-irradiation examination of irradiated fuel. They are additionally passionate about mentorship, mentoring of a number of undergraduate students within her research group. She got into HPS through her advisor, who requested that she speak at the HPS meeting as a wee undergraduate years ago, and fell in love with the fascinating research that extends over a broad range of health physics disciplines. Her advice for students wanting to get involved is to look around at the bulletin boards around campus. They are a fantastic opportunity to discover events that get lost in the sea of incoming emails. And attend a chapter meeting! You never know who you'll get to meet (usually a group of incredibly cool people who collectively possess a wide range of career experiences).

Auden Oliveri (they/he) is a rising senior chemistry major at Reed College and a senior reactor operator at the Reed Research Reactor. They currently serve as the secretary of the Cascade Chapter of HPS, and as president of the Reed College Student Section of the American Nuclear Society. They are passionate about diversity in nuclear, science communication, and nuclear policy. They got involved with the Cascade Chapter after hearing about it while taking a course to become a radiation safety officer. Their boss encouraged them to present research at one of the meetings and they became secretary that same year. Their advice is getting involved in HPS by talking to staff members at your school—specifically if you don't have a health physics major—which gives you the opportunity to learn about more options and might even help you get a job. Also be confident in your skills and the perspective you bring to meetings. Have fun with it!

We thank Sophie and Auden for sharing their experiences within HPS and encourage other students to explore and get involved within their local chapter.

 

 

Co-organized by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and its International Dose Effect Alliance (IDEA) network, and by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) High-Level Group on Low-Dose Research (HLG-LDR), the Joint Workshop on Initiatives of Low-Dose Research Co-Ordination continues collaboration between both organizations through a series of workshops and webinars on low-dose research. The workshop will be held online and in person at NEA headquarters 25–26 June 2024 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

The IDEA initiative was established in 2016 and, since then, provides the opportunity for low-dose radiation research organizations and individuals around the world to meet to exchange information on programs, priorities, and strategic research.

The HLG-LDR supports radiological protection policy, regulation, and implementation choices by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of research through global co-ordination of ongoing and future low-dose research projects. Other existing initiatives worldwide, such as the ones in Canada, Europe, and Japan, also contribute to this effort and are identified as major players in the elaboration of the program of this event.

In this context, a scientific committee has been convened to prepare the workshop program, with participants from EPRI and its IDEA network, NEA CRPPH and its HLG-LDR, European research platforms MELODI, ALLIANCE, Japanese network PLANET and Canadian COHERE.

The specific objectives are:

• To share knowledge on the latest research findings on low-dose radiation health outcomes and biological mechanisms associated with low-dose radiation exposure of humans and non-human species, as well as on new research methods and approaches.
• To identify and develop mechanisms to expedite outreach to the radiological protection community on the importance of co-ordination in the field of low-dose research.
• To strengthen the development of education and training resources for the next generation of researchers and radiological protection professionals.
• To develop initiatives to bring together researchers and regulators, amplifying the impact of key research findings and thereby facilitating the transition of scientific research results to real-world applications.

Click here for the workshop agenda, more information, and registration instructions.

 

Wayne Glines, Health Physics News Contributing Editor

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is soliciting comments on two draft reports that are open for consultation. If you would like to have a say in the future of radiation protection, read these draft reports and share your insights.

• Task Group 113 Report: Reference Organ Absorbed and Effective Dose Coefficients for Common Radiographic Examinations—comment before 16 August 2024
• Task Group 98 Report: Radiological Protection in Areas Contaminated by Past Activities—comment before 20 September 2024

Find these draft reports, see more information, and submit your comments on the ICRP Consultations Page.

Bill Irwin, Section President

The Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section of the Health Physics Society (HPS) is honored to announce the section's 2024 Distinguished Service Award recipient, Craig M. Marianno, PhD, CHP; his award will be presented at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando. Congratulations to Craig for all the hard work he has done on behalf of the Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section. Details on the section meeting and award presentation will be available in Orlando; every effort will be made for those section members who are not attending in person to participate.

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.

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.