Current News

The September 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)

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

Gamma Spectroscopy—ORAU's Professional Training Program

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.

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.

HPS Membership Committee

Did you sign up to become a Health Physics Society (HPS) member at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando? If so, you received the discount offered in celebration of the first IRPA International Congress held in the United States in 51 years.

If not, there is still time to take advantage of the discount. Between now and 30 September 2024, non-HPS members new to the HPS can pay just $52 for an HPS membership lasting until 31 December 2025. Applications must be completed online. Click here to join.

We encourage you to share this offer with your non-HPS peers, counterparts, and professional contacts across your respective industries. Tell your friends and coworkers not to miss out on this limited-time opportunity!

If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Najjar.

R. DeWayne Holcomb, Section President

NIR Section President-elect Dr. Ramona Gaza (left) and current section President R. DeWayne Holcomb (CHP, CLSO) admire the NIR Section poster displayed at IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting.
Photo courtesy of Ramona Gaza

The Nonionizing Radiation (NIR) Section was not able to meet at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in July, but NIR members participated in presentations and poster sessions.

We are holding our annual NIR Section Business Meeting on 28 October at 1:00 pm EDT. We expect the meeting to last approximately two hours, and it will be conducted via teleconference/Zoom. The meeting is open to all NIR Section members, and the link will be provided to all NIR Section members via email.

New board member candidates will be presented for election and our new Section president, Dr. Ramona Gaza, will take the helm.

The direction of the NIR Section will be discussed during the meeting. Your voice and participation are important to guide the mission of the NIR Section.

The status of various NIR Section projects will be discussed, including:

• Potential Professional Development Series at the February winter meeting
  • Strong, high-impact professional training for the HP with an NIR role.
  • Hazard assessment training on RF, optical, UV, and lasers.
  • Your input can help us mold the content of the training.
• Website remake and content development—
  • What would NIR members like to see on the website?
  • Categories such as UV, RF, lasers, optical sources, magnetic fields, etc.
  • Content is being collected for publishing on the NIR Section web page.
  • NIR Section web page will be updated after the current HPS website makeover
• HPS Ask the Experts and FAQ on NIR topics
  • NIR Section Executive Board and others reviewing NIR-related questions

We will be providing an update on the meeting agenda and other details in the near future.

Thank you for your support of the NIR Section.

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

As we move from the hot summer to the fall, we here at the Health Physics Journal are preparing for our move to publishing content online only beginning in January 2025. To ensure your continued access to the most up-to-date research and innovative developments in the field of radiation safety, please take a moment now to sign in to the Health Physics Society (HPS) Members Only website using your HPS ID and password (if you don't know this info, there are links at the Members Only website to help you retrieve forgotten IDs and passwords—and if that doesn't work, reach out to Heide Rohland). Once you have reached the Members Only site, look for the "Resources for You" box, and the "Journal 1999–Present" button. Clicking that will take you to the Journal website and you will have full access as an HPS member. Be sure to follow the HPS and the Journal on your social media outlet of choice (links to do that are also on the Journal website). If you have any questions about how to continue to access the Journal electronically, please feel free to reach out to me.

Find the October 2024 issue of Health Physics here.

A new version of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) publication Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power is now published and has been revised to address issues related to small modular reactors (SMRs). For more information, visit the News area on the IAEA website.

The Women in Radiation Protection (WiRP) Section has elected new officers. Our board for 2024–2025 is now:

Kendall Williams, President ('26)

Tanya Palmateer-Oxenberg, HPS Board Director ('25)

Patricia L. Lee, Board Member ('25)

Janelle Jesikiewicz, Board Member ('26)

Britt Edquist, Board Member ('27)

Caleigh Samuels, Secretary ('25)

Amber Bolen, Secretary-elect ('27)

If you have any questions or suggestions for the future of the section, please reach out to any of our officers.

The Health Physics Society (HPS) social media team was quite active at the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting, which was held 7–12 July 2024. Throughout the week, photos and information were shared on the HPS social media channels, providing up-to-the-minute coverage for attendees and those who were unable to attend. Check out the posts on these HPS social media channels:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Latha Vasudevan, Section Past President

The joint IRPA 16/69th Health Physics Society (HPS) Annual Meeting in July 2024 was a tremendous success. The Academic, Industrial, and Research Radiation Safety (AIRRS) Section business meeting was conducted on 11 July 2024 at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel. Section Executive Committee members Zachariah Tribbett, Caitlin Root, Michael Martin, Danny McClung, and I and HPS Director Liaison Angela Leek were present in person while Steven Grimm, Alexander Bakken, and Carl Tarantino joined through Zoom. The newly elected officers were announced. Alexander Bakken became our new secretary/treasurer-elect, and Frederick A. Monett joined as the new board member. The team welcomed the incoming officers.

The AIRRS Section 2024 Outstanding Radiation Safety Program Award was presented to the University of Utah. Congratulations to the University of Utah Radiation Safety Program. Mary Handy, assistant radiation safety officer at the University of Utah, Environmental Health and Safety was present during the meeting to accept the award plaque. The AIRRS Section also supported her meeting registration cost. One of the criteria for the award was to have a presentation from the winning team to showcase their outstanding program. Mary provided a brief summary of the program during the meeting. However, the AIRRS Section would like to invite all the AIRRS Section members via Zoom to attend a detailed presentation from the winning team. Stay tuned for the Zoom meeting invite within the next couple of months.

The section also provided $500 each to two HPS student grant applicants whose project lies closely with the AIRRS mission:

• Bryanna Wattier, Clemson University, "Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Advance Optimization of Radiological Protection and Safety"
• Yehansa Dissanayake, University of Michigan, "Fused Filament Fabrication Using Tungsten-Filled Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol for Radiation Applications"

AIRRS Section members are encouraged to visit the section's website to read and learn about the historical and current activities, board correspondence, and other AIRRS Section news. The AIRRS Section board invites its members to be proactive in submitting noteworthy articles, industry experiences, photos, videos, links to webinars/webcasts, or other items that deal with AIRRS. The section discussed future initiatives and some legacy initiatives with AIRRS Section President Steven Grimm. AIRRS will create a travel grant opportunity for members to attend the 2025 HPS Annual Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin. The section is also looking into an informal meet and greet of section members at that meeting. Stay tuned for the upcoming news on that.

The meeting was concluded with the section officers presenting the appreciation plaque to the outgoing president.

Mary Handy, of the University of Utah, providing a brief summary of the university's radiation safety program
Photo courtesy of Latha Vasudevan

Mary Handy, left, accepting the award for the 2024 Outstanding Radiation Safety Program from Latha Vasudevan
Photo courtesy of Zachariah Tribbett

AIRRS Section officers presenting the appreciation plaque to outgoing President Latha Vasudevan, left to right, Danny McClung, Zachariah Tribbett, Michael Martin, Latha, and Caitlin Root
Submitted photo

Sophie Brodish, Chapter President
Submitted photos

The Cascade Chapter of the Health Physics Society has turned 50! Over the years, the Cascade Chapter has grown and evolved, adapting to the changing landscape of radiation safety and health physics. We are grateful for the continued support of our sponsoring affiliates who have been instrumental in our success. Thank you, Rotunda Scientific Technologies LLC, Boeing, LabLogic, Ludlum, Oregon Health & Science University, ThermoFisher, Oregon State University, Reed College, and the University of Washington. Your contributions have enabled us to host events, support research, and provide valuable resources to our members.

The 2023–2024 year marks the first since COVID where our chapter has returned to hosting two in-person meetings annually. These meetings were held at Oregon State University and Reed University, providing valuable networking and learning opportunities for our members and the upcoming generation of health physicists.

As we continue to adapt and grow, the Cascades Chapter remains committed to advancing the field of health physics and supporting our members in their professional endeavors. Looking ahead, we are excited about the upcoming events and initiatives that will further our mission and engage our community. Thank you for your ongoing support and participation in our chapter activities.

CCHPS Charter Plaque, 1974

CCHPS Charter Commemoration Champagne from Banquet 1974 in Seattle, Washington

Discussing chapter updates, concluding the Fall 2023 meeting

Student presenters from Oregon State and Reed College at the Fall 2023 Meeting

Student presenters from Oregon State and Reed College receiving respective $100 endowments for their collaboration, communication, and commitment to the CCHPS purpose (Spring 2024)

President Joe Biden passed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE) Act on 9 July 2024. "Nuclear power plays an important role in producing carbon-free power for our electric grid, and now our nuclear industry will have the framework it needs to strengthen America's energy leadership," said US Representative Frank Pallone (House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member).

For more information visit the websites of the US Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works and World Nuclear News.

Health Physics Society (HPS) Past President Edward F. Maher died 26 July 2024. His obituary can be found on the Badger Funeral Home website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

Sara Dumit, HPS Public Information Committee Chair

Will you help the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) make an impact on the lives of students and young professionals? The future of radiation protection needs your support – donate to the Montreal Fund today! It's now possible to make a donation online, via PayPal.

Your donation matters – the Montreal Fund provides support to students and young professionals from developing countries and countries without an IRPA Associate Society to attend IRPA regional and international congresses, such as those shown in the photo who were given support to attend IRPA 16.

We thank you in advance for making an impact with your donations.

Front row, left to right, IRPA President Christopher Clement, Joana Otoo (Ghana), Lonah Moraa (Kenya), Riya Dey (India), and IRPA Executive Officer Bernard Le Guen. Back row, left to right, Calvince Odeny (Kenya), International Congress Support Committee Chair Brent Rogers, and IRPA Financial Officer Sigurður M. Magnússon.
Photo courtesy of Sara Dumit

Sara Dumit, Public Information Committee Chair

Health Physics Society (HPS) member Christopher Clement is the new president of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). He will serve for four years, having started his presidential term at the end of the IRPA 16 Closing Ceremony in Orlando, Florida, and ending his term at the IRPA 17 Closing Ceremony in Valencia, Spain, in 2028. Congratulations to our very own, Christopher Clement, who is also an advisor to the HPS International Collaboration Committee. 

At the IRPA 16 Closing Ceremony in Orlando, left to right, IRPA 16 Organizing Committee Chair Kevin Nelson, new IRPA President Christopher Clement, and IRPA Executive Officer Bernard Le Guen.
Photo courtesy of Sara Dumit

Rick Whitman, Chapter President

The Hoosier Chapter participated in the IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando in July and noted the following:

• About 400 posters were displayed!
• Formatting of presentations varied slightly from historic HPS meetings, but the numbers and types of presentations were remarkable.
• The number of vendors in attendance was higher than usual, and the quality of food was very good.
• Jason Harris and Rick Whitman both received recognition as HPS Fellows.
• The new HPS president-elect is Mike Lewandowski. I will attempt to arrange a zoom meeting with him.

Jason Harris will be on sabbatical this fall but has agreed to invite the Purdue students to set up a fall meeting that does not clash with their other requirements.

Please send ideas or suggestions for future meetings.

During the 2022 Indiana General Assembly, SEA271 was passed directing the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to adopt rules concerning the approval of the construction, purchase, or lease of a small modular reactors (SMR) for use in Indiana with a limit on capacity of 350 MW. Purdue University and Duke Energy have since both expressed interest in SMR operation in Indiana and plan on a joint feasibility study. In the 2023 General Assembly, SEA176 was passed increasing the capacity to as much as 470 MW in order to accommodate a proposed design by Rolls Royce. No new legislation was passed in the 2024 General Assembly.

For those of you in the accelerator generated medical isotopes field, let me know if you have interest in participating in the American National Standards Institute N43 panel. The Health Physics Society website has the N43 (and N13) standards available for your review.

Liz Brackett, HPS President, 2023–2025

The IRPA/HPS conference has now come and gone, and I want to express my gratitude to the many dedicated volunteers who contributed to its success. It was a pleasure to reconnect with old friends and forge new connections amidst a busy schedule and I believe there will be several initiatives to come out of the meeting. I found it simultaneously invigorating and tiring! This year's meeting posed unique challenges due to the IRPA component and more than 1,200 attendees, including many international participants. There was more happening than at our typical annual meetings, necessitating extra effort and coordination. Our HPS volunteers, including Board members, selflessly devote their time with no compensation from the Society other than an occasional breakfast or snack. Kudos to all volunteers for their invaluable contributions to the conference's success!

I'd also like to add thanks to the volunteers on all our various committees. Balancing personal life, work, and volunteering is no easy feat, and your dedication is truly valued. To those who have volunteered to serve on a committee but have yet to hear back or are serving on a committee where little appears to be happening, please know that we are working on that. This year's annual priorities include an initiative to establish a process for meaningful volunteer recognition and another to establish and implement a process to provide timely feedback to members who volunteer for a committee. Thanks to all of you for your hard work and commitment!

Mike Lewandowski, FHPS, CHP, Local Arrangements Committee

The International Radiation Protection Agency (IRPA) 16th International Congress and 69th Health Physics Society (HPS) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, in July was an incredible event. Not only was the meeting one of the largest in the past decade, one-third of the attendees were from outside the United States. This provided a great opportunity to meet our colleagues from all over the world during a week of high-quality technical presentations in a wonderful setting. While we still celebrate the success of that meeting, it's not too early to look forward to next year's HPS annual meeting.

In eleven short months we'll return to Madison, Wisconsin, for the 70th HPS Annual Meeting. We last met in Wisconsin in 2013, and it was a fantastic meeting in a beautiful setting. Although there will be no palm trees (or alligators), Madison is just as beautiful as Orlando and has a cooler climate. At next year's meeting it will be much more comfortable to get outside and enjoy dozens of restaurants and shops, numerous galleries and museums, and two picturesque lakes within walking distance of the conference hotel and convention center. The North Central Chapter and the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) are looking forward to welcoming you to Madison whether this is your first time to visit or if you've been here many times before. We'll be bringing you monthly Health Physics News articles to intrigue you with a handful of the reasons to visit Madison.

Our partners at Destination Madison have created a welcome video to get you excited about visiting Madison. 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.

HPS Web Operations

Did you know that the Health Physics Society (HPS) holds an awards ceremony each year at its annual meeting? Through its awards, the HPS honors individuals who have been selected by the Awards Committee members to be recognized for accomplishments and actions that meet the criteria of one of the HPS awards established in the Rules of the Society. A description of each of the following awards can be found on the Health Physics Society Awards page on the HPS website.

• Robley D. Evans Commemorative Medal
• Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award
• Elda E. Anderson Award
• Founders Award
• Fellow Award
• Distinguished Public Service Award
• Geoffrey G. Eichholz Outstanding Science Teacher Award
• National Student Science Award
• Health Physics Honor Roll
• G. William Morgan Lectureship Award
• Robert S. Landauer, Sr., Lectureship Award
• Dade Moeller Lectureship Award

HPS awards provide an excellent opportunity to recognize outstanding and extraordinary scientific and other significant contributions and service to our profession. There are many deserving potential recipients still to be formally recognized. The time to nominate individuals for an award is any time between the end of an annual meeting and 1 March before the next annual meeting, except for the National Student Science Award, which is due by 30 May before the next annual meeting. Society members, chapters, and sections are encouraged to give thoughtful consideration to potential candidates and submit nominations for awards to be presented at the next annual meeting.

HPS members can find more information on the nomination process, including a description of each award, who is eligible, and material required for a nomination, on the Awards Nomination Process page in the Members Only area of the HPS website.

The HPS also offers several scholarships, fellowships, and travel grants. Information on these awards, who is eligible, and how to apply can be found on the following web pages:

• Dade Moeller Scholarship Awards
  • Dade Moeller Scholarship Award
  • Dade Moeller Scholarship Award Memorializing Kelly Austin
• Environmental/Radon Section Scholarship Awards
• Health Physics Society Fellowships
  • Burton J. Moyer Memorial Fellowship
  • Robert S. Landauer, Sr., Memorial Fellowship
  • Robert Gardner Memorial Fellowship
  • Richard J. Burk, Jr., Fellowship
  • J. Newell Stannard Fellowship
  • Two additional HPS Fellowships
• Health Physics Society Travel Grant
  • Academic, Industrial, and Research Radiation Safety (AIRRS) Section Sponsorship
  • Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section Sponsorship
  • Medical Health Physics Section Grant Sponsorship

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)

Do you have experience in reviewing clinical studies involving human medical research where the subjects are exposed to ionizing radiation? You are invited to participate in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Task Group 126: Radiological Protection in Human Biomedical Research Survey on Human Medical Research Using Ionizing Radiation.

This short survey is underway until 15 August 2024 and will help in the understanding of current practices in regulations and education and training in human health research involving ionizing radiation. Your support will contribute to development of international guidelines, which can be used by local legislative regulatory bodies and ethics review boards to guide decision-making. The completion time is no more than 5 minutes.

For more information see the ICRP website Task Group 126 page.

To participate in the survey, click here.

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!

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