News Archive

Join your fellow Health Physics Society (HPS) members for the social activities that will take place at the 68th HPS Annual Meeting, 23–27 July 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Challenging Health Physics Questions

All are invited to join us each morning of the HPS annual meeting for a collaborative networking activity! Challenging Health Physics Questions will be held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7–8 am. Meet colleagues and sharpen your health physics problem-solving skills in a small-group session hosted by the HPS Mentorship Committee. Teams will compete to solve challenging health physics questions* in a casual setting. Written questions—and solutions—will be provided to participants after the event. This networking mixer is designed to connect individuals of all career stages, from student through retiree.

*CHP questions were prepared by Deepesh Poudel and Thomas Johnson

Washington Nationals Baseball Game

Registered attendees will spend an evening at Nationals Park for a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies Tuesday, 25 July (registration is now closed). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. The registration fee of $59 includes your game ticket as well as bus transportation to and from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The bus will pick you up at the Gaylord at 6 pm and should arrive at the stadium in time for the presentation of the colors and the singing of the National Anthem. The bus will depart the stadium about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game, or as soon as all attendees are aboard the bus. Food and beverages at the stadium are the responsibility of the attendee. Stadium information is available at the Washington Nationals website. This site has information on food and beverage options within the park, entry procedures, and other useful information for game attendees.

Bobby McKey's Dueling Piano Show

On Wednesday, 26 July, 7–10 pm, registered attendees will gather at Bobby McKey's Dueling Piano Bar, where world-class musicians will play all your requests and crowd favorites while weaving in improvisational humor. You'll be singing and laughing the night away while making incredible memories. Drinks and a pub-fare menu are offered at this venue (not included in the registration fee). See the Bobby McKey's Dueling Piano Bar website for more details. We will meet at the entrance of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at 6:45 pm and walk over to the venue together (approximately one block). (Registration is now closed. You are welcome to purchase a ticket on your own, but we can't guarantee that there will be room to sit at the reserved HPS tables.)

Tour the Nuclear Ship Savannah in Baltimore Harbor, Maryland

Registered participants will tour the Nuclear Ship Savannah (NSS) on Thursday, 27 July, 7:30 am–4 pm. The NSS, a registered National Historic Landmark and the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, was launched in 1959 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy as part of the Atoms for Peace Program. After the NSS completed its mission, the ship was removed from service and the reactor was defueled. Today, all that remains of the nuclear power plant aboard the ship are its systems, structures, and components. The US Department of Transportation, through the Maritime Administration (MARAD), continues to hold a license issued by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to possess and dismantle a nonoperational nuclear reactor and power plant aboard the NSS. Once decommissioned, MARAD will determine the future of the Savannah vessel. Additional history about the NSS can be found on the Maritime Administration and N.S. Savannah Association websites.

The ship is getting closer and closer to being fully decommissioned. While the future of NSS is still to be determined, the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society is excited to offer a private tour! This is possibly your last chance to see the NSS in person!

A bus will pick you up from and return to the entrance of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, making the tour experience easy. Because the drive to the NSS is between 1.5 to 2 hours, we will depart the hotel at 7:30 am. Note that the tour of the NSS is completely FREE; the registration fee covers transportation and lunch.

There is still room for more participants in this tour. The registration fee is $70, which includes transportation and lunch. Contact Ed Tupin by 24 July to register.