2008 ORAU Annual Report - Oak Ridge Associated Universities

ANNUAL REPORT 

2008 

OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES

100 ORAU Way • Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 • (865) 576-3000 • www.orau.org

3 

Published by the 

Communications and Marketing Department of ORAU 

Director of Communications and Marketing 

Ms. Pam Bonee 

Statement from the President........................................................................................................................................................ 4 

An Era of Excellence: The Legacy of Ron Townsend.................................................................................................................. 6 

ORAU at a Glance........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 

Annual Report Editor 

Ms. Wendy West 

Annual Report Designer 

Mr. Mark Sieger 

Contributing Designer 

Mr. Mark Longmire 

ORISE at a Glance........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 

Section 1: Strengthening America’s scientific research and education enterprise to enhance 

global competitiveness............................................................................................................................................... 10 

• University Partnerships: Strengthening the Global Competitiveness of Universities................................................. 12 

• Science Education and Workforce Development: Creating a Talent Pool 

of Future Science and Technology Leaders......................................................................................................................... 16 

• Scientific and Technical Peer Review: Ensuring the Quality and Credibility of 

Scientific Information and Funded Research...................................................................................................................... 20 

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a university 

consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 99 major research 

institutions to advance scientific research and education by 

partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and 

private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for 

Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ORISE is a DOE institute focusing on scientific initiatives 

to research health risks from occupational hazards, assess 

environmental cleanup, respond to radiation medical 

emergencies, support national security and emergency 

preparedness, and educate the next generation of scientists. 

The 2008 ORAU Annual Report was paid for with corporate funds. 

Section 2: Building public trust and confidence in the management of worker health and 

environmental cleanup initiatives.............................................................................................................................. 24 

• Worker Health and Electronic Medical Records Management: Answering the Need 

for Responsive Worker Health Solutions............................................................................................................................. 26 

• Environmental Surveys and Cleanup Verification: Instilling Public Confidence in 

Environmental Cleanup........................................................................................................................................................ 30 

Section 3: Enhancing our nation’s preparedness to respond to emergencies related to 

terrorist incidents, natural disasters, and health threats.......................................................................................... 34 

• National Security and Emergency Management: Securing Our Country Against Terrorism 

and National Emergencies................................................................................................................................................... 36 

• Radiation Emergency Medicine, Response, and Training: Elevating Global Understanding 

and Medical Response to Radiation Emergencies............................................................................................................. 40 

• Health Communication and Training: Enhancing National Preparedness 

for Public Health Threats...................................................................................................................................................... 44 

The financial information provided in this report has been 

derived from the audited financial statements of the Oak Ridge 

Associated Universities Corporation and the U.S. Department of 

Energy contract fund for the year ended September 30, 2008. 

These audited financial statements are presented in separately 

bound reports. 

ORAU Management...................................................................................................................................................................... 48 

ORAU Board of Directors.................................................................................................................................. Inside Back Cover 

ORAU Sponsoring Institutions......................................................................................................................................Back Cover

5 

Statement from the President 

n times of great change come great opportunities… 

ORAU is facing such a time with the departure of President and CEO Ron Townsend, who provided 

such tremendous vision and leadership for ORAU since 1997. Ron helped the organization grow from 

$85 million in annual expenditures, 650 employees, and 88 member institutions in 1997 to more than 

$235 million in expenditures, nearly 1,000 employees, and 99 member institutions today. 

The accomplishments of this organization have indeed been many and great under his leadership, and 

I invite you to read them for yourself in a special tribute to Ron on pages 6 and 7 of this report. In 2008 

specifically, ORAU reached a major milestone in the construction of a new 73,000 square-foot 

building, which will house the Center for Science Education and an impressive classroom with the 

purpose of “bringing tomorrow’s science to today’s classroom.” 

ORAU is truly an organization of great purpose and mission, and I am honored to be serving as interim 

president and CEO. In looking to the future, while this change will bring with it some challenges, we 

are prepared to take advantage of great opportunities. Ron infused ORAU with an unequaled commitment 

to quality and excellence, and we intend to continue that and build upon it. We absolutely will 

not stand still. 

We will stay true to our mission, providing our customers with the same high level of quality and 

performance that they have come to expect from ORAU. We will continue to provide value in all that 

we do and will keep steadfastly focused on our value-based strategy to 

• strengthen America’s scientific research and education enterprise to enhance global competitiveness 

• build public trust and confidence in the management of worker health and environmental cleanup 

initiatives 

• enhance our nation’s preparedness to respond to emergencies related to terrorist incidents, natural 

disasters, and health threats 

Interim ORAU President and CEO Homer S. Fisher 

The ORAU Board of Directors remains a strong, guiding body of this organization. They are absolutely 

committed to finding the right individual to serve as ORAU’s president, and a nationwide search is 

already underway. 

While changes such as these are inevitable, the essence of ORAU remains the same—an organization 

founded on the principles of advancing scientific research and education and focused on providing 

innovative solutions to strengthen and secure America. 

As Ron himself once said: “How we manage change will determine how high we can go.” 

We are already looking up.

7 

An Era of Excellence 

An Era of Excellence: The Legacy of Ron Townsend 

The past 11 years under the leadership of Ron Townsend have been an era of 

excellence, marked by great growth; unwavering standards in safety, security, and 

diversity; unending community spirit; and a steadfast commitment to quality 

and performance. 

In January 2009, Ron assumed a new role as Executive Vice President for Global 

Laboratory Operations for Battelle, but the legacy he has left with ORAU is to 

“press on” toward the excellence he has inspired in each of us. 

ORAU pledged $1 million over a five-year 

period to the proposed Oak Ridge High School 

renovation project. “Sustaining a world-class 

school system is the most important investment 

we can make in Oak Ridge’s future,” 

Townsend said. 

ORAU won a $1.6 billion, performancedbased, 

five-year contract from DOE to 

continue to manage ORISE. 

ORAU was named one of Tennessee’s 

Best Employers for the second year in a 

row by Business Tennessee magazine. 

The Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Laboratory 

reopened on ORAU’s South Campus to 

serve as an international response resource 

for calculating radiation doses for persons 

exposed to ionizing radiation. 

In a competitive selection process the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) chose ORAU 

to continue as the contractor for ORISE. The 

five-year contract continued a relationship that 

has existed since ORISE was established in 

1992 and has served as a natural partnership 

between ORAU and DOE. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health awarded ORAU a $70 million, 

five-year contract to manage the radiation dose 

reconstruction project for former nuclear workers. 

By 2008, ORAU had completed more than 

21,000 initial radiation dose reconstructions 

and was competing for a new contract. 

ORAU moved into a new $8.9 million, threestory 

ORAU office building that is now home to 

approximately 180 staff members who perform 

work as part of ORAU’s contract to manage 

ORISE. 

ORAU was awarded the International 

Organization for Standardization (ISO) 

14001 certification for an effective 

environmental management system. 

ake hold of the vision, dream as big as you 

can dream, and then stay the course that has 

brought us to the prosperity we enjoy today at ORAU— 

a relentless commitment to quality and excellence in all 

that we do.” 

— Ron Townsend 

President and CEO, 1997–2008 

ORAU partnered with Dolly Parton’s Dollywood 

Foundation to offer the Imagination Library in 

Anderson County—the first county in Tennessee 

to be added to the program. The Imagination 

Library provides one book per month to 

children from birth through age five, and to 

date, ORAU has delivered 126,933 books to 

Anderson County children. Photo credit: 

Dollywood Foundation 

ORISE was named the twenty-first DOE site 

nationwide and the first DOE site in the state of 

Tennessee to receive the prestigious Voluntary 

Protection Program (VPP) Star for its exceptional 

occupational health and safety programs. 

ORAU won the competitive bid to administer 

the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration’s Postdoctoral Program.

9 

ORAU At A Glance 

Focus Areas 

• Strengthening America’s scientific 

research and education enterprise to 

enhance global competitiveness 

• Building public trust and confidence in 

the management of worker health and 

environmental cleanup initiatives 

• Enhancing our nation’s preparedness 

to respond to emergencies related to 

terrorist incidents, natural disasters, 

and health threats 

Key Corporate Customers 

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 

• U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS) 

• National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

• National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) 

Key Partners 

• University of Tennessee (UT)-Battelle 

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

(ORNL) 

• Comprehensive Health Services 

• Dade Moeller & Associates, Inc. 

• MJW Corp., Inc. 

• National Jewish Medical 

& Research Center 

• Occupational Health Link 

• Pro2Serve 

CONTACT US: 

Oak Ridge 

Associated Universities 

100 ORAU Way 

Oak Ridge, TN 37830 

(865) 576-3000 

www.orau.org 

s a consortium of major Ph.D.-granting academic 

institutions, ORAU cultivates collaborative partnerships that 

enhance the scientific research and education enterprises of our 

nation. As a key strategic partner with UT-Battelle, ORAU helps to 

advance ORNL’s and the nation’s scientific research endeavors by 

bringing together university faculty and students to collaborate at one 

of the world’s leading-edge research laboratories. A 501(c)3 nonprofit 

corporation, ORAU’s largest contract is with DOE to manage the 

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). 

Financial Summary 

Revenue by Source (in millions): 

DOE Contract (ORISE) $170.3 

Other Federal Agency Contracts $ 56.4 

Other Sources $ 8.9 

Total Revenue $235.6 

Expenses (in millions)*: 

OEWH $ 38.0 

PTT $ 10.9 

NSEMP $ 31.8 

STRI $ 13.1 

REM $ 2.6 

IEAV $ 7.3 

SEP $124.3 

Other $ 7.7 

Total Expenses $235.7 

* See financial information on pg. 2 

ORISE At A Glance 

ORISE Programs 

• Science Education Programs (SEP) 

• Scientific and Technical Resource 

Integration (STRI)/Peer Review 

Programs 

• Occupational Exposure and Worker 

Health (OEWH) Programs 

• Independent Environmental 

Assessment and Verification (IEAV) 

Programs 

• National Security and Emergency 

Management Programs (NSEMP) 

• Radiation Emergency Medicine 

(REM) Programs 

• Professional and Technical Training 

(PTT)/Health Communication 

Programs 

Key ORISE Customers 


• U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS) 

• U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 

• U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) 

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

(ORNL) 

CONTACT US: 

Oak Ridge Institute for 

Science and Education 

c/o Oak Ridge 

Associated Universities 

P.O. Box 117 

Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117 

(865) 576-3000 

http://orise.orau.gov 

RISE is a DOE institute, which is managed by ORAU. ORISE 

addresses national needs in assessing and analyzing 

environmental and health effects of radiation, beryllium, and other 

hazardous materials; developing and operating medical and national 

security radiation emergency management and response capabilities; 

and managing education programs to help ensure a robust supply 

of scientists, engineers, and technicians to meet future science and 

technology needs. ORISE creates opportunities for collaboration 

through partnerships with other DOE facilities, federal agencies, 

academia, and industry in a manner consistent with DOE objectives 

and the ORISE mission. 

Financial Summary 

Revenue by Source (in millions)*: 

DOE Contract $170.3 

Total Revenue $170.3 

Expenses (in millions): 

OEWH $ 3.8 

PTT $ 10.8 

NSEMP $ 31.8 

STRI $ 10.5 

REM $ 2.5 

IEAV $ 6.4 

SEP $100.8 

Other $ 3.7 

Total Expenses $170.3 

* See financial information on pg. 2

trengthening America’s scientific 

research and education enterprise 

to enhance global competitiveness

13 

University Partnerships 

Strengthening the Global Competitiveness of Universities 

Capabilities in University Partnerships 

• Expand research and education 

opportunities for our members, 

strengthening university leadership in 

science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics 

• Partner with Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory (ORNL) to build mutually 

beneficial university partnerships and 

advance ORNL’s science agenda 

• Provide travel and research grants to 

faculty at member institutions and 

support student field experience, 

technical contests, and 

conference attendance 

Special Programs and Initiatives 

• University Radioactive Ion Beam 

Consortium (with ORNL) 

(865) 576-2642 

• Institute for Biometrics and Social 

Systems Studies (with ORNL) 

(865) 576-6161 

• Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities/Minority Education 

Institutions Council 

(865) 241-8158 

ike never before, universities today face serious challenges in 

securing research funding and attracting students into scientific 

and technical fields necessary for our nation to compete in a global 

arena. ORAU addresses these challenges by providing research 

grants; promoting opportunities for collaboration among government, 

academe, and industry; and creating smart partnerships for innovation 

and advances in scientific research and education. 

Collaborating to Increase Education and 

Research Opportunities for Universities 

Scientific innovation begins with education and 

research. Yet in today’s turbulent economic climate, it 

is becoming increasingly difficult for our nation’s 

university researchers to secure funding. In addition, 

American universities are having a harder time finding 

and developing young talent in the science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields 

necessary to keep our country competitive with the rest 

of the world in these areas. By creating dynamic 

partnerships among research universities, government 

entities, national laboratories, and private companies, 

ORAU is collaborating to provide opportunities and 

funding needed to maintain the United States’ 

leadership in global scientific and 

technological innovation. 

Ryan Milligan, a former professional truck driver, is now an 

accomplished solar physicist in the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration’s Postdoctoral Program, administered by ORAU. His 

research involves studying the effect of energy released during solar flares. 

Key Partners 

• ORAU Sponsoring Institutions 

(see back cover) 


• University of Tennessee (UT)-Battelle 

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) 

• U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) 

CONTACT US: 

john.nemeth@orau.org 

(865) 576-1898 

Strength in Numbers 

www.orau.org/consortium 

Investing in the Professional Growth of 

Faculty and Students 

Relevant, hands-on research opportunities connect classroom instruction 

to real-world applications. ORAU maximizes the potential of the talented 

faculty and students in our university consortium by investing in programs 

that inspire and support academic excellence, technological innovation, 

and creative problem solving. 

The Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates and 

Students brings together some of the brightest 

Ph.D. candidates with Nobel Laureates in 

chemistry, physics, and physiology/medicine. 

Pictured below, Laureate Martinus Veltman 

talks with students during the 2008 meeting. 

• Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) 

• Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) 

• 99 research institutions in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the 

United Kingdom are members of the ORAU consortium. 

• 107 faculty members from 60 member institutions applied for Powe 

Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards; 30 faculty members received 

Powe research grants totaling $150,000. 

• 51 Ph.D. candidates from consortium member universities met with 

Nobel Prize winning scientists at this year’s Lindau Meeting. 

• 5,000+ students and faculty members participated in internships, 

research opportunities, and sabbaticals administered for various 

federal agency partners by ORAU.

15 

University Partnerships 

Broadening Collaborative Research Opportunities 

Programs That 

Power Innovation 

Partnerships among ORAU member institutions and ORNL, the Y-12 

National Security Complex, and DOE are mutually beneficial. While 

• Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty 

Enhancement Award winners 

receive a $5,000 ORAU research 

grant, which is matched by their 

universities. 

faculty members and students can access world-class facilities at our 

partner sites to pursue their research goals, the partnering organizations 

can tap the nation’s college- and university-level intellectual resources to 

achieve specific scientific objectives. 

• Visiting Industrial Scholars 

Program matches member 

institutions with leading researchers 

in the private sector. 

• Additional faculty and student 

research opportunities are 

administered by ORAU and ORISE 

(www.orau.org/busops/sep/catalog.htm). 

A 2008 Winner of the 

Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty 

Enhancement Award 

Daniel Buchholz, 

University of Cincinnati 

Research Project: 

The role of proteins that affect thyroid 

hormone signaling 

Faculty Researcher Uses Supercomputers to 

Understand the Biology Behind Ethanol Production 

Dr. Yaohang Li, North Carolina A&T State University, 

participant in the ORAU/ORNL Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities and Minority Education Institutions Faculty Summer 

Research Program 

Research Project: 

High-performance computer analysis of biological processes 

related to ethanol production to improve efficiency, thus lowering 

the cost of the new energy source 

Value of the Experience: 

“…It has broadened my research and collaboration experience and given me 

some new ideas for future research as well... I look forward to exposing my 

students at North Carolina A&T State University to this exciting research field 

and the student participation programs [at ORAU and ORNL].” 

Opportunities that Inspire New Ideas 

ORAU is continually developing new ways to strengthen its existing partnerships 

and expand collaborative research opportunities with new partners, 

such as 

• Global Venture Challenge 2008, hosted by ORNL and sponsored by 

ORAU and other sponsors. This event brought together student teams and 

representatives from industry, government, and the investment community 

to foster entrepreneurial spirit in the discovery and development of 

innovative ideas. The competition focused on one of the world’s most 

critical issues—energy. 

Expanding Avenues for Partnerships 

Leveraging the expertise and resources of diverse federal agency and 

industry partners who share ORAU’s commitment to transform STEM 

education in the United States is a top priority. As part of this effort, ORAU 

continually works to develop innovative collaborations beyond its existing 

partnerships. Benefits of expanding partnerships include 

• increased professional development opportunities for classroom 

teachers in national research laboratories 

• substantial technology infrastructure investments for schools 

• innovative, student-focused programs designed to spark interest 

in STEM fields 

• increased collaborative opportunities among the academic and 

scientific communities 

• High Performance Computing Grants Program, cosponsored by ORAU 

and ORNL. This program provides faculty-student teams with a grant 

totaling $75,000 over three years and valuable access to ORNL’s 

high-performance computing resources, such as the “Jaguar” supercomputer 

pictured here. 

ORAU Spectrometer 

Operated for the First Time 

as a Separator at ORNL’s 

Ion Beam Facility 

UNIRIB—ORAU’s University Radioactive Ion 

Beam Consortium located at ORNL’s Holifield 

Radioactive Ion Beam Facility— 

recently took an important step toward 

developing a compact, high resolution isobar 

separator. Pictured here, UNIRIB’s Andreas 

Piechaczek worked with the Multi-pass Time 

of Flight (MTOF) spectrometer, which was 

operated for the first time as a separator 

in experiments conducted this year, where 

molecules of carbon monoxide and nitrogen 

were physically separated. 

On Winning the Powe Award: 

“Getting this grant has provided me 

with an example of a successful grant 

that I can build on in the future and has 

enabled me to give an undergraduate 

student interested in the project a 

research opportunity.”

17 

Science Education and Workforce Development 

Creating a Talent Pool of Future Science and Technology Leaders 

Capabilities in Science Education 

and Workforce Development 

• Serve education needs at all 

levels—from K-12 through faculty and 

postdoctoral researchers 

• Ensure comprehensive program 

administration—from needs 

assessment and recruitment to 

workforce analysis and program 

evaluation 

• Manage a national Center for 

Science Education, focused on 

improving STEM education by using 

the latest educational technologies 

• Promote science education and 

research opportunities for 

underrepresented minority groups 

• Build partnerships among federal 

agencies, academic institutions, and 

the private sector to assess labor 

market trends and to address 

emerging needs in STEM education 

Program Data 

ur nation needs a steady supply of scientists and engineers to 

meet future needs in critical science and technology areas. Students in 

science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields require the skills, 

knowledge, and experience to stay competitive in an ever-changing global 

marketplace. To address these national workforce and science education 

needs, ORAU provides a national resource for developing and administering 

high-quality, experience-based programs to fill the pipeline with the next 

generation of science and technology leaders. 

Cultivating the Next Generation 

of Scientists and Engineers 

A high percentage of the science and technology (S&T) workforce is 

nearing retirement age. Our schools are producing graduates who are 

finding it increasingly more difficult to compete in an international 

science and engineering labor market. Maintaining a steady flow 

of highly qualified and motivated scientific and technical talent 

is critical. 

In direct response to this ongoing challenge, ORAU is playing an 

important role in the renewed national commitment to improve 

education, research, and innovation in the United States. 

Increasing the Talent Pool 

Increasing America’s talent pool through vast improvements in 

STEM education is key to innovation and economic growth. Recent 

and emerging legislation is making that a reality, with an important 

focus on K-12 education. 

ORAU is working with numerous partners in the federal government, 

the academic community, and the private sector to develop and 

implement the necessary science education and research programs 

to facilitate a scientifically and technologically literate and diverse 

workforce for the future. 

Customers and Partners 

FY08 by the Numbers 

Student in the Spotlight 


• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) 

• National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) 

• U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) 


• Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) 

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

CONTACT US: 

science.education@orau.org 

(865) 576-3424 

www.orau.org/busops/sep/ 

• U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) 

• U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) 

• National Science Foundation 

(NSF) 

• U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) 

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation 

(FBI) 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) 

• $124 million—the amount of 

expenditures for educational 

initiatives administered by ORAU 

• 5,237—the number of students, 

faculty, and postdoctoral 

participants for whom educational 

opportunities were provided 

• 950—the number of U.S. and 

foreign colleges and universities 

represented by these students, 

faculty, and postdoctoral participants 

• 873—the number of K-12 

teachers and students involved 

in programs 

• 220—the number of universities 

and research centers hosting 

science education and research 

participants 

• 41%—the percentage increase 

in the number of participants in 

programs since FY03 

• 40,000—total number of 

participants in science education 

programs since inception 

Meekckral Williams, Bachelor’s 

degree, Chemical Engineering 

Prairie View A&M University 

ORAU-Administered Program: 

DOE Office of Science Faculty and 

Student Teams (FaST) Program at 

ORNL 


“Chemical engineering is used in the 

production of items from microchips 

to potato chips. This experience has 

helped me learn my way around the 

laboratory… to perform experiments 

and to be able to present all of the 

results in a formal presentation.”

19 

Science Education and Workforce Development 

Linking Students 

with the Laboratory 

As a consortium of 99 member 

institutions, ORAU has access to 

thousands of university students, 

faculty members, and postdoctoral 

researchers performing advanced 

scientific research. ORNL is one 

of the world’s premier scientific 

research laboratories. With ORNL’s 

investment in user facilities for 

neutron, materials, computational, 

and biological and energy sciences, 

extraordinary opportunities for 

collaboration exist between ORAU 

members and ORNL. 

Through a flagship partnership with 

ORNL that has spanned more 

than six decades, ORAU operates 

research participation and 

science education activities for 

ORNL that not only give university 

researchers access to the lab’s 

world-class resources and scientists 

but also provide a steady flow of 

users for lab facilities and programs. 

n ORAU’s quest to be a preferred 

gateway for university interaction 

with ORNL, we administer a wide 

range of education programs for the 

lab, serving approximately 1,000 

students, faculty, and postdoctoral 

participants annually from colleges and 

universities across the U.S. and around 

the world. 

Student in the Spotlight 

Nadya Ally, Senior, Oak Ridge High School 

ORAU-Administered Program: 

Science, Engineering, Communications, and Mathematics 

Enrichment (SECME) High School Program at ORNL 


Ally described herself as having been “more 

of a history or English person” who gained an 

appreciation for mathematics and science through 

her participation in the SECME High School 

Program, which included assembling data on 

switchgrass, a potential biofuel feedstock. 

Scientist in 

the Spotlight 

Bringing Authentic 

Laboratory Research 

and Advanced 

Technologies to the 

Classroom 

Connecting 

Students, 

Laboratory 

Scientists, and 

Educators 

Research 

Experiences for 

Students, Recent 

Graduates, and 

Faculty 

Simulation and 

Visualization 

of Scientific 

Models 

Michael S. Smith, ORNL nuclear 

astrophysicist; mentor to more 

than 25 students in ORAUadministered 

programs for more 

than 14 years 

Research Area: 

Smith measures simulated 

thermonuclear reactions that 

occur when stars explode. He 

also designs software tools so 

that researchers from around the 

world can run and view explosion 

simulations online. Pictured here, 

Smith inspects the framework of 

the Oak Ridge Rutgers University 

Barrel Array, which simulates 

supernova explosions. 

A Word on Mentoring: 

“I have found it very rewarding 

to work closely with students 

and involve them in my research 

projects, to make them true 

collaborators and contributors,” 

said Smith. “Some students 

ask questions that really make 

me a better scientist, whether 

forcing me to go back and do my 

homework or—in some wonderful 

cases—taking our research in 

new directions.” 

The Center 

for Science 

Education 

Teacher 

Professional 

Development 

Workshops 

Scientific 

Networking 

Between Scientists, 

Educators, and 

Students 

Creating a National Center for Science Education 

Central to ORAU’s leadership in and commitment to strengthening 

science education is a focus on bringing tomorrow’s science into today’s 

classrooms. 

Workforce 

Development for 

Future Scientific 

and Technical 

Leaders 

S&T Resources 

for Improving S&T 

Education 

More than just a vision, this idea now takes shape in the form 

of the Center for Science Education—completed in 

January 2009— where more than 150 science education 

programs are administered. 

Teachers and students have the opportunity to 

• engage in authentic research with scientists 

from DOE laboratories such as ORNL and other 

federal research centers 

• engage and share data with other students across 

the globe in special learning situations using 

social networking 

• contribute to and utilize an online collection 

of proven programs that provide access to 

authentic lab research and advanced technologies 

The center, which is equipped with a “classroom of the future,” 

will provide a foundation for strengthening STEM education, 

facilitating new ways of teaching and learning using the latest educational 

technologies and advances in visualization, simulation, and modeling. 

Although students and educators at all levels will benefit, K-12 education 

will be an increasingly important focus.

21 

Scientific and Technical Peer Review 

Capabilities in Scientific 

and Technical Peer Review 

• Implement custom peer reviews for small 

to multimillion dollar projects and products 

• Identify and recruit expert reviewers 

from academic, medical, government, 

nonprofit, and other communities of 

expertise 

• Ensure confidentiality and manage 

conflict of interest of reviewers 

Ensuring the Quality and Credibility of Scientific Information 

and Funded Research 

hen organizations or the government disseminate scientific 

information or fund research proposals, it is critical that the 

information or the proposals are scientifically feasible and have verifiable 

technical merit. Through a customizable peer review process using 

independent, external experts, ORAU is helping its customers make 

informed decisions regarding the quality of the science. 

Improving Scientific Research Through Rigorous Peer Review 

When the stakes are as high as they are in finding alternative energy sources, leading the world in technology 

innovation, addressing climate change, or improving medical systems, a robust scientific research enterprise is 

important. In order to fund and support the best research, funding agencies must have confidence in the quality and 

credibility of the science. This confidence can come from rigorous peer review, which provides 

• assurance of scientific or technical merit of proposed research and accountability for dollars spent 

• assurance that research conclusions or results are credible before being widely distributed 

• assurance that progress is being made in ongoing research or development projects and that they are suitable for 

continued effort or that the project goals have been met 

• Integrate PeerNet—ORAU’s 

cyber secure, Web-based review 

management system—with the full 

review process, which makes 

collection, aggregation, and reporting 

of reviewer comments and ratings fast 

and reliable 

• Assist customers with planning 

research needs and assess project 

success through workshops and 

other meetings 

Implementing Custom Peer Reviews 

ORAU coordinates the peer review process from beginning to 

end—from planning, structuring, and fully executing multi-format 

reviews that involve hundreds of reviewers to ensuring 

confidentiality and effectively managing conflicts of interest. 

Every step can be customized to fit existing or changing customer 

needs and is managed with the highest level of process integrity. 

or DOE, ORAU serves as 

the primary coordinator of 

Office of Science peer reviews, 

ensuring an independent and 

objective process for recommending 

research activities for funding 

and support. 


• Coordinated 37 scientific peer reviews of 

1,232 research proposals involving 1,650 

reviewers with potential funding of awards 

totalling nearly $223 million 

• Adapted and applied the peer view model 

to coordinate 19 reviews to evaluate 

1,003 health risk assessments, 

postdoctoral applications, management of 

research programs, user facility laser 

time, abstracts, ongoing research 

projects, and technical work products 

proposals involving 1,256 reviewers 

• Assisted with 180 program, project, 

and site reviews to evaluate ongoing 

and completed research activities or 

to disseminate research efforts to the 

research community or the general public 

in basic energy sciences, biological and 

environmental sciences, computational 

science, and homeland security 



- Office of Science 

- Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) 

- National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) 

• U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

- Science and Technology Directorate 

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 

CONTACT US: 

peerreview@orau.org 

(865) 576-1087 

www.orau.org/busops/peer/

23 

Scientific and Technical Peer Review 

Using Technology to 

Manage Review Information 

Affecting Funding Decisions on Critical National Needs 

With hundreds of reviewers making 

comments and assigning ratings 

to thousands of pages of proposal 

or program content, effective 

management of the information and 

results is a necessity. In addition, 

reviewers are chosen from numerous 

institutions across the country, and 

an in-person, onsite review may not 

be logistically possible. To address 

this, ORAU uses a simple yet capable 

Web-based application called 

PeerNet. PeerNet provides electronic 

distribution of research proposals 

or products to reviewers, collects 

reviewer comments and ratings on 

the documents, and aggregates and 

reports the evaluations assigned 

by the reviewers. The system helps 

ORAU and its customers manage the 

confidentiality of reviews and maintain 

sensitive information by providing a 

password-protected location for review 

data to be entered and reviewed. It 

also helps review officials diligently 

monitor for conflict of interest and 

bias throughout the review process 

by giving them authorized readonly 

access to real-time data from 

the reviewers. PeerNet, which has 

been developed and copyrighted 

by ORAU, receives regular technical 

enhancements to allow optimum 

performance for reviewers and to 

provide the flexibility needed to 

address the varied requirements 

of customers. 

Ensuring ROI of Research Funding 

When millions of taxpayer and private-sector dollars are being allocated by 

government and private agencies for research, there is no 

substitute for knowing that those funding decisions have been based on an 

independent and objective assessment of the quality and feasibility of the 

scientific research proposed before any money is given out. Peer review 

lends confidence in determining that research funding is well allocated, 

accountability in whether it has been well spent, and assurance that the 

goals of the research have ultimately been met. By implementing highly 

credible peer review programs, ORAU helps its customers manage risk and 

DOE’s Climate Change 

Research Initiative 

ORAU’s role: Coordinated four 

reviews focused on atmospheric 

science, atmospheric radiation, 

integrated assessment, and climate 

change prediction. Received a 

combined 230 proposals. A team 

of 375 reviewers from universities, 

national laboratories, and private 

industry evaluated the proposals’ 

scientific merit using ORAU’s 

PeerNet database system. 

Result: DOE announced more 

than $6 million in research 

grants, which will help the 

nation predict and respond to 

climate changes. 

Genomics: GTL Bioenergy 

Research Centers 

ORAU’s role: Coordinated reviews 

at each of three DOE Bioenergy 

Research Centers focused on 

• the resistance of plant fiber to 

breakdown into sugars 

• the sustainability of biofuels and 

an increase in plant production 

of starches and oil, which are 

easily converted to fuels 

• model crops of rice and 

Arabidopsis and microbial-based 

synthesis of fuels beyond 

ethanol 

Teams of reviewers from 

universities, national laboratories, 

and private industry evaluated 

the progress of each center 

using ORAU’s PeerNet database 

system. 

Result: Each center is to be funded 

by DOE up to $125 million over a 

period of five years. Performance 

reviews will enable DOE to evaluate 

whether each center is on course 

and should continue to receive 

allotted funding. 

Roadrunner Supercomputer 

Advanced Architecture 

Option Assessment 

ORAU’s role: Coordinated a review 

to evaluate the progress of the 

development of the Roadrunner 

computer at Los Alamos National 

Laboratory for the National Nuclear 

Security Administration, Office of 

Advanced Simulation and Computing. 

ORAU administered a panel meeting 

where reviewers heard from vendors 

and Los Alamos program managers 

about progress being made on 

deliverables for supercomputer 

development. 

Result: Reviewers provided comments 

and recommendations; feedback 

was provided to the principals at Los 

Alamos. The world’s first computer to 

break the petaflop barrier of one 

quadrillion calculations per second, 

Roadrunner was developed to aid in 

the assessment of the aging of nuclear 

weapons through simulating and 

modeling problems and will take the 

place of underground testing. 

Photo credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory 

ensure a return on investment (ROI) of research dollars.

uilding public trust and confidence 

in the management of worker health 

and environmental cleanup initiatives

27 

Answering the Need for Responsive Worker Health Solutions 

Worker Health and Electronic 

Medical Records Management 

Capabilities in Worker Health 

and Electronic Medical Records 

Management 

• Perform health surveillance of active 

worker populations 

• Manage medical surveillance programs 

for former workers 

• Provide beryllium lymphocyte proliferation 

testing to ascertain sensitization status and 

tracking via the Beryllium Registry 

• Maintain large, dynamic databases of 

exposure, work history and demographic 

data for worker populations 

• Perform radiation dose reconstructions for 

compensation purposes 

Special Programs 

• DOE National Supplemental 

Screening Program 

1-866-812-6703 

• DOE Beryllium Vendors Medical 

Screening Program 

1-866-219-3448 

• NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

1-800-322-0111 

Customers 


- Lawrence Livermore National 

Laboratory (LLNL) 

- Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) 

- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) 

- Y-12 National Security Complex 

- Kansas City Plant 

• U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) 

- National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) 

• DuPont 

• U.S. Enrichment Corp (USEC) 

• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) 

Partners 

• L-3 Titan 

• NetGain 

• Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. 

• Dade Moeller & Associates, Inc. 

• MJW Corp., Inc. 

• National Jewish Medical & 

Research Center 

• Occupational HealthLink (OHL) 

• University of Colorado 

hen the diagnosis is illness or disease linked to workers’ 

occupational radiation or other hazardous substance 

exposures, workers need a responsive and medically competent system 

to address their health needs. DOE and NIOSH, specifically, needed an 

effective, national system to manage the health needs of current and 

former nuclear workers in an accurate, timely, and cost-efficient manner. 

ORAU has established effective partnerships on a national scale to 

provide innovative worker health solutions and has the experience and 

expertise necessary to manage this process with the highest levels of 

quality and integrity. 

www.orau.org/busops/oews/ 

CONTACT US: 

occ.health@orau.org 

(865) 576-3424 

Providing a Comprehensive Approach to the Management 

of Worker Health Concerns 

DOE places great importance on ensuring that all research and production activities at its facilities are performed 

in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Because of this, measurement and analysis of occupationalrelated 

health issues of DOE workers is critical to help mitigate the causes and effects of on-the-job exposures. 

From broad-scope epidemiology and health screenings/surveillance 

studies to individual worker beryllium sensitization testing and 

radiation dose reconstruction, ORAU offers a comprehensive 

approach to helping DOE and other customers manage their worker 

health concerns. 

Serving as DOE’s Data Center for Worker Health 

With hundreds of active and inactive sites, DOE must manage and track 

decades of occupational health data on thousands of its current and 

former workers. As DOE’s primary contractor for active worker health 

surveillance, ORAU is serving as the agency’s complex-wide integrator 

of occupational health data through various studies, screening 

programs, and other analysis and reporting mechanisms (see sidebar 

at right). Adding value to this is a focus on maintaining the resulting 

medical and research data via robust electronic records systems, which 

are being built, implemented, and managed by ORAU and its partners 

with the goal of eventually facilitating a transition toward electronic 

medical record keeping at DOE sites nationwide. 

Monitoring the Health 

of Energy Workers 

ORAU has 30 years of experience in 

the effective retrieval, management, 

and use of occupational health data 

for worker health studies for federal 

agencies, such as 

• DOE Illness and Injury 

Surveillance Program: 

14 sites, 115,000 workers 

• DOE National Supplemental 

Screening Program: 


• DOE Radiation Exposure 

Monitoring System: 


• DOE Health and 

Mortality Study: 


• DOE, Congress-mandated 

5 Rem Study: 


• NRC Radiation Exposure 

Information and 

Reporting System: 

1,800+ licensees, more than 

one million individuals 

monitored 

• NIOSH Radiation Dose 

Reconstruction Project per 

EEOICPA Subpart B: 

332 sites, 21,000 claimants

29 

Worker Health and Electronic 

Medical Records Management 

Electronic Solutions for 

DOE Facility Medical 

Records: The Argonne 

National Lab Pilot 

Challenge: Established in 1946, 

Argonne has an extensive past that 

has resulted in medical information/ 

histories for thousands of former and 

current workers, many recorded and 

managed on paper. 

Solution: ORAU leveraged a 

partnership with Occupational 

HealthLink (OHL)—and systems 

developed for DOE’s National 

Supplemental Screening Program— 

to design and implement a highly 

secure, comprehensive, and scalable 

Web-based database system for 

the administration and integration of 

exposure data and medical monitoring 

for Argonne workers. 

Result: With initial implementation 

in 2008, the ORAU-OHL solution 

for Argonne is capable of providing 

complete lifecycle health services 

from pre-hire status to retirement/ 

former worker status, including 

pre-hire exams, worker health exams, 

and registry management, while 

integrating ongoing job and site-based 

exposure surveillance data. Clinicians 

can enter worker data directly into the 

system, eliminating multiple points 

of data entry, and the database fully 

integrates with Argonne’s existing 

information technology systems. User 

interfaces facilitate error-free data 

entry as well as automated alerts and 

notifications so that stakeholders are 

Testing More Workers for Beryllium Sensitization 

Beryllium, a metal used in many industries, including aerospace, defense, 

and nuclear weapons production, can produce harmful health effects when 

inhaled as dust or fumes from machining or manufacturing activities. ORAU 

manages one of only four laboratories in the country that can perform the 

beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test, which detects the reaction of a worker 

to beryllium and helps identify workers who have or are at risk for developing 

chronic beryllium disease. The laboratory is certified under the Clinical 

Laboratory Improvement Act, or CLIA, guidelines. Having established a leading 

lab for beryllium sensitization testing, ORAU is expanding to provide testing 

services to more workers, nearly doubling its number of customers in 2008. 

New customers include 

• The University of Iowa • Idaho National Laboratory 

(Iowa Army Ammunition • Johns Hopkins University 

Plant and former Ames • Boston University 

Laboratory personnel) • Center to Protect Workers’ Rights 

• DOE’s Savannah River Site • Medical University of South Carolina 

• Centers for Disease Control • URS - Washington Group 

and Prevention 

Documenting the Dose Reconstruction Process 

ORAU and its partners, Dade Moeller & Associates and MJW 

Corporation, as well as personnel from NIOSH, contributed 16 

papers documenting the EEOICPA dose reconstruction process to 

a special issue of Health Physics: The Radiation Safety Journal, July 

2008, the main publication of the Health Physics Society. 

The papers provided an in-depth review of the collection, 

processing, and management of the required data; the assessment 

methods used; the scientific basis for the assessments; and 

the prominent roles of the health physics and radiation safety 

professionals in the effort. In addition, this collection of papers 

serves as the only volume that assembles in one place all the key 

issues about the scientific aspects of the NIOSH dose reconstruction 

process and the worker compensation program. Since 2002, 

the ORAU Team has performed 21,678 initial, individual dose 

reconstructions as part of a contract with NIOSH. 

Radiation dose 

reconstruction is… 

the process of estimating the radiation 

exposures received during the course 

of a person’s work. In turn, the 

reconstructed dose is used to determine 

the probability of whether a worker who 

has cancer actually developed it as a 

result of the radiation dose. 

The process is required under the 

Energy Employees Occupational 

Illness Compensation Program Act 

(EEOICPA) for compensation claims 

submitted by nuclear-weapons-related 

workers (or their families) for DOE or its 

predecessor agencies. 

In FY08, ORAU’s Beryllium Laboratory 

nearly doubled its number of customers 

and performed a total of 3,464 beryllium 

lymphocyte proliferation tests with only a 

0.2% error rate. 

informed of upcoming exams, urgent 

findings, and actions required, 

as appropriate.

31 

Environmental Surveys and Cleanup Verification 

Instilling Public Confidence in Environmental Cleanup 

Capabilities in Environmental 

Surveys and Cleanup Verification 

• Provide independent verification, using 

state-of-the-art field survey technology to 

evaluate final site conditions and to 

validate a contractor’s final status 

survey procedures 

• Perform characterization surveys, 

designed using the data quality objectives 

process and including surface scans 

for gamma radiation, non-destructive 

assay (NDA) measurements of 

surfaces and piping, and soil 

sampling and analysis 

OE and other federal agencies spend billions of dollars 

cleaning up contaminated sites each year and need assurances 

that federal release criteria have been met. The ultimate safety of 

these buildings and lands is of paramount concern for the public and 

future stakeholders of these properties as well. ORAU is the nation’s 

leading provider of independent verification surveys of environmental 

cleanup, greatly enhancing public trust and instilling confidence in the 

decontamination and decommissioning of contaminated sites. 

Ensuring Confidence in Environmental Cleanup 

Through Characterization and Independent Assessments 

Each year, radioactively contaminated sites across the country are cleaned up for government reuse or for 

release as public lands. Whether it is an accelerated cleanup project at a former DOE weapons production 

facility or the decommissioning of an old nuclear reactor for the NRC, federal agencies need assurances that 

release criteria have been met. 

These agencies also want to ensure the public’s confidence that decontamination or remediation work has 

been properly completed, that no corners have been cut, and that the buildings and lands are safe, especially 

when the property is to be released for industrial or other private-sector use. 

From characterizing a site’s contamination prior to cleanup to independently verifying that the cleanup has 

been successfully completed, ORAU offers an integrated approach to environmental assessment and 

cleanup verification. To complement this, ORAU also applies the highest standards in health physics to 

provide comprehensive training in and standards development for the radiation sciences. 

• Manage a radiochemistry laboratory 

specifically designed for analysis of 

environmental samples and unique 

matrices 

• Provide health physics services, 

including applied health physics 

evaluations, audit services, and 

standards development 

• Lead radiation sciences training, 

involving hands-on, laboratory-based 

training on a variety of health physics 

topics 


• 261—Number of people trained through 

ORAU’s Professional Training Programs 

• 2,619 —Number of samples processed 

by the radiochemistry laboratory 

• 19—Sites where independent verification 

was performed 



• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 

Characterizing the Contamination 

Characterizing the type and extent of contamination at a site designated for cleanup is an 

essential first step to successful decontamination and decommissioning efforts. 

ORAU uses the data quality objectives approach to develop 

and tailor a characterization plan—considering site-specific 

objectives and decisions—that includes site scans 

for radiation or other contaminants, as well as soil 

sample collection and analysis. ORAU also uses 

the latest in Global Positioning Systems technology 

to record survey results and ensure 

recorded measurements are highly accurate. 

Thorough characterization, or scoping, 

surveys ensure a safer and more cost-effective 

plan for actual cleanup activities, 

and ORAU has essentially written the 

standard on this effort. 

CONTACT US: 

eric.abelquist@orau.org 

(865) 576-3740 

www.orau.org/busops/ivhp/

33 

Environmental Surveys and Cleanup Verification 

Mitigating Exposure 

Risks Through Regulatory 

Guide Updates 

Challenge: As the nuclear power industry 

prepares for a resurgence due to the 

increasing need for clean, alternative 

energy, the NRC realized that a large 

number of its regulatory guides had 

become outdated. Some of the regulatory 

guides originated in the early 1970s. With 

hundreds of guides still referenced by 

health physicists and nuclear industry 

professionals, providing complete, accurate, 

and up-to-date guidance presented a 

considerable challenge. 

Solution: Because of ORAU’s involvement 

in the NRC’s Radiation Exposure 

Information and Reporting System (REIRS) 

and radiation protection experience at light 

water reactors, technical approaches were 

developed for the update of several 

Division 8 regulatory guides related to 

occupational radiation exposures. ORAU 

provided recomendations in radiological 

training and the “as low as reasonably 

achievable” (ALARA) philosophy, which 

establishes guidance to minimize the 

sustained risk of radioactive exposure 

to individuals working in the presence 

of radioactive materials. Each technical 

approach was then used as a basis by NRC 

staff in the preparation of each updated 

regulatory guide. 

Verifying the Cleanup 

After a cleanup contractor has completed work at a site designated for 

remediation, it is not uncommon to find residual contamination in those 

facilities that is greater than the acceptable release levels. Discovering 

this information prior to the release of these facilities and land areas is 

essential to protect the public and future users of the site or facility. 

That is where independent and objective cleanup verification can make 

a difference. ORAU uses its technical expertise, state-of-the-art field 

instrumentation, and extensive laboratory capabilities to provide rigorous 

evaluation of previously contaminated sites to ensure its customers’ 

environmental cleanup projects meet federal requirements for 

decontamination and decommissioning. As a trusted partner, ORAU is the 

primary independent verification contractor for all DOE cleanup projects 

and is the only verification contractor for the NRC. 

Providing Solutions in 

Health Physics and Radiation Sciences 

When the problem is a radiological hazard, the solution is partnering with 

a team of qualified health physicists who are best equipped to prevent or 

control it. 

Whether it is the identification, measurement, and assessment of the 

presence of radiological materials, the education of employees about 

radiation exposures and how to avoid them, or the control of radiological 

treatment storage and disposal facilities, ORAU provides a wide range of 

health physics services and solutions. In addition, ORAU has one of the 

leading industry training programs in the radiation sciences with more than 

60 years of providing hands-on, laboratory-based courses focused on topics 

such as radiation safety, environmental monitoring, and air sampling for 

radioactive materials. 

Overcoming the Challenge of Contamination in Pipes 

Challenge: DOE’s K-25 Building cleanup project at the East Tennessee 

Technology Park is one of the largest reindustrialization projects in the 

U.S. designed to remediate more than 40 years of uranium enrichment operations. 

This represents an enormous challenge, given the sheer size of the facility 

(44 acres under one roof), dilapidated building conditions, and radiological 

contamination of miles and miles of process piping and equipment. 

Solution: ORAU performed extensive, independent reviews and data validation 

on the contractor’s NDA measurements, which quantified the amount and 

level of radionuclides remaining in the process piping. This involved the use 

of a specialized, in situ gamma spectrometry measurement system, HMS-4, 

to determine, without having to perform physical sampling, how much U-235 

remained after the contractor had performed chemical decontamination of the 

piping. This technology provided an alternative sampling method for piping that was 

otherwise inaccessible. ORAU also performed independent laboratory analyses of 

foamed process pipe samples to quantify various radionuclides, including U-234, 

U-235, and U-238. 

Result: ORAU’s independent verification results clearly supported the contractor’s 

conclusions. The uranium deposits that were allowed to remain within process gas 

equipment and pipes were found to be below the limits necessary to ensure that 

a criticality accident could not occur during demolition activities. These findings 

provided assurance to DOE and its stakeholders that the decontamination work 

was accurate and acceptable. 

Setting the Standard: 

ANSI N13.59— 

Site Characterization 

In 2008, ORAU personnel chaired the 

national standards committee to 

develop the ANSI N13.59 standard, 

which provides guidance for 

performing characterizations of land 

areas—such as soils, surface and 

ground water, and vegetation—and 

structures or building construction 

materials, in support of decommissioning. 

The scope of this standard is geared 

toward radiological characterization and 

can be used for its technical approach to 

designing a characterization survey for 

a specific objective. ORAU’s work in this 

area includes extensive characterization 

activities performed at former FUSRAP—or 

Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action 

Program—sites and at the Curtis Bay and 

Hammond Depots. This experience, along 

with nearly 30 years of expertise in the field 

of health physics and radiation sciences, 

positioned ORAU experts to provide 

significant contributions toward standards 

development in this area. 

Result: ORAU’s recommendations 

supported the NRC’s goal to equip 

industry professionals with updated 

guidance concerning the reduction of 

occupational radiation exposures. The 

technical approaches will enable the NRC 

to update existing guidance on how to 

mitigate radiological exposure risks in the 

nuclear power industry, and will exist as a 

valuable reference as new power plants are 

established across the United States.

nhancing our nation’s preparedness 

to respond to emergencies related 

to terrorist incidents, natural disasters 

and health threats 

Photo credit: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

37 

Capabilities in National Security and 

Emergency Management 

• Plan, coordinate, and execute a 

variety of national and statewide 

weapons of mass destruction exercises 

• Provide operational support to 

DOE’s Nuclear Incident Team and senior 

energy officials for worldwide deployment 

of NNSA’s response teams 

• Integrate emergency management 

through exercises, networking, 

information management, and 

innovative preparedness and 

response technology 

• Provide emergency management 

integration to DOE and the DHS 

fixed-facilities programs through 

networking, information management, 

and innovative preparedness and 

response tools 

• Provide a real-time, common-operating 

picture of readiness for NNSA’s 

emergency response assets through 

an ORISE-developed and -maintained 

national asset database 

• Provide expert forensic and 

hazardous device examination 

capabilities to federal, state, and local 

law enforcement agencies to combat 

international and domestic terrorism 


• Succesfully planned, coordinated, 

and executed a number of interagency 

exercises for 

- DOE Office of Emergency 

Response (10 exercises, including 

Topoff 4 and Diablo Bravo) 

- State of California - Golden Guardian 

- Bureau of Reclamation - Hoover Dam 

• Conducted more than 600,000 latent 

fingerprint examinations 

Securing Our Country Against Terrorism and 

National Emergencies 

ederal, state, and local government agencies need emergency 

planning and operational support to enhance and integrate their 

efforts to combat terrorism, natural disasters, and other hazards. ORAU 

experts provide mission-focused operational experience in real-world 

environments and demonstrated expertise to support these agencies 

with planning, research, and readiness activities, which strengthen their 

preparedness and response capabilities. 




• California Emergency Management Agency (Ca EMA) 

• U.S. Department of State (DOS) 

- Prevention of Nuclear Smuggling Program 

• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) 

- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 


• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

- Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) 

- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

• U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) 

- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) 

CONTACT US: 

national.security@orau.org 

(202) 955-3628 

www.orau.org/busops/nsem/ 

Photo credit: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 

Ensuring National Readiness for Public 

Safety and Security Threats 

Whether the threat is nuclear terrorism, a natural disaster, or a security 

breech at one of our nation’s key infrastructure dam sites, no one can 

predict when or where our country will be threatened. For this reason, 

national readiness is critical, and that can best be achieved through 

planning, practice, and validating response capabilities. 

ORAU partners with DOE/NNSA, DHS, and other federal, state, and 

local government agencies to ensure the highest level of national 

readiness. Through integrated, specialized expertise and technology, 

emergency management research and planning, and hands-on 

exercises and training, ORAU is strengthening our country’s response 

capabilities and preparing the U.S. to successfully counter threats to 

public safety and security. 

Integrating Emergency Management 

and Response Capabilities 

The unthinkable can happen. A dirty bomb is dropped in a 

major metropolitan area during rush hour, and thousands are 

contaminated. An unexpected tornado tears through a central 

state in the early morning hours and leaves little more than 

mass casualties in its wake. When the unthinkable does happen, 

numerous federal, state, and local agencies will respond with help. 

A quick, integrated response will be essential. 

Before these events take place, ORAU is there to serve as an 

interagency integrator of emergency management capabilities, 

bringing together agencies that work similar programs to 

coordinate their efforts and enhance their overall 

readiness. This ensures that the agencies can 

blend each other’s strengths and assets together 

to provide the most effective response. 

Photo credit: California Emergency Management Agency 

National Security and Emergency Management 

Photo credit: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Full-Scale Exercise Tests 

Security and Emergency 

Response at National Landmark 

A critical U.S. infrastructure asset, 

Hoover Dam was the site of a full-scale, 

unclassified exercise in 2008, with the 

goal of testing its security and 

emergency response plans in the 

event of a terrorist attack. 

After a year of planning, a team of 

ORAU exercise planners led more 

than 23 participating federal, state, and local 

agencies through a 12-hour drill 

that involved a series of planning 

conferences, tabletop exercises, drills, 

and vignettes both in and around 

the dam. 

The exercise provided participants— 

Hoover Dam Police, FBI, Las Vegas 

Metro Police, the National Park 

Service, and others—an opportunity 

to test their emergency plans and build 

interagency relationships for effective 

coordination in the future.

39 

National Security and Emergency Management 

Exercise Tests Earthquake 

Disaster Response of State of 

California 

This year, ORAU partnered with the 

California Office of Homeland Security 

Training and Exercise Branch, other 

branches of California government, and 

the U.S. Geological Survey to plan and 

execute Golden Guardian (GG) 2008. 

Consisting of operational and 

discussion-based exercises, GG08 was 

designed to evaluate local, state, and 

federal responses to a natural disaster 

involving a catastrophic, 7.8 magnitude 

earthquake along the San Andreas Fault 

in southern California. 

Enhancing Overall Preparedness Through 

Exercises and Training 

To best prepare for an event threatening national security or public safety, 

federal, state, and local planners and emergency management personnel 

must continually plan for and practice their immediate and long-term 

responses through a range of scenarios. Special training exercises that test 

a broad scope of actions and outcomes give an accurate picture of readiness 

and allow for changes to be made to preparedness plans. ORAU 

offers a full spectrum of planning, training, and exercise activities—led by 

key security and emergency management experts—to effectively test 

emergency procedures, resource readiness, interagency cooperation, 

communication efforts and more. 

Leveraging Technology to Improve Readiness and Response 

Whatever the situation, the ability to access and connect with the plans, people, and resources needed to 

effectively manage and respond to an emergency is essential. Technology is the key to making this possible, 

and ORAU provides a number of technology-based solutions to help emergency planners and responders 

stay connected. 

TECHNOLOGY: WeB-MEDIS 

Developed by ORAU for DHS’s Chemical Stockpile Emergency 

Preparedness Program and with guidance from firefighters, paramedics, 

and hospital staff, WeB-MEDIS is a Web-based patient tracking tool. It is 

designed to provide emergency responders and hospitals with a highly 

portable system for inputting, sharing, and tracking patient data from 

the field, such as patient vital signs, contamination, and transportation 

status. The data are entered into and viewed from a Palm® or Pocket PC 

personal digital assistant device. A WeB-MEDIS demonstration can be 

viewed at: www.orau.gov/eml/csepp/WeB-MEDIS/default.htm 

TECHNOLOGY: ARMS 

Diablo Bravo 2008: 

First Real-Time Deployment of DOE Assets 

for a Nuclear Weapons Accident Exercise 

Developed by ORISE for DOE, the Asset Readiness Management 

System—or ARMS—is a database that tracks the operations of 

scheduled exercises and the whereabouts, inventory, and condition of 

DOE’s equipment and provides readiness information on the agency’s 

personnel. ARMS also includes the critical Deployment Manager tool, 

providing DOE with access to real-time status of its deployed assets. 

Currently, ARMS is accessible by emergency response personnel at 

12 national laboratories and DOE headquarters. 

Photo credit: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 

Photo credit: 

Federal Emergency 

Management 

Agency 

Held in Washington state, Diablo Bravo 2008 was the first DOE/NNSAsponsored, 

national-level exercise to test response capabilities to a 

terrorist attack on nuclear weapons. 

The exercise included activities enlisting the participation of a wide array 

of federal, state, and local agencies and organizations in a real-time 

deployment with the purpose of examining roles and responsibilities 

outlined in the National Response Framework. 

ORAU served as the principal planners for the full-scale, five-day exercise, 

organized and facilitated planning conferences, coordinated asset 

participation, and collected lessons learned. 

Photo credit: DOE/NNSA 

TECHNOLOGY: Exercise Builder 

For DOE’s Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group, 

ORISE created a self-paced, computer-based tool for drill and exercise 

development—called Exercise Builder—which contains all the steps for 

designing, developing, and evaluating an emergency exercise. The tool 

makes available generic exercise components, such as scenarios, 

objectives, and criteria, and users can add site-specific information to 

produce custom exercise packages.

41 

Capabilities in Radiation Emergency 

Medicine, Response, and Training 

• Manage and operate the Radiation 

Emergency Assistance 

Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) as 

a deployable asset of DOE/NNSA 

• Manage and operate the Cytogenetic 

Biodosimetry Laboratory (CBL) at 

REAC/TS, one of only two federally 

funded labs of its kind in the country 

• Provide 24/7 response to national 

and international incidents involving 

ionizing radiation 

• Serve as one of only two World Health 

Organization (WHO) Collaborating 

Centers in the U.S. 

• Serve as one of only 13 Collaborating 

Centers worldwide in WHO’s Radiation 

Emergency Medical Preparedness and 

Assistance Network 

• Provide hands-on continuing medical 

education courses onsite at REAC/TS 

or at various locations worldwide, 

including instruction on pre-hospital 

radiation emergency preparedness, 

radiation emergency medicine, and 

health physics in radiation emergencies, 

among others 

• Accredited by the Accreditation Council 

for Continuing Medical Education to 

provide continuing medical education 

for physicians; other courses accredited 

by the American College of Emergency 

Physicians and the American Academy 

of Health Physics 


• 46 courses conducted 

- 17 held at REAC/TS 

- 29 held offsite 

• 1,000+ emergency personnel from 37 

states and 16 countries were trained 

Elevating Global Understanding and Medical Response to 

Radiation Emergencies 

n the event of a radiological or nuclear incident, first responders as 

well as hospital and emergency management personnel need the 

knowledge and training to quickly manage and support the medical aspects 

of human exposure to radiation. Through practical, hands-on education 

programs as well as a dedicated 24/7 deployable team of physicians, 

nurses, and health physicists, ORAU has increased the global knowledge 

base and training necessary to provide appropriate and qualified medical 

management of radiological incidents anywhere in the world. 




- Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) 

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

- National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) 

• World Health Organization (WHO) 

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 

CONTACT US: 

reacts@orise.orau.gov 

(865) 576-3131 

www.orau.org/busops/rem/ 

Improving Knowledge of and Response to 

Radiation Emergencies 

Nuclear accidents and radiological attacks demand an immediate, 

expert medical response. Yet, while nuclear technology extends to the 

far reaches of the globe, few communities have local professionals 

in place with the knowledge and practical training required to 

quickly address the medical aspects of human exposure to radiation. 

To help meet this pressing national and international need, ORAU 

is contributing expertise and resources—through REAC/TS—to a 

global network of personnel and laboratories equipped to provide 

appropriate and qualified medical management of radiological 

incidents. 

Delivering Hands-on Training 

The accredited, continuing medical education courses offered 

through REAC/TS prepare physicians, physicians’ assistants, 

nurses, emergency medical technicians, health physicists, and first 

responders to expertly manage the medical aspects of a radiation 

incident. These hands-on courses are offered onsite at REAC/TS or 

can be customized for delivery at hospitals, nuclear facilities, and 

other locations across the country and around the world. By training 

emergency personnel in handling and caring for patients exposed to 

radiation, ORAU is helping to reduce the potential human impact of 

future nuclear accidents and radiological attacks. 

Radiation Emergency Medicine, 

Response, and Training 

Training Spotlight 

Dr. Sergio Roberto Fernandes, a medical 

officer with the Brazilian Navy and chief of 

nuclear medicine at the Brazilian Naval Hospital 

in Rio De Janeiro 

Training at REACTS: 

Studied at REAC/TS for three weeks and 

completed advanced radiation medicine course 


“I will return to Brazil and share what I have 

learned at REAC/TS. I will teach other doctors so 

they may have the most up-to-date information.” 

Training Mexican Hospital 

Personnel for Power Plant 

Accident Exercise 

This year, REAC/TS physicians, nurses, 

and health physicists presented three 

days of training for nearly 100 personnel 

onsite at the Mexican Navy Hospital in 

Vera Cruz, Mexico, preparing them for 

an upcoming Mexican government 

nuclear power plant accident response 

exercise. Shown here, hospital personnel 

suit up in preparation for incoming mock 

patients suffering radiation injuries.

43 

Radiation Emergency Medicine, 

Response, and Training 

Training Medical Personnel 

to Treat Toxic Chemical or 

Radiological Exposures 

REAC/TS collaborated with the 

American College of Medical 

Toxicology to offer a first-ever, 

awareness-level course on 

emergency medical response to 

exposures from toxic chemical and 

radiological materials. The two-day 

course was designed to familiarize 

healthcare providers and other 

medical and response personnel 

for planning and preparing for 

an emergency response to toxic 

exposures. Held at the University of 

Tennessee (UT)-Knoxville, the course 

provided an introduction to a variety 

of toxic syndromes and reviewed 

the medical and psychological 

consequences of exposures to a 

variety of materials. The program was 

also available via videoconference 

at additional UT campuses across 

the state and for the CDC, DOE, and 

other agencies around the country. 

Shown here, REAC/TS Nurse Rob 

Beauchamp demonstrates the proper 

methods for medically stabilizing 

a patient exposed to toxic or 

radiological materials. 

Providing 24/7 Response to Radiation Emergencies 

When a radiological or nuclear incident occurs anywhere in the world, 

specialized REAC/TS response teams are ready to respond 24/7. Each 

interdisciplinary team includes a physician, nurse/paramedic, and 

health physicist who are cross-trained in all aspects of radiation 

emergency management. 

REAC/TS responds to calls for information or assistance within minutes. 

And, within only four to six hours of an initial notification, professional 

response teams can be deployed to anywhere in the continental United 

States or around the world to provide rapid dose assessment, radiological 

and medical triage, diagnosis, and medical management. 

Where in the World is REAC/TS? 

As an international expert in the medical 

management of radiation emergencies, 

REAC/TS is called to all corners of the 

Setting the Gold Standard: 

Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Lab 

Dosimeters measure exposure to radiation. So when an accident 

occurs at a nuclear power plant, for example, the dosimeters worn 

by employees clearly register the level of radiation they received. 

Tracking and treating widespread radiation exposure caused by an 

attack involving radiological materials would be much more difficult, 

however, since dosimeters are not typically worn by the general public. 

Dose assessments are important as medical treatment will be guided 

by the dose. So how can physicians effectively diagnose and treat 

radiation exposure in a mass casualty incident? The answer is found 

in each affected person’s lymphocytes—blood cells that act as 

biological dosimeters. Using a routine blood sample, researchers at 

the Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Lab (CBL), which is managed by 

REAC/TS, can examine chromosomes within a patient’s blood cells 

to determine if radiation exposure has occurred and at what levels. 

Cytogenetic biodosimetry is considered the “gold standard” of radiation 

dosimetry, and the results from this state-of-the-art lab are used to help 

emergency medical response personnel quickly and cost effectively 

evaluate and treat victims of a radiological attack or other accident 

involving radiation. 

Connecting Cytogenetic 

Biodosimetry Resources for 

Rapid Response 

The CBL is one of only two federally 

funded labs of its kind in the U.S. 

Because a radiological/nuclear 

emergency with mass casualties would 

require increased laboratory surge 

capacity, CBL personnel are working to 

establish an international Web-based 

consortium of cytogenetic laboratories 

for rapid triage and emergency radiation 

dose assessment. 

world for radiation incident response and 

consultation, preparedness training, and 

simulation exercises. REAC/TS is one of 

seven deployable assets of DOE-NNSA 

and is one of only 13 centers worldwide 

in the Emergency Medical Preparedness 

and Assistance Network of the World 

Health Organization (WHO). 

The map depicts those countries in which REAC/TS has 

provided training, radiation incident response, or both. 

This consortium will not only include 

the specialized radiation cytogenetic 

laboratories located throughout the 

world but also the clinical cytogenetic 

laboratories in the U.S. associated with 

numerous medical centers. There are 

140 such laboratories within the U.S. 

with trained chromosome experts. 

Response Training Response and Training

45 

Capabilities in Health 

Communication and Training 

Enhancing National Preparedness for Public Health Threats 

• Public Communication: 

Develop evidence-based health 

communication programs and social 

marketing initiatives using strategies 

and interventions that are effective 

with target populations 

• Public Health Preparedness: 

Prepare federal agencies and state 

health departments for public health 

crises through exercises, drills, 

emergency communication planning, 

and crisis/risk communications 

• Training and Education: 

Develop specialized health 

communication training programs 

and learning tools using interactive 

electronic technologies and outreach 

education for the public 

• Research and Evaluation: 

Assess human health hazards and 

behavioral change strategies through 

scientific research, audience 

analysis, and message testing 


• Planned, conducted, and evaluated 

pandemic flu tabletop exercises for five 

international airports—Honolulu, 

Miami, Newark, Dallas, and 

Anchorage 

• Designed, developed, and conducted 

four pandemic flu regional workshops— 

Champaign, IL; Peoria, IL; 

Winston-Salem, NC; and 

Summit County, OH 

s public fear about pandemic diseases, radiological terrorism, 

climate change, and other serious health threats increases, 

so does the need for effective public health communication and 

health research. ORAU is helping improve the health of the nation 

through preparing for catastrophic public health events, controlling the 

spread of infectious disease, and conducting environmental health 

research. We are developing health communication materials, health 

preparedness exercises, and customized, Web based training and 

tools for all levels of government and the public health system. 


• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

• National Library of Medicine (NLM) 

• National Cancer Institute (NCI) 

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 


• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

• The Center for Risk Communication 

• Battelle 

• American Institute for Research 

• Linguastat 

• Environ Corporation 

Developing Communication and Training 

Solutions for Public Health Threats 

Public health threats pose a serious danger to all Americans. 

Numerous chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and 

diabetes, are reaching epidemic proportions. Experts warn that 

pandemic flu and chemical, biological, or radiological attacks by 

terrorists are very real possibilities. Yet approximately half of 

American adults do not understand basic health information, and much 

of the healthcare community is unprepared to cope with these potential 

health crises. 

To address these issues, ORAU is developing practical and innovative 

tools to help its customers, such as the CDC, educate the public, train 

healthcare workers, and facilitate health communication at all levels. 

Communicating the Vaccine Safety Message 

Understanding why parents choose not to vaccinate their children is key 

to protecting public health. Misinformation and concerns about side 

effects sometimes overshadow the critical importance of these vaccines. 

Through focused discussions with physicians and parents, ORAU and 

its partners are identifying barriers to immunization and developing 

new strategies to communicate vaccine effectiveness and safety. 

Changing trends in where parents turn for trusted information suggest 

that expanding the health message to alternative communication 

channels may be the catalyst needed to increase participation in 

vaccination programs. 

Health Communication and Training 

Investigating Physicians’ 

Concerns About Vaccines 

Challenge: A number of recent events 

have had the potential to reshape both 

public and professional opinions about 

the safety and value of vaccination 

against infectious diseases. A 

possible association between the 

measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) 

vaccine and autism, the number of 

immunizations administered at one 

time, and financial issues for providers 

are among possible concerns that 

physicians encounter when they 

administer immunizations, especially 

to infants. 

Solution: ORAU worked with the CDC 

to conduct individual interviews with 

pediatricians and family physicians to 

explore their potential concerns with 

infant immunizations. 

Result: The investigation found that 

recent events have not yet been a 

significant factor in either parentphysician 

discussions or in physicians’ 

beliefs and vaccination behaviors. 

However, parent-physician discussions 

regarding vaccine safety concerns 

are now a standard practice and are 

growing. This study contributed to the 

formation of a federal task force on 

vaccine safety and the current ORAUassisted 

work with HHS to develop and 

test vaccine safety messages. 

• Distributed more than 9,800 

Radiological Terrorism Preparedness 

Toolkits across the U.S. and to 14 

foreign countries—more than 25,000 

health professionals completed the 

online course 

CONTACT US: 

health.communication@orau.org 

technical.training@orau.org 

(865) 576-3420 

www.orau.org/busops/healthcomm/ 

Photo credit: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

47 

Health Communication and Training 

Pandemic Flu Preparedness: 

From the Local to Global 

Community 

Leading in Technology-Based Learning Tools 

for Health Applications 

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer afflict more people every 

year and are increasing the demand for trained healthcare providers and accessible 

health information. Computer and Web-based learning tools offer a cost-effective and 

flexible alternative to traditional training and communication methods. 

ORAU is leading the way with technology-based solutions for multimedia training and 

educational programs and is recognized for high quality and state-of-the-art approaches 

to health-worker training and public health communication. 

Workshops on Community 

Partnerships for Pandemic 

Flu Planning 

On behalf of the CDC, ORAU conducted 

for the first time a series of workshops 

geared toward a community’s response to 

an influenza pandemic and how flu might 

impact their local healthcare system. 

Community officials, emergency responders, 

and healthcare workers and administrators 

explored scenarios involving large numbers 

of sick community members and whether 

they would go to the local hospital, stay at 

home, or go to an alternate care facility. 

They also explored how the community 

would take care of its sick, if they were not 

able to be treated in the traditional way, and 

whose responsibility it would be to care for 

the home-bound ill. In 2008, four workshops 

were conducted with two communities in 

Illinois and also in North Carolina and Ohio. 

Educating and Training 

for Public Health Crises 

Preparing for public health crises like pandemic flu or a large-scale 

radiological incident requires not only training of healthcare providers 

but also a more widespread education effort. Cooperation on a global, 

community, and individual level is essential to the success of preparedness 

programs. Questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups conducted 

by ORAU reveal, for example, that an uninformed public and the public’s 

noncompliance with federal health directives could undermine even the 

best emergency plans. 

In an effort to reach and engage people and organizations at every level, 

ORAU and its partners are exploring the needs, knowledge, and attitudes 

of target audiences and developing tailored approaches to health 

emergency preparedness education and training. And through outcomesbased 

program evaluation, ORAU is helping clients determine the most 

cost-effective strategies for achieving preparedness goals. 

International Pandemic Workshops in Asia and South America 

For the CDC, and in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade 

Administration, ORAU developed training materials, toolkits, and evaluations for the Asia-Pacific 

Economic Cooperation (APEC) Pandemic Influenza Train-the-Trainer Workshops in Kaohsiung, 

Chinese Taipei, and Chiclayo, Peru. The workshops focused on pandemic influenza planning and 

business continuity for small- and medium-sized businesses. Attendees also visited China Steel 

Corporation, Kaohsiung Medical University, and Chung Ho Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung and 

the Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo in Chiclayo. Due to the success of these 

workshops, ORAU will facilitate another workshop in Asia in 2009. 

CancerSPACE: 

Improving the Cancer Screening Process 

Through Technology 

Designed for the National Cancer Institute, 

CancerSPACE (Simulating Practice and 

Collaborative Education) is an interactive, 

Web-based application for training clinical staff 

to screen patients for breast, cervical, and colon 

cancers. An e-learning educational game, 

CancerSPACE facilitates self-directed learning 

by presenting the players with real-world situations, 

where choices and consequences are similar to 

those they face in their clinics. The goal of the 

CancerSPACE tool is to improve the cancer 

screening process and increase cancer screening 

rates. While development of CancerSPACE is still 

underway, a demonstration version is available at 

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerspace. 

The complete version is scheduled for release 

in spring 2009. 

Media Monitoring 

An automated data-mining program 

developed for the CDC, Auto-INFORM is 

used to monitor news articles, blogs, and 

Web content related to health concerns 

and codes the information at 100 times 

the speed of humans.

ORAU Management 

ORAU Board of Directors 

Mr. Homer S. Fisher 

Interim President and CEO 

Mr. J. Phil Andrews 

Vice President, Chief 

Financial Officer 

Dr. John C. Nemeth 

Vice President, University 

Partnerships 

Mr. Ivan A. Boatner 

Vice President and 

General Counsel 

Mr. C. Michael Cassidy 

President and CEO 

Georgia Research Alliance 

Mr. Philip E. Coyle III 

Senior Advisor 

Center for Defense Information 

Dr. Sandra J. Degen 

Vice President for Research 


Dr. Felix A. Okojie 

Vice President for Research Development, 

Support, and Federal Relations 

Jackson State University 

Dr. Winfred M. Phillips 


University of Florida 

Adm. J. Paul Reason 

U.S. Navy (Retired) 

Mr. Daniel W. Standley 

Vice President, Human 

Resources 

Mr. Perry A. (Tony) Lester 

Vice President, Business 

Development 

Ms. Monnie E. Champion 

Corporate Secretary 

Dr. Eric W. Abelquist 


Director, Independent 

Environmental Assessment 

and Verification Programs 

Mr. Homer S. Fisher, Jr.* 

Senior Vice President Emeritus and 

Director of Oak Ridge Operations 

University of Tennessee 

VAdm. Peter M. Hekman 

U.S. Navy (Retired) 

Dr. Karen A. Holbrook 

Vice President for Research & Innovation 

University of South Florida 

Dr. David D. Reed 


Michigan Technological University 

Mr. Richard D. Rosen 

Vice President for Education and Philanthropy 

Battelle 

Dr. Juan M. Sanchez 


University of Texas at Austin 

Dr. Donna L. Cragle 

Vice President and Director, 

Occupational Exposure and 

Worker Health Programs 

Mr. H. Andy Page 


National Security and 

Emergency Management 

Programs 

Dr. Wayne L. Stevenson 


Director, Science 

Education Programs 

Mr. Marcus A. Weseman 


Director, Professional 

and Technical Training 

Programs 

Dr. Gerald D. Holder 

U.S. Steel Dean and Professor, School of 

Engineering 

University of Pittsburgh 

Dr. Brooks A. Keel 

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic 

Development 

Louisiana State University 

Dr. Suzanne Laurich-McIntyre 

Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Education 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Dr. Nancy C. Martin 

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

University of Louisville 

Dr. Colin G. Scanes 

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic 

Development 

and Dean of the Graduate School 

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 

Dr. James N. Siedow 

Vice Provost for Research 

Duke University 

Dr. Orlando L. Taylor 

Vice Provost for Research and Dean, 

Graduate School 

Howard University 

Mr. Michael L. Wetzel 


Peer Review Programs 

Dr. Albert L. Wiley 


Radiation Emergency 

Medicine Programs 

Dr. Robert T. McGrath 

Deputy Director, Science and Technology 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

* Resigned effective December 31, 2008, to serve 

as interim president and CEO.

2008 ORAU Sponsoring Institutions 

Alabama A&M University 

Auburn University 

Arkansas State University * 

Berea College * 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Catholic University of America 

Clark Atlanta University 

Clemson University 

College of Charleston * 

College of William and Mary 

Desert Research Institute * 

Duke University 

East Carolina University 

East Tennessee State University 

Emory University 

Fisk University 

Florida Atlantic University 

Florida Institute of Technology 

Florida International University 

Florida State University 

George Mason University 

George Washington University 

Georgetown University 

Georgia State University 

Georgia Tech 

Howard University 

Idaho State University 

Imperial College of Science, 

Technology and Medicine, 

London 

Indiana University 

Jackson State University 

Johns Hopkins University 

Johnson C. Smith University * 

Lincoln Memorial University * 

Louisiana State University 

Maryville College * 

Medical College of Georgia 

Meharry Medical College 

Michigan State University 

Michigan Technological University 

Middle Tennessee State University * 

Mississippi State University 

Missouri University of Science and 

Technology ** 

Morehouse College * 

Morgan State University 

New Mexico State University 

North Carolina A&T State University 

North Carolina State University 

The Ohio State University 

Oklahoma State University 

Penn State University 

Polytechnic University of 

Puerto Rico * 

Rice University 

Roanoke College * 

Rutgers University 

San Diego State University 

Southern Illinois University at 

Carbondale 

Southern Methodist University 

Tennessee State University 

Tennessee Technological University 

Texas A&M University 

Texas Christian University 

Tulane University 

Tuskegee University 

University of Alabama 

University of Alabama at 

Birmingham 

University of Alabama at Huntsville 

University of Arkansas 

University of Arkansas for Medical 

Sciences 

University of Central Florida 


University of Delaware 

University of Florida 

University of Georgia 

University of Houston 

University of Kentucky 

University of Louisville 

University of Maryland 

University of Memphis 

University of Miami 

University of Michigan 

University of Mississippi 

University of Mississippi Medical 

Center ** 

University of Missouri-Columbia 

University of Nevada, Las Vegas 

University of Nevada, Reno 

University of New Mexico 

University of New Orleans 

University of North Carolina at 

Charlotte 

University of North Dakota 

University of North Texas 

University of Notre Dame 

University of Oklahoma 

University of Oklahoma Health 

Sciences Center ** 

University of Pittsburgh 

University of Puerto Rico 

University of Puerto Rico, 

Mayaguez ** 

University of South Alabama 

University of South Carolina 

University of South Florida 

University of Southern Mississippi 

University of Tennessee 

University of Tennessee at 

Chattanooga ** 

University of Tennessee Health 

Sciences Center ** 

University of Texas at Arlington 

University of Texas at Austin 

University of Texas at Dallas 

University of Texas at San Antonio * 

University of Tulsa 

University of Virginia 

Vanderbilt University 

Virginia Commonwealth University 

Virginia State University * 

Virginia Tech 

Wake Forest University 

Washington University 

Wayne State University 

West Virginia University 

Western Carolina University * 

Western Kentucky University 

99 Sponsoring (Ph.D.-granting) Institutions 

* 14 Associate Members 

** 6 Branch Campuses

2008 ORAU Annual Report - Oak Ridge Associated Universities

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