Oak Ridge Associated Universities 2006 Annual Report

From Education to Environmental
Health, ORCAS Influences a Broad
Spectrum of National Issues
In its second year of operation, ORCAS—a think
and do tank—shifted into high gear, helping our
country’s decision makers not only debate various
socioeconomic issues facing the U.S. but also work
toward doing something about them. Through a
variety of different workshops, ORCAS engaged
regional and national leaders in discussion and
problem-solving sessions aimed at improving
education and American competitiveness and
promoting energy, economic development, and
environmental health.
In March, ORCAS
hosted a workshop on
the globalization of
the university system,
with a focus on deemed
export policy. The
U.S. Department of
Commerce (DOC) has
called for Congress to
consider legislation
that would deem as
U.S. universities are expanding
abroad, such as Texas A&M
at Qatar, a small Arab nation
located in Southwest Asia,
and are learning to cope
with current and potential
regulations on foreign
students’ involvement with
research projects.
an export any release of controlled technology
to foreign nationals, including foreign visitors
or workers at U.S. private, public, or government
research laboratories. As universities extend their
global reach, both in hosting foreign students in the
U.S. and by creating overseas campuses, the threat
of illicit technology transfer and espionage is real.
However, universities are also dedicated to the
creation of knowledge and the continued success
of American research achievement. Thus, additional
regulatory burdens on researchers or limitations
on the pool of intellect that may participate could
reduce American competitiveness.
Thanks to the input from the workshop along
with many other conversations between DOC
and academic leaders and scientists, DOC’s
Undersecretary of the Bureau of Industry and
Security David H. McCormick announced that his
department had decided to “step back” from the
rule-making process and conduct a “top-to-bottom
review of deemed-export policy.”
One month later, ORCAS sponsored a two-day
national conference to address improvement of
math and science literacy in grades K-12. As a
result, Battelle asked ORCAS to develop a version
of the conference proceedings for Fortune 500
companies to use as a resource in funding decisions
about science and math literacy programs.
Shifting its focus to environmental health issues,
ORCAS partnered with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in April to cosponsor
a workshop, “Nanotechnology Applications
in Environmental Health: Big Plans for Little
Particles,” at the EPA Research Triangle Park
campus in Durham, North Carolina. Top
nanotechnologists and environmental and
ecosystems health researchers discussed needs and
concerns about using nanosensors in environmental
monitoring, human exposure research, and
ecosystems research.
As increased energy demands caused energy
costs to reach all-time highs this summer,
ORCAS—on behalf of the Appalachian Regional
Commission (ARC)—facilitated roundtables
on energy efficiency for Appalachia. Scientists,
engineers, academicians, and federal and economicdevelopment
officials participated and helped
establish an “energy blueprint” they hope will
create more jobs as well as generate ideas for energy
efficiency in Appalachia.
“Entering our second year we have really seen the
pace increase,” said ORCAS Director Paul Gilman.
“I am gratified that along the way we have worked
with more than 75 universities, 13 federal agencies,
20 state agencies, and numerous private sector
organizations.”
Looking ahead, ORCAS plans further activities
in K-12 math and science literacy, based upon
encouragement from participants in the first
workshop. ORCAS also plans to expand its summer
student program by offering research opportunities
for undergraduates in policy analysis. Finally,
ORCAS is developing a working group of state and
local officials who might benefit from having access
to climate projections.
Image Information:
Methane gas from an adjacent six-acre landfill heats
the boilers that provide hot water to the greenhouses at
EnergyXchange in Burnsville, North Carolina. The energysaving
activities of the nonprofit corporation were one of
several energy projects highlighted at an ORCAS workshop
attended by regional energy experts.
20