Current News

Health Physics Society (HPS) chapter and section leaders, please make sure the names and contact information for the officers of your chapter/section are updated on the HPS website. This information needs to be current for you to be able to submit the required chapter/section report and to participate in activities like nominating someone to become an IRPA 16 delegate.

Contact Web Ops Editor in Chief Barbara Hamrick or Web Ops Technical Editor Craig Little to update your information.

If you registered for the 68th Health Physics Society (HPS) Annual Meeting, you can view any of the recorded sessions until 31 December 2023. You can access the sessions via an email sent to you by Jennifer Rosenberg in July, with the subject line: HPS Annual Meeting – Speaker/CEL Instructor Handouts.

Add the dates of the following Health Physics Society meetings to your calendar. Check the Meetings and Conferences page of the website for the most current information.

• 2024 IRPA 16th International Congress/69th HPS Annual Meeting
  7–12 July 2024, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
• 70th HPS Annual Meeting - 2025
  Madison, WI
• 71st HPS Annual Meeting - 2026
  5–9 July 2026, Gaylord National Harbor, MD

Bryce Lamar Rich

Health Physics Society member Bryce Rich died 20 February 2022. His obituary can be found on the Nalder Funeral Home website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

Louie Max Scott

Health Physics Society (HPS) member L. Max Scott died 11 March 2023. His obituary can be found on the Dignity Memorial website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

James A. Martin, Jr.

Health Physics Society (HPS) member James A. Martin, Jr., died 5 September 2023. His obituary can be found on the Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes website. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

John Cardarelli, Awards Committee Chair

Let's make our 2024 Health Physics Society (HPS) awards ceremony an event to impress the international community of radiation professionals during our combined IRPA 16/69th HPS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. It's time to recognize your peers by nominating them for one of the 13 HPS awards! Do you have colleagues who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the profession of health physics? Then nominate them for the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award.

Nominations are due by 1 March and must be submitted to the HPS Awards Committee chair.

We thank the many organizations and companies that have supported the Health Physics Society at the annual meeting and throughout the year as meeting sponsors, advertisers, and exhibit hall vendors.

Meeting Sponsors

 

 

 

 

Some of the 68th HPS Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall Vendors

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

 

2023 HPS Sponsors, Advertisers, and Vendors

Health Physics and Operational Radiation Safety, published by the Health Physics Society (HPS), are always in need of qualified reviewers to read and comment on submissions to the journals. If you would like to volunteer for this position, please register here.

Be sure to select your appropriate areas of expertise so that an associate editor can invite you to review papers specific to your interests.

This is a great opportunity for you to get involved in the Society, share your expertise, and help authors get their work published. There is a reviewer tutorial to guide you through the process. If you have questions, please contact Deanna Baker.

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

Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) School and Refresher Class—RSO Services, Inc.

MARSAME—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

MARSSIM—ORAU's Professional Training Programs

Laser Safety Officer (LSO) Training—Kentek Corporation

Certification Review Course Part I and Self Study Course Part I—Bevelacqua Resources

Certification Review Course Part II and Self Study Course Part II—Bevelacqua Resources

HPS Section Awards

Accelerator Section

 

Academic, Industrial, and Research Radiation Safety Section

 

Professional Education Program

Continuing Education Lectures

 

Professional Enrichment Program

 

Professional Development School

 

Bingo in the Exhibit Hall

 

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

I am writing this the day before Thanksgiving, so I've got turkey on my mind . . . but looking over the horizon, I will be happy to see the arrival of the new year. 2023 was a turbulent year, both for me personally and professionally and for the Health Physics Society (HPS) at large. The most significant takeaway for me from 2023 is that I am even more convinced than ever of the importance of our ethical guidelines, the HPS Code of Ethics and Respectful Behavior Policy and the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) Standards of Professional Responsibilities for CHPs and Respectful Behavior Policy (both on the About AAHP page) – this collection of documents is our north star. These documents not only guide our professional conduct, but if they are followed, they serve as a shield against specious accusations that are becoming all too common. Following these guidelines assiduously will also fortify our profession against the erosion of credibility afflicting the sciences in today's highly politically charged environment. I encourage all of you to join me in committing to review these guidelines at the beginning of every year – and whenever necessary throughout the year. Let's make a fresh start in 2024 and recommit to upholding the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior.

The January 2023 issue of Health Physics is now available online.

J. Matthew Barnett, Committee Chair

N13 Annual Business Meeting

The annual N13, Radiation Protection, business meeting was held on 26 October 2023 at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters in Washington, DC. During the 2023 fiscal year, N13 approved seven ballots mostly related to new work group chairs and work group members; there were 11 external inquiries during the year that were addressed as well.

 

In recognition of N13 members who retired or moved to new positions during the year, Certificates of Appreciation were awarded. The individuals recognized were:

• Ali Simpkins, American Nuclear Society
• Glenn Sullivan, Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Harrison (Skip) Kerschner, Institute of Nuclear Materials Management
• Ben Estes, US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
• James Dillard, US Department of Energy
• Sandy Hyman, Internal Dosimetry N13 Section Manager

N13 activities are summarized every six months and posted to the Committee Reports under the Members Only section of the HPS website.

Krishendu Saha, Committee Chair

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Intersociety Relations Committee (IRC) is looking for an individual who can act as liaison between the HPS and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC). The goal of the IRC is to foster relationships between HPS and partner organizations through joint efforts in related areas. The liaison needs to be an HPS member, spearhead these efforts in collaboration with the corresponding IRC designee, and furnish an annual report on any collaborative steps. Please reach back with any questions to Krishnendu Saha.

Health Physics Society President Emeritus Dick Toohey died 13 November 2023. An In Memoriam piece will be posted on the HPS website at a future date.

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Elda Anderson Breakfast

 

2023 Members Meeting

 

IRPA 16 Planning Meeting

 

Science Teacher Workshop

 

Public Information Committee

 

Speaker Ready Room

 

Registration Desk

 

HPS Garage Sale

 

Student Travel Grant Recipients

 

Out and About in National Harbor

 

 

 

 

Military Health Physics Section

 

Women in Radiation Protection Section

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

For the last several years, the American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) has conducted an annual CHP Salary Survey. This is the fifteenth year the survey has been expanded to include the entire Health Physics Society (HPS) membership, and we ask for your participation in completing it. Click here to complete the Salary Survey. If you have any comments, questions, or problems with the survey please contact Gary Lauten, CHP. The survey will be removed from the website after 31 December 2023. Thank you for your participation.

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

 

 

AAHP Distinguished Membership 2023
Kenneth Skrable, George Chabot, Kathryn Pryor, Kim Kearfott, Frazier Bronson,
Paul Ziemer, Ruth McBurney, Richard Toohey, Ken Kase, and Kent Lambert

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace

Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section

Homeland Security and Emergency Response Section Award
Jacob Kamen

 

Military Health Physics Section

John C. Taschner Leadership Award
Jeffrey S. Caudill

 

Superior Civilian Service Award
Julie A. Clements

 

Young Military Health Physicist of the Year Award
Aure J. Stewart

 

Women in Radiation Protection Section

Inclusivity Award
Lisa Manglass

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Elda E. Anderson Award
Deepesh Poudel

 

Elda E. Anderson Award Acceptance Speech

Deepesh Poudel

Good afternoon,

I feel quite anxious at giving speeches, and even contemplated just waving from my seat, but I feel like it is important for me to step out of my comfort zone and express my gratitude to the wonderful people who have helped me get to where I am.

First on the list are Dr. Richard Brey and Dr. Jason Harris, my professors at Idaho State University. In 2010, I was an undergrad at Idaho State University enrolled in the biology program, but I also wanted to study physics, chemistry, and more. I was flipping through the undergraduate catalog and stumbled upon the health physics program—it had a little bit of everything I wanted to study: physics, biology, computer science, and mathematics! I emailed Dr. Brey right away, talked to him for an hour, talked to Dr. Harris, and I was convinced right there that it was the right field for me. Three degrees in health physics and 12 years later, here I am accepting this incredible honor! I am so grateful to Dr. Brey and Dr. Harris for not only teaching me the fundamentals of health physics, but also instilling in me the love for the field and for always, always being there for me, no matter what I needed.

I must also express my gratitude to Eric Krage, my classmate from Idaho State University, who encouraged me to "get out there" and got me into this addicting—and rewarding—path of volunteering for the Society.

I want to thank my current and past bosses at Los Alamos National Laboratory—Dr. Milan Gadd, Stephanie Archuleta, Jeff Hoffman, and Maria Nappi—for their relentless efforts to overcome the challenges of my foreign nationality and ensuring I could continue my work at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). I am so thankful that my team lead at LANL, Dr. John Klumpp, thought I was the right fit for the job—I am very grateful that he provides an exceptional working environment that allows me to learn and grow. I am so grateful to have gotten a chance to work with Dr. Luiz Bertelli and Dr. Ray Guilmette and for the opportunities to continuously bother them with many questions. I am grateful for the opportunities to collaborate with incredible people in the field: Sergei Tolmachev, Guthrie Miller, Dunstana Melo, Maia Avtandilashvili, Sara Dumit, and George Tabatadze—I have learned so much from them! I am very grateful to Dr. Thomas Johnson for working with me together on many of the things I do for the Society.

I want to thank Dr. Charles Wilson from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) for convincing me that I am a suitable candidate for this award and for putting together the nomination package. I am also thankful to Dr. Emily Caffrey—my role model when it comes to service for the Society—for writing the letter of support. I want to thank Dr. Craig Little and many of the people I mentioned earlier—Drs. Brey, Caffrey, Harris, Johnson, Tolmachev, and Wilson—for their supporting letters.

I would not be standing here without the support of my wife Ramila—her boundless love and her constant presence have been my source of strength. She believes in me more than anyone else does—perhaps not as much as my team leader but definitely more than myself. I am thankful to have someone like her by my side for the last 15 years, constantly reminding me of my potential. I am thankful to my parents for allowing me to leave Nepal to pursue a better future in the Unites States. Now that I am a father myself—I have a 2-year-old—I understand the pain and suffering my parents endured in letting me come to a country thousands of miles away, where I knew no one and barely spoke the language. I am so glad they made that sacrifice for me.

Finally, I want to thank the Health Physics Society that has given me so much over the last decade or so, from travel grants to scholarships and fellowships, but most importantly, for the network it exposed me to and for the opportunities it provided me. I hope to give back to the Society as much as it has given me.

I also hope to be able to live up to the expectations of the award. I was at the award breakfast on Monday, and I looked around at the remarkable individuals who have previously received the award, including my own professors and other individuals I deeply admire. I am incredibly humbled, and I can't help but acknowledge that I still have much to learn and accomplish on my journey! To me, the award is more of a reminder of what I still must do than it is a testament to my accomplishments so far.

Thank you!

 

Elda Anderson Breakfast

 

Founders Award
David Connolly

 

Geoffry G. Eichholz Outstanding Science Teacher Award
Ann Marie Dubick

 

Fellows of the Health Physics Society

 

Lectureship Awards

 

HPS 50-Year Members

 

 

50-Year Affiliate Member: ORTEC

 

Student Fellowships

Burton J. Moyer Fellowship
Bryanna Wattier, Clemson University

Health Physics Society Fellowship
Anilu Diaz, Francis Marion University

Health Physics Society Fellowship
Heechan Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert Gardner Memorial Fellowship
Ignacio Bartol, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert S. Landauer, Sr., Memorial Fellowship
Dmitri Margot, Georgia Institute of Technology

Richard J. Burk, Jr., Fellowship
Annelise Gonzales, Clemson University

J. Newell Stannard Memorial Fellowship
Emmanuel Mate-Kole, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dade W. Moeller Scholarship
Suman Shrestha, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dade W. Moeller Scholarship Memorializing Kelly Austin
Anna Manfredo, Illinois Institute of Technology

F. Ward Whicker Scholarship
Jonathan Whipple, Oregon University

 

Student Travel Grant Recipients

Sherry Adadi, Georgia Institute of Technology

Johnson Aina, Idaho State University

Andrea Alipio, University of Santo Tomas

Samuel Arnold (AIRRS), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Eric Ofosu Asare, University of Ghana-School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences

Melissa Bailey, Oregon State University

Alex Baty (Decommissioning), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Ridhita Binte Borhan (Decommissioning), University of Massachusetts Lowell

Chandler Burgos (AIRRS), Purdue University

Christine Dulohan, University of Santo Tomas Graduate School

Mohammad Omar Faruque Fahim, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Jacob Farkas (Decommissioning), Purdue University

David Gonzalez, Georgia Institute of Technology

Thomas Grier, Purdue University

Philip Gyan, KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School

Christina Hewett, Illinois Institute of Technology

Chukwuka James, Alcorn State University

Elif Kara, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Maruf Hassan Khan (Decommissioning), Purdue University, West Lafayette

Joeun Lee, Purdue University

William Lynn (Decommissioning), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Arielle Miller (Medical Health Physics), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Martin Murungi, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Stephen Reed, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Andrew Rosenstrom, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ricky Sahagun, Purdue University

Abdullahi Shittu, King Abdulaziz University

Lancer Smith (Medical Health Physics), University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sarah Sublett, Colorado State University

Theodore Thomas, Purdue University

Yi Wei, Georgia Institute of Technology

Paige Witter, Colorado State University

 

Photos courtesy of Edward Wallace unless otherwise indicated

Plenary Sessions

 

Internal Dosimetry Session

 

American Academy of Health Physics Special Session

Thank you to the following publishers and authors who donated books for the Publications Booth book drawing in the exhibit hall at the 68th Health Physics Society Annual Meeting. If you would like to purchase one of the books, links for ordering are provided.

• Dead Hot: A Dakota Mystery – M.K. Coker (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1545120606)
• Environmental Health, 4th Edition – Dade Moeller (available from Harvard University Press, www.hup.harvard.edu, ISBN: 978-0674047402)
• The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging, Fourth Edition – Jerrold T. Bushberg, J. Anthony Seibert, Edwin M. Leidholdt, Jr., and John M. Boone (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 978-1975103224)
• The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging Study Guide – Jerrold T. Bushberg, J. Anthony Seibert (available from Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 978-1975103262)
• The Health Physics Solutions Manual, 3rd Edition – Thomas E. Johnson (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1929169054)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1400052189)
• Low Dose Radiation: The History of the U.S. Department of Energy Research Program – Antone L. Brooks (available from Washington State University Press, wsupress.wsu.edu, ISBN: 978-0-87422-354-5)
• Laser Safety Management – Ken Barat (available at CRC press, ISBN 978-0824723071)
• Laser Safety: Practical Knowledge and Solutions – Edited by Ken Barat (available at IOP Publishing, Inc. [ebook, PDF, Kindle], Barnes and Noble (hardcover), Online ISBN: 978-0750355049, Print ISBN: 978-0750355001
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169061)
• Radiation Protection: Solutions Manual – Thomas E. Johnson and David J. Dolan (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169153)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Workbook for Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson (available at Pastime Publications, ISBN: 978-1929169078)
• Radiation Protection: The Essential Guide for Canadian Technologists – Thomas E. Johnson and Francis E. Tourneur (ISBN: 978-1929169177)
• Silent Source – James Marshall Smith (available at amazon.com, ISBN: 978-1939398703)

Jessica Joyce, Mentorship Committee Chair

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Mentorship Committee was happy to host a group of motivated individuals at the 68th HPS Annual Meeting for this year's early-morning Challenging Health Physics Questions (CHPQ) event! Participants worked in small groups to solve written health physics questions about ion chamber detectors, neutron activation, and internal dosimetry. Each question was designed to take 30 minutes to solve and relied on provided information as well as foundational health physics concepts. Volunteer coaches Deepesh Poudel, Thomas Johnson, and Zachariah Tribbett provided coaching and grading. Want to challenge yourself? Reach out to the Mentorship Committee to get a copy of this year's CHPQs or plan to join us for the next event.

Dan Strom, USTUR

Internal dosimetry was the subject of the Health Physics Society (HPS) Winter Workshop held 5–9 February 2023 at Oregon State University's Memorial Union in Corvallis, Oregon. The spacious venue provided table seating for participants and a generally good setting for a hybrid meeting.

After three online-only Professional Enrichment Program (PEP) classes on Sunday, Monday kicked off with talks by experienced veterans of internal dosimetry like Gus Potter, Cheryl Antonio, and Mike Stabin, balanced by contributions by younger presenters like Majid Khalaf, Brett Rosenberg, Caleigh Samuels, Donovan Anderson, and Amber Harshman. Lots of wisdom was shared, including almost as many "don'ts" as "dos," pitfalls, and successes. "Did you decay-correct the data?" asked Stabin. "First aid first," reminded Rosenberg. "You may want to turn this intake into a science project," but keep your priorities straight. Several speakers told us "Dr. Google doesn't have all the answers." Dr. Stabin also described new phantoms at the RADAR website.

Monday afternoon's presentations on internal dose coefficients began with Nicole Martinez's introduction to computational internal dosimetry, followed by a new systemic model for radon, use of specific absorbed fractions, and uses of coefficients. Derek Jokisch, the new director of the Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, cleared up some unspoken confusions, saying, "There is no uncertainty in dose coefficients because the dose to a reference individual is a fixed point estimate." I would add that there is no variability in a reference individual, so there is no uncertainty in dose coefficients. After Philip Fulmer's insights on the use of dose coefficients, the Environmental Protection Agency's David Stuenkel explained the calculations that are used in developing the new Radionuclide Cancer Risk Coefficients that will be published soon as Federal Guidance Report 16 (FGR 16). Finally, John Klumpp introduced us to KDEP and DEPDOSE codes that "integrate over the individual space-time path through the plume" to simulate and calculate intakes.

Tuesday morning's session was focused on the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries' (USTUR) historical and continuing research. In the opening talk, George Tabatadze presented a brief history of the Registries and the highlights of current research. The USTUR's national and international collaborations were described by Nicole Martinez, Sara Dumit, and Martin Šefl. Focus shifted to Tony Riddell's update on the new TAURUS internal dosimetry software, ultimately intended to be a successor to the widely-used IMBA code. John Brockman described ICP-MS measurements (as an alternative to alpha spectroscopy), Ron Goans presented work on biomarkers of exposure in radium dial painters, and Xirui Liu gave a comparison of autopsy reports with death certificates. The morning was capped off with a description of the USTUR golden nugget offered by John Boice.

Tuesday afternoon's program covered internal dosimetry in medical practice with presentations by Misty Liverett, William Erwin, and Darrell Fisher. Besides technological breakthroughs like silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and avalanche photodiodes (APDs) improving image quality, we learned about "theranostic" procedures combining therapy and diagnosis imaging. Lots of software was introduced, including mirdcalc, which is free from www.mirdsoft.org.

We got to sleep in on Wednesday morning due to the cancellation of the first session and launched into current research with Dunstana Melo (nuclear fallout dose coefficients), Emmanuel Mate-Kole (uncertainty in consequence management), Josh Knowland (extravasation), Joshua Hargraves and Brockway Elmore II (biota phantoms), and MinSeok Park (iodine-131 whole body counting). Robert Hayes treated us to a comprehensive review of air monitoring for dose estimation, underscored by personal experience with the 2014 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant explosion, among others. One memorable moment was Dr. Hayes's challenge to imagine doing representative sampling of shifting campfire smoke.

Wednesday afternoon concluded with Joshua Hayes's presentation on dose magnitude estimation in emergencies and Cheryl Antonio's review of the 1976 Hanford americium accident.

Thursday brought risk communication to our attention with presentations by Emily Caffrey, Sara Dumit, and John Klumpp. Fear on the part of someone who may have experienced an intake is real and serious and must be acknowledged and dealt with. Practical advice on listening, relating, empathizing, and communicating was shared. Kendall Berry suggested that we must "acknowledge the fear."

The workshop ended with a tabletop exercise of dosimetry challenges following an accident, led by Cheryl Antonio and Lynda DeMartino, which elicited a lot of audience participation, both online and in person. And as Rosenberg reminded us, "Detection does not mean danger!"

The workshop provided valuable and fun interactions in the evenings with colleagues in attendance. And a real highlight was provided by Jess Joyce and the HPS Mentorship Committee, which organized lunchtime problem-solving exercises in which teams of two or three people got a chance to work together as a learning experience.

This reporter attended the HPS Internal Dosimetry Summer Schools in 1994 and 2002, and this workshop was a great continuation of that tradition. Those two events produced excellent proceedings to which I have referred many times. Is that tradition passé now? In any case, the program committee of Rachel Pope Nichols, Richard Adams, and Joshua Hayes is to be commended for a successful meeting! And last but not least, Brett Burk and his staff did a fabulous job coping with technology challenges and keeping us connected.

Jess Joyce, HPS Mentorship Committee Chair

At this year's 2023 Health Physics Society (HPS) Winter Workshop on Internal Dosimetry in Corvallis, Oregon, 6–9 February, a new networking activity was offered over the lunch hour Monday and Tuesday to create connections between attendees. While juggling slices of pizza, teams of two to three participants competed to solve written "Challenging Health Physics" problems with an internal dosimetry focus. The questions ranged from defining "intake" and "uptake" to estimating committed effective dose to a worker based on results from a lapel air sampler. Some participants were actively studying for certification exams, looking for additional content to sharpen their skills, while others were experienced mentors in the internal dosimetry field, providing guidance and additional insight to the discussions.

With the most complete and accurate responses, winners on Monday included John Harris, Darin Reid, and Kyle Maloy. Winners on Tuesday (all scoring 100%!) included Ben Williams, Darin Reid, Zach Wiren, and David Stuenkel.

This activity was organized by the HPS Mentorship Committee, with questions provided by Deepesh Poudel and Thomas Johnson. Additional thanks are due to the HPS midyear Program Committee and the Burk and Associates team for coordinating the venue, the HPS Board members who graded questions, and the Oregon State University student chapter for donating prizes.