This is the last time I’ll be writing as the Accelerator Section president. Hence, I wanted to use this forum first to thank the many who have helped me through the past year. Special thanks go to our immediate past-president, Dr. Sayed Rokni, as well as to our past past-president, Dr. Bob Casey. Both have been excellent mentors, and through their particular efforts I have learned a great deal. Thank you also, Scott Walker. We have had many fruitful and interesting discussions during the past year. Scott also put together the Special Accelerator Session for the 51st Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society (HPS) in Providence, Rhode Island. This year’s session was organized as a mini-plenary with former Accelerator Section President Dr. Lutz Moritz giving the keynote address.
The Accelerator Section is also pleased to announce that we have two award recipients for the annual meeting. The first award is for volunteerism to the HPS. This award is bestowed on Linnea Wahl, our own newsletter editor. Linnea continues to volunteer and does an absolutely superb job as our newsletter editor. It is often a thankless job--soliciting articles and editing our less-than-grammatically-perfect submissions. This is especially remarkable in that Linnea (an environmental health physicist) does not work directly in the field of accelerator physics. We thank you, Linnea, for your selfless contributions of time and your continued commitment to this cause. Your efforts unite accelerator health physicists around the world.
Linnea was also instrumental in redesigning our new Accelerator Section web page. It turned out wonderfully and if you’ve not yet seen it, then you are in for a treat. It continues to be the repository for past newsletter articles, an invaluable resource, and so much more.
Further, Linnea once again stepped into the breach to act as the liaison between the Northern California Chapter and the Accelerator Section, cohosts for the 2008 midyear in Oakland, California. Last year, Linnea’s devotion to our cause was recognized by the Accelerator Section in the form of a plaque. This year, her efforts are being recognized at the society level. Her award will be presented at the beginning of the Special Accelerator Section by President Ruth McBurney. You are an invaluable treasure to our section. Know that our appreciation is genuine and that thanks are completely inadequate for all you do. Congratulations, Linnea!
The second section member to be singled out by the HPS is former Accelerator Section President Scott Owen Schwahn. "The Elda E. Anderson Award is presented to a young member of the HPS to recognize excellence in (1) research or development, (2) discovery or invention, (3) devotion to health physics, and/or (4) significant contributions to the profession of health physics. Eligible recipients are those who shall not have reached their 40th birthday prior to January 2006" (Health Physics News, January 2006). This year, the award was bestowed on Scott Owen Schwahn, CHP.
Scott began his health physics career with Shonka Research Associates, Inc., of Marietta, Georgia, where he served as an associate scientist and research consultant. During his tenure there, he assisted in the development of novel radiation detection systems, including position-sensitive proportional counters and plastic scintillation detectors.
Scott’s next stop was Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory (formerly known as CEBAF) where he spent a decade. As Deputy Head of the Radiation Control Group, he assisted in management of a staff of ten with all the administrative duties that this entails. He personally derived effective solutions to shielding and source control problems which required extensive mastery and knowledge of the complex hadronic interactions generated by high-energy electrons and photons. Scott assisted in setting up the radioanalytical laboratory at CEBAF and directed implementation of the computer-monitored environmental radiation system for the whole laboratory. This was extremely important in verifying and providing real-time data for the theoretical forecasts of radiation skyshine to the laboratory surroundings.
Since 2003, Scott has served as the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program's (DOELAP’s) external dosimetry performance evaluation program administrator. In this role, he plans, coordinates, administers, and provides technical direction for the DOELAP accreditation process for whole body and extremity dosimetry programs.
Scott’s service to the HPS includes, in part, serving the Virginia HPS Chapter as president for two terms; the Accelerator Section as secretary, newsletter editor, and president; the Government Section as secretary; the Eastern Idaho HPS Chapter as president; the Publications Committee and Laboratory Accreditation Policy Committee as an active member; and five years on the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) Part II Panel of Examiners. The section is extremely proud to have nominated Scott for this important award. Heartiest congratulations!
As my tenure as Accelerator Section president draws to a close, the section remains cognizant of a crisis in human capital in the society. This is occurring in many health physics areas but most particularly in the field of accelerator health physics. At this time, there exists no formal training venue for accelerator health physics, anywhere in the world. Former mentors from Spring 8 and CERN have now passed on to retirement. Many who have had accelerator experience are turning to other health physics fields, including government, operational health physics, and laboratory accreditation. Thus there is a void--no, a vacuum, in accelerator health physics. There are many unsolved problems in this field, including pulsed-field instrumentation, spectroscopy of neutrons, the formation of new isotopes from novel targets and higher and higher accelerator energies, to name but a few. If we wish to successfully compete in these new experiments, it is critical that there be a fundamental understanding and ability to model these new experiments in a meaningful way.
To this end, the section established the H. Wade Patterson Award to recognize deserving students working in the special area of accelerator health physics. Our efforts have fallen short, so we need this community to reach out and encourage students to select this field of endeavor. We are also looking for accelerator-related papers for submission to the Operational Health Physics Journal. Please give consideration to your potential submissions.
We are a small, but, vibrant section. This means that each of us should step up to the plate and consider serving either on the board of directors or in an officer position of the section. Please let me know whether you would be willing to serve and in which capacity (send me an e-mail). We have concluded our electronic balloting for the upcoming year, the results of which will be certified and finalized at the annual Accelerator Section meeting, immediately following the Accelerator Section Special Session on Wednesday, June 28.
Keep in mind potential topics for the 2008 midyear meeting. The Northern California Chapter of the HPS (NCCHPS) will be presenting an update on the meeting in Oakland for the Symposia Committee. Being responsible for the technical portion of the midyear meeting, the section needs to prepare the call for papers, which will occur more quickly than we think. We are attempting to broaden the interest for this meeting to include not only large research accelerators, but industrial and medical accelerators as well. Dr. Nisy Ipe, former Accelerator Section president, has volunteered to act as a technical advisor to the midyear meeting. Thank you, Nisy. The Accelerator Section and the Northern California Chapter look forward to your participation.
Best wishes to all from the hot South with hopes for a milder hurricane season.