SRNL Connect April 2024
SRNL, Augusta Regional Airport Announce Partnership
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) announced a collaborative effort and partnership centered around emerging aerospace technologies, such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), at the 5th Annual Innovation Xchange, held at the Georgia Cyber Center March 14.
“We’re excited to begin exploring opportunities and joint utilization of facilities and airspace that benefit both organizations,” said SRNL Laboratory Director Vahid Majidi. “We’re eager to begin integrating and leveraging existing resources, expertise of technical staff, and collective program management for the betterment of Augusta, the CSRA and our nation.”
The partnership will focus on research and development efforts in aerospace. As AGS positions itself to become a test center for the integration of these new technologies, SRNL’s UAS Program will become the research and development arm of the test center. SRNL will also partner with the airport for local STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) outreach opportunities, such as flight presentations and demonstrations at area schools, programs with local technical colleges, and other activities that bring STEM to CSRA students.
William Jolin Earns Young Professional Award For 2024
Savannah River National Laboratory Materials Engineer William Jolin was awarded the 2024 Young Professional Award from the Waste Management Symposia. Jolin works in the Glass, Cement, and Ceramic Sciences group at SRNL where he researches waste forms and materials for contaminant immobilization, and serves as the Grout and Saltstone team lead. Prior to SRNL, Jolin served as the contaminant fate and transport subject-matter expert at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).
The annual Waste Management Conference, presented by WM Symposia (WM), attracts thousands of registrants from around the world. The conference is widely regarded as the leading international conference for the management of radioactive material and related topics. The 50th Anniversary conference, WM2024, took place March 10 through 14, 2024, at the Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona.
See the full news release here.
Deputy Lab Director Sue Clark Appointed to ITIAC
The U.S. Secretary of Energy appointed SRNL’s Deputy Laboratory Director, Science and Technology, Sue Clark to the new Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee (ITIAC) to help decarbonize America’s industrial sector. ITIAC is a federal advisory committee whose members will report directly to the U.S. Secretary of Energy. The ITIAC will develop a comprehensive strategy to accelerate technologies and processes designed to reduce emissions across the U.S. industrial sector and move the nation closer to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
The 18 new ITIAC members represent a cross-section of leaders in the U.S. industrial sector, including public and private entities, non-profit organi-zations, federal laboratories, labor groups, small- and large-scale industry, academia, and other federal government agencies. Visit the ITIAC website for more information on the committee, its members, and how to attend upcoming meetings.
Read the full DOE announcement here.
SRNL Receives Funding for Research and Development Projects to Accelerate Hanford Cleanup
Savannah River National Laboratory is one of six national labs to receive Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management funding for 13 research and development projects to accelerate the Hanford Site’s tank waste cleanup mission. SRNL will receive $7.1M first-year funding for four of the 13 projects aimed at developing breakthrough technologies to drastically reduce the life-cycle cost and schedule of the Hanford tank waste cleanup mission.
“Awarding of these proposals represents a great opportunity for SRNL to leverage its decades of expertise in corrosion science, waste form development, and chemical processing to advance the mission of the Hanford tanks waste program,” said Connie Herman, associate laboratory director, SRNL Environmental and Legacy Management. “We look forward to working with our national laboratory, university, and industry partners and the Office of Environmental Management to develop and hopefully deploy these game-changing technologies and approaches.”
Read more here.
Meet SRNL Day at Highfields Event Center
Come meet and get to know the employees of Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) at Meet SRNL Day at Highfields Events Center, May 18, 4-8 p.m.
Learn how SRNL puts science to work to protect our environment, secure our clean energy future, serve our national defense and reduce emerging nuclear threats. There will be food trucks, live music and STEM activities for kids. The event is open to the public.
Look for more information about the event soon on the SRNL Facebook page here.
Proposals Still Being Accepted for K-12 Catalyst Grants
K-12 Catalyst Grants in the amount of $2,500 or $5,000 are available to educators in the Central Savannah River Area to advance classroom activities and programs relating to science, technology engineering and math (STEM). Applicants must be a certified K-12 teacher or school administrator in public, charter, or independent STEM schools. Applications/proposals are being accepted through May 31, 2024, and grants will be awarded in August 2024.
The online application, Q&As and other information about the K-12 Catalyst Grants for STEM Education can be found here.
SRNL in the Community
SRNL National Engineers Week Wrap-up
Savannah River National Laboratory celebrated National Engineers Week throughout the month of February, using several different activities to highlight engineering. SRNL’s activities in February benefitted about 11,400 Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) K-12 students through the following community relations and educational outreach efforts:
- Hosting a job shadow day with 10 students from Silver Bluff High School.
- Conducting an SRNL Virtual Lab Tour with more than 700 students participating.
- Delivering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) kits to 10,066 students and 116 classrooms across the CSRA.
- Collaborating with the Georgia Junior Achievement Discovery Center and mentoring 160 Harlem Middle School students in the Center’s “Biztown.”
- Demonstrating STEM principles to 457 students in the CSRA through TEAM SRNL classroom teach-ins.
TEAM SRNL volunteers at SRNL Day at the Georgia Junior Achievement Discovery Center of the CSRA.