NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AND MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS • NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AND MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
The Annual Report of the
Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
&
Medical Physics Programs
2008-2009
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM CHAIR Dear Friends, I am happy to present the eighth edition of the annual report for the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics (NRE/MP) Programs. This report covers the academic year ending June 2009. Student enrollment continues to increase and is now at its highest since the mideighties. Despite the challenging economic times, we continue to create and offer new courses and completed the offering of the first year of the expanded MSMP curriculum. New graduate courses offered for the first time were Radiological Anatomy, Medical Health Physics, Radiation Dosimetry, Monte Carlo in Medical Physics, Radiation Shielding, Fast Reactor Physics, and Radioanalytical Chemistry. During the past year, the growth of the academic and research laboratories continued. I am pleased to report that Dr. Sang Cho, who joined the NRE/MP program in January 2007, has established a new research laboratory, the Nanoparticle-Aided Imaging and Therapy Laboratory, equipped with a microfocus x-ray source, various x-ray detectors, a near-infrared laser, and various photodiode detectors. The laboratory is designed for research related to both x-ray and laser applications with gold nanoparticles in cancer therapy and molecular imaging. A new neutron generator and associated electronics were
WE WANT YOUR BIG IDEAS! Dear Colleagues and Friends: This is clearly an era of transition. Every one of us has been affected by the changing economy and its consequences for both day-to-day financial decisions and on longer term program and strategic issues. We face the challenge of the evolving nature of both the mechanical and nuclear engineering professions and its impact on engineering education. To provide leadership in this new era, Georgia Tech is fortunate to have attracted Bud Peterson away from the University of Colorado to be our 11th President. A distinguished scholar in the area of phase change heat transfer, we are extremely proud to have Bud as a member of our own Woodruff School faculty. Much of my first year and a half as School Chair was devoted to listening, learning, and implementing changes in our administrative structure. These changes put us in a better position to address future challenges. Our focus in 2009-2010 will be on developing a new strategic plan for the School. President Peterson has embarked upon a similar effort for the Institute and we expect to be the first unit to develop a strategic plan concurrent with the Institute plan. We are privileged to have Professor David McDowell chair the Woodruff School’s Strategic Steering Committee, which includes Yves Berthelot, Amy Bondurant, Wayne Book, Bert Bras, Bill Cheesborough, Chaitanya Deo, Srinivas Garimella, Rudy Gleason, Sam Graham, Roger Jiao, Rhett Mayor, Wayne Whiteman, and Minami Yoda. This talented and well-balanced group aims to engage the larger Woodruff School community to create a vision based on shared values that foster an environment for creativity and innovation. The strategic planning process will address many questions such as:
added to the Radiation Physics Laboratory for implementation of additional experiments in this course. The first experiment that was introduced in spring 2009 was the measurement of the alpha eigenvalue for a natural uranium and graphite subcritical assembly. We are thankful to Southern Nuclear Operating Company for providing funds to make this enhancement possible. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lei Zhu to the NRE/MP programs. He joined Georgia Tech as an assistant professor in August 2009. Dr. Zhu obtained his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University and spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow in the radiology department. At Georgia Tech, he has begun creating an Advanced X-ray Imaging and Therapy Optimization Laboratory with multi-functionality platform designed for development of advanced imaging technologies to provide improved treatment guidance in modern radiation therapy. The system has the full functionality of an xray cone-beam CT commonly used in the current image-guided and adaptive radiation therapy. It can also perform PET imaging, which plays an important role in biology-guided radiation therapy. I hope that you enjoy reading this report. I look forward to your continued support of our programs. Please feel free to contact me if you have comments or wish to discuss the programs.
Farzad Rahnema, Professor and Chair October 2009, Atlanta, Georgia
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What challenges will our current NRE/ME graduates face in the next twenty-five years? How will the NRE and ME disciplines change in the next few years? How can we innovate both what we teach and how we teach? What does it mean to be a thought leader in engineering research and education? What is the Woodruff School’s role within Georgia Tech, the State of Georgia, the United States, and the world? How does the Woodruff School maintain and build upon its research pre-eminence as well as foster translational research that will contribute to the betterment of society?
Your input on these questions is important to this process. We want to know your BIG ideas! We want you to challenge us to reach that next level. Your insights provide a critical and constructive point of view that we sometimes overlook in our academic setting. The draft strategic planning document will appear on our website in early 2010. Please review this document and share your comments, opinions, and thoughts with us. The final document with strategic objectives and metrics for progress toward our goals will be finished by July 2010. The Woodruff School community prides itself on thinking big and making the impossible possible: please help us move forward. Finally, I want to thank all of you for your generous and enthusiastic support during my first full year as Chair of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. As you will learn by reading this annual report, in the midst of great economic stress our faculty, staff, and students continued their pursuit of excellence as evidenced by the numerous accomplishments of its faculty, staff, and students. Congratulations to all for their outstanding efforts!
William J. Wepfer, Eugene H. Gwaltney Jr. School Chair October 2009, Atlanta, Georgia
CONTENTS
Highlights ......................1 Programs ......................3 Degrees ........................5
Scholarships .................6 Fellowships ...................7 Enrollment.....................7
Faculty ..........................8 Staff.............................11 Contributors.................11
Alumni Awards ............11 Advisory Board ...........12 Facilities......................13
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
HIGHLIGHTS THE CLASS OF 2009 RECOGNITION RECEPTION All the hard work of our graduating students was celebrated at the Class of 2009 Recognition Reception held on Friday, May 1st at the Ferst Center for the Arts. The program honored those students who received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from the Woodruff School in the spring and summer terms. There were brief talks by the Woodruff School’s Distinguished Alumnus and the Zeigler Outstanding Educator to inspire the graduates as they leave Georgia Tech to make an impact on and better our society. There was also an opportunity to meet the School Chair and some of the people in the Woodruff School who helped the students along the way to graduation. Family and friends of the graduates were invited to the celebration and reception. They joined us from many states, including California, Florida, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and countries such as Columbia, Dominican Republic, and France.
RESEARCH FAIR The NRE/MP Programs had their annual research fair in the fall. Faculty and some of their graduate students presented their research to current undergraduate students and new NRE/MP graduate students.
GEORGIA TECH’S 11TH PRESIDENT: G. P. “BUD” PETERSON G. P. “Bud” Peterson was selected by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to become the eleventh president of Georgia Tech, effective April 1, 2009. The Woodruff School is also very proud that President Peterson has accepted an academic appointment as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Before coming to Georgia Tech, Dr. Peterson was the Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to that, he served for six years as Provost and Officer of the Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. From 1993-1994, Dr. Peterson was Program Director at the National Science Foundation for the Thermal Transport and Thermal Processing Programs. He held various positions at Texas A&M University, beginning in 1981 as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology, to Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1990), Halliburton Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1990), the College of Engineering’s Tenneco Professor, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (1993-1996), Executive Associate Dean of Engineering (1996-2000), and Associate Vice-Chancellor for Engineering for the Texas A&M University System (1996-2000). Prior to Texas A&M, he was a Visiting Research Scientist at NASAJohnson Space Center in Houston (1981-1982), Associate Professor at Kansas Technical Institute in Salina (1979-1981), a Mathematics Teacher in Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas (1978-1979), and a Math, Physics, and Chemistry Teacher at Wabaunsee County High School in Alma, Kansas (1977-1978). Dr. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1975, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977, and a
WOODRUFF SCHOOL WELCOME SOCIAL At the beginning of the fall term in 2008, we held a Welcome Social for our undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. Mayfield ice cream was served by faculty members to about 1500 attendees.
FAMILY WEEKEND OPEN HOUSE Family Weekend Open House in the Woodruff School is a chance for the families of our undergraduate students to learn about what their students are being taught, meet the undergraduate advisors, tour our facilities, see what the student competition teams are working on, and talk with some student leaders.
master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1980, all from Kansas State University. He also earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1985. A distinguished scientist, Peterson was selected in 2008 by President George W. Bush to serve on the National Science Board though 2014. The Board oversees the National Science Foundation and advises the President and Congress on national policy related to science and engineering research and education. Throughout his career, Peterson has played an active role in helping to establish the national education and research agendas, serving on numerous industry, government, and academic task forces and committees. He also served as a member of a number of congressional task forces, research councils, and advisory boards, including the Office of Naval Research, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Engineering. More recently, he served as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President for Education for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is currently serving on a number of national accreditation agencies including the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, with a focus on improving and assessing outcomes for higher education. President Peterson is a fellow of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is the author or co-author of 14 books or book chapters, 165 referred journal articles, and more than 140 conference publications. He also holds eight patents. President Peterson was born September 1, 1952 in San Francisco, and raised in Prairie Village, a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas. He and his wife, Val, have four adult children.
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
SENIORS HONORED AT DINNER NRE undergraduate students with a grade point average of 3.5 and above, were invited to attend the senior honors dinner held in the fall. The purpose of this dinner is to honor graduating seniors and to encourage them to attend graduate school. An invitation to the dinner is based on a scholastic record of excellence that would gain the student admittance to a graduate school program such as Georgia Tech.
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ORIENTATION PROGRAM In addition to the advising of all undergraduate students through the Georgia Tech FASET program, upon matriculation into the graduate program students attend the Woodruff School’s graduate orientation program, Getting Started in the Woodruff School and then attend a program specially designed for NRE/MP students. Information on the degree programs, the curricula, faculty, facilities and student activities are provided.
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RECRUITING EVENTS The NRE/MP Programs vigorously recruit undergraduate and graduate students to the NRE and MP Programs at Georgia Tech. This has paid off in the continued increased in the number of enrollees in the past few academic years. On the undergraduate side, we hold information sessions with the Program Chair for undeclared freshmen in the College of Engineering and the College of Science; participate in Connect with Tech and other high school recruiting programs organized by Georgia Tech’s Office of Admissions; and participate in the Georgia Tech Majors Fair. In addition, we hold one or two luncheons with selected seniors from Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics to discuss graduate school opportunities at Georgia Tech in nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics. We also invite top applicants from other colleges and universities around the country to visit the Georgia Tech campus and meet with the NRE/MP faculty; participate in Woodruff School graduate student recruiting events; and are invited to Woodruff School events to recognize outstanding seniors.
SEMINAR PROGRAM Numerous weekly seminars are given by visitors, faculty, and thesis students in the NRE and MP programs during the fall and spring semesters. Doctoral students in nuclear engineering and medical physics are required to take two hours of credit in Seminar-Nuclear Engineering, NRE 6011 and 6012. Drs. Chaitanya Deo and Nolan Hertel were the seminar coordinators for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 terms, respectively. The seminars presented in the past academic year are listed below.
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Kenneth Balkey (ASME), Technology Developments in Global Nuclear Power Industry Related to ASME Nuclear Codes & Standards; Ken Brooks (Hologics, Inc.), Future of Breast Care, Mammographic Screening; Greg Cefus, Ben Cross, and Jeff Jay (Savannah River National Laboratory), Next Generation Safeguards Initiative; Seong-Kyun Cheong (Georgia Tech), Modeling of Plasmonic Heating from Individual Gold Nanoshells for Near-Infrared LaserInduced Thermal Therapy; Ken Czerwinski (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Novel Radiochemical and Material Techniques for Nuclear Forensics;
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Shaheen Dewji (NRE Program, Georgia Tech) and Tong Zhao (Department of International Affairs, Georgia Tech), Protecting the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure: Domestic Nuclear Power Plant Security in the Post 9/11 Era; Jacob Eapen (North Carolina State University), Multiscale Materials and Transport Modeling in Nuclear Engineering; Mary Dawn Eipeldauer (ORNL), Developing Human Resource Specialists at Operations Facilities, the Department of Energy, the Former Soviet Union, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and A Cultural of Vienna, Austria and Surrounding Regions; Barrett Fountos (EH-DOE), History and Relevance of the Russian Health Studies Program; Justin Hastings (GT/INTA), The Political Geography of the AQ Khan Network and Implications for the Non-Proliferation Regime; Ayman Hawari (NCSU), Neutron Thermalization and VHTR Considerations; Michael Heaven (Emory University), Probing Actinide Electronic Structure Using High-Resolution Photoelectron Spectroscopy; David Hintenlang (University of Florida), Computed Tomography Dosimetry and Dose Reduction Paradoxes: CAT to CBCT; Alan W. Hunt (Idaho State University), Active Inspection Techniques for the Real-Time Detection, Identification and Quantification of Fissionable Materials; Margaret Kosal (GT-Sam Nunn School of International Affairs), Predicting Nuclear Proliferation: From Technological Determinism to Strategic Culture; Ashley Manzoor (Duke University), Heat Triggered Drug Release from Thermally Sensitive Liposomes: Implications for Drug Delivery and Tumor Physiology; Dade Moeller (Harvard School of Public Health), Polonium-210 in Cigarettes; Randall Miller (NGMC), The Increased Dose Exposure to the U.S. Population from Diagnostic Procedures and Its Issues; Dragan Mirkovic (Anderson Cancer Center), Monte Carlo Computations in Proton Therapy; Cecil Parks (ORNL), Overview, Applications, and Ongoing Development of the SCALE Code System; Clay H. Ramsey (DOE-NNSA), Mixed Fuel Fabrication Facility Overview; John Russell Jr. (Founder of Theragenics Corp.), Cold Fusion Is Warming Up; Thomas Sanders (ANS), The Global Nuclear Future: Realities and Opportunities; Alexander Solodov (ORNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Safeguards Laboratory and International Programs; Adam Stulberg (GT-Sam Nunn School of International Affairs), Back to the Future with Nuclear MNAs?: Confronting the Credible Commitment Problem; Gary Tepper (Virginia Commonwealth University), An Investigation of the Lifetime-Limiting Defects in CZT; Richard Toohey (Oak Ridge Associated Universities), A Collector’s Guide to Radioactive Dinnerware; Costas Tsouris (ORNL), Hydrodynamics and Interfacial Phenomena in Separations of Nuclear Materials; Taku Watanabe (Georgia Tech), Radiation Damage and Thermal Transport in UO2 by Atomic Level Simulations; Robert Wham (ORNL), Research and Development Activities to Support the Expansion of Nuclear Energy.
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
The PURA Awards
PROGRAMS ACCREDITATION Georgia Tech has institutional accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The undergraduate program for the bachelor’s degree in nuclear and radiological engineering (BSNRE) is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, Maryland 21202-4012, telephone (410) 347-7700. This year, the nuclear and radiological engineering degree program (BSNRE) received an extension of its ABET accreditation. For more information about our undergraduate program in nuclear and radiological engineering, go to www.nre.gatech.edu. See, in particular, the sections on accreditation and undergraduate programs. The Georgia Tech Cooperative Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education.
THE UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM The undergraduate program leads to the Bachelor’s of Science in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering (BSNRE) degree. The strength of the undergraduate curriculum is its breadth and balance in many of the fundamental areas of nuclear and radiological engineering. The vitality of the undergraduate program at Georgia Tech is evidenced by the ever-increasing enrollment. New this year were the replacement of Fundamentals in NRE and Nuclear Reactor Physics with Nuclear Reactors Physics I and II. To see the complete program curriculum, go to www.nre.gatech.edu.
UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT All students are encouraged to contact and meet the undergraduate advisor, Ms. Camellia Henry, who advises on academic issues, rules and regulations, class schedules, and oncampus resources available to students. Students may make an appointment with the undergraduate advisor in the Woodruff School’s Office of Student Services through www.nre.gatech.edu (see Undergraduate Programs). There is also an Advisement web site to help students more easily reach their academic advisors and to help them through the advisement process and the Georgia Tech curricula. In addition, an NRE faculty member is assigned to each undergraduate student upon entry to the program. The faculty mentor is responsible for course advising, professional development, and assisting the students with career planning and research opportunities.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Georgia Tech encourages undergraduate students to participate in qualify and substantive research. Several options are available in the Woodruff School for a Special Problems course or an Undergraduate Research course. NRE 4699 is the undergraduate research course for juniors and seniors and qualifies as an elective for nuclear engineering majors. NRE 4698 is for research internships for juniors and seniors where students are paid to work on a project either part time or full time. Each student works with a faculty mentor. The student must submit a written final report. NRE 4901 and 4903 are non-research special problems courses. Each year the number of students participating in some undergraduate research continues to grow. In the past academic year (summer 2008 through spring 2009) twelve projects were done in the Woodruff School in NRE.
Woodruff School students have been very successful in getting President’s Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA). PURA funds student/faculty teams to support undergraduate student involvement in faculty research. The awards are for student salaries and travel expenses for the student to attend professional meetings to give a presentation. The following students and their faculty mentor won a PURA award in Spring 2009: Justin Branley (Chaitanya Deo, faculty advisor), Molecular Dynamics of Irradiation Effects in Nuclear Waste Forms; Nivedh Manohar (Sang Cho, faculty advisor), Monte Carlo Modeling of an X-Ray Fluorescence Detection System; Shane Stimpson (Chaitanya Deo, faculty advisor), Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Varallo Diffusivity in Tungsten and Vanadium; Amy Varallo (Ken Gall, faculty advisor) Varying e-Beam Dosage and Crosslinking Agent to Synthesize Shape Memory Polymer Networks with Tailored Mechanical Properties.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROGRAM The Division of Professional Practice (DoPP) at Georgia Tech offers four unique programs: the Undergraduate Cooperative Program, the Georgia Tech Internship Program (GTIP), the Graduate Cooperative Program, and the Work-Abroad Program. More than 3,000 Georgia Tech students currently participate in the four programs, all of which are voluntary. Co-op students and interns are employed by more than one thousand businesses and organizations around the world. According to Tom Akins, Executive Director of the Division of Professional Practice at Georgia Tech, “Demand from employers remains good, in spite of the economy, partly due to the overall appeal that nuclear engineering students from Georgia Tech have.” The Undergraduate Cooperative Program Since 1912 Georgia Tech has offered a five-year undergraduate cooperative program to those students who wish to combine careerrelated experience with classroom studies. The program is the fourth oldest of its kind in the world and the largest optional co-op program in the country. Students alternate between industrial assignments and classroom studies until they complete four or five semesters of work. Students who participate in the program have the opportunity to develop career interests, become more confident in their career choices, and develop human relations skills through their work experience. Enrollment in the program includes eight NRE students in summer 2008, 25 students in fall 2008, and 24 NRE students in spring 2009. In that period, the students earned an average starting salary of $14 per hour. The largest employers of NRE students were Southern Company, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), GE Power, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Enercon. The Georgia Tech Internship Program (GTIP) The Georgia Tech Internship Program, previously referred to as the Undergraduate Professional Internship Program, is geared toward students who do not participate in the Cooperative Program, but want some career-related experience before graduation, typically juniors and seniors. In the past academic year, seven NRE students participated in the program. Students generally work for one semester with an option for more work later on. CH2M Hill was but one of the sixty different employers this year.
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS AT GEORGIA TECH Georgia Tech strongly believes in the importance of an international experience for both undergraduate and graduate students. Student interest in these programs has been growing steadily for several years. During the past academic year, almost 1200 Georgia Tech students participated in various programs; 667 were from schools in the College of Engineering. Nine NRE students participated in various study-abroad programs : • Georgia Tech Lorraine Undergraduate Program: Katherine Dextraze, Briana Ferguson, and Matthew Kaugars; • Shanghai Summer Program: Ted Liang; • Oxford (England) Summer Program: Josh Andrews, Benjamin Bowers, Brendan Carney, and Steven McClendon; • University of New South Wales (Australia) Summer Exchange Program: Nicholas Peterka. According to Amy Henry, Executive Director of International Education, “While many of Georgia Tech’s counterparts across the country saw study-abroad numbers decline in 2008-2009, Georgia Tech’s overall study-abroad numbers increased. Georgia Tech moved closer to its goal of sending fifty percent of its students abroad prior to graduation, with the undergraduate percentage now at forty percent, up from 38 percent last year.”
THE BS/MS PROGRAM Outstanding sophomores and early juniors in the Woodruff School are invited to apply to the BS/MS Degree Program. Students can earn two degrees in a five-year period: An undergraduate degree in nuclear and radiological engineering and the master’s degree in nuclear engineering or medical physics. Graduate course work begins in the senior year. Most master’s students do a course work only program (nonthesis option). Completion of this program provides a tremendous advantage when students enter the job market. Dr. Farzad Rahnema advises all the BS/MS students once they have matriculated into the graduate program for their master’s degree. Doctoral students might have a different faculty advisor for their research. Currently, there are 25 students in the program (18 for NE, 7 for MP). In the past academic year, Alice Cheung, Kevin Connolly, Benjamin Good, Jordan Rader (Said Abdel-Khalik, advisor), and Sara Rahnema (Nolan Hertel, advisor) received their bachelor’s degree and matriculated into the graduate program. One indicator of the success of the program is that some students have decided to pursue the Ph.D. They are Alice Cheung (Lei Zhu, advisor), Kevin Connolly (Farzad Rahnema, advisor), Benjamin Good (Chaitanya Deo, advisor), and Justin Pounders (Farzad Rahnema, advisor).
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INTRODUCING THE NEW ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR GRADUATE STUDIES Professor Paul Neitzel recently assumed the position of Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Woodruff School. He has thirty years of experience in university teaching and research and has been on the Woodruff School faculty since 1990. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech he was a faculty member at Arizona State University. In his role as Associate Chair, one of Dr. Neitzel’s emphases will be to expand recruiting efforts, both domestically and abroad. “We would like convince some of the students we typically lose to institutions like MIT, Berkeley and Stanford to come to Georgia Tech for their Ph.D.s and face-to-face interactions can assist in this endeavor.” Dr. Neitzel has significant connections in Europe, having spent time as a visiting professor in Germany, France and England, so he will be looking to recruit from those places, too. Some of the partnerships that result may also provide opportunities for U.S. students to do a portion of their research abroad, providing a more global perspective to their graduate education.
THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MEDICAL PHYSICS The Master of Science in Medical Physics (M.S.M.P.) degree is intended to prepare students for productive careers as medical physicists and is consistent with the requirements recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The expanded degree program went into effect in fall 2008, and requires 40 credit hours to complete. The clinical rotation and laboratory course of the medical physics program is designed to familiarize students with a hospital or clinical environment. The clinical rotation requires four-hundred contact hours, and is offered during the summer semester. The course is divided into three parts: clinical rotation (two days/week), laboratory (two days/week), and academic day (one day/week). The clinical rotation is designed to expose students to the daily activities of the clinical physicist as well as special procedures involving patients. The laboratories are designed to provide clinical and practical exposure in radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging, and nuclear medicine. The academic day is designed for the class to discuss AAPM (American Association of Physicists in Medicine) reports and other issues with the course coordinator. The time is also reserved for guest speakers, demonstrations, and/or student presentations. The degree can be completed on-campus in Atlanta or through the distance-learning program, which can be completed in approximately three years. Students can fulfill the clinical rotation and laboratories at their own facilities, but they need more than one semester to complete the course requirements. A distance learning physicist (supervisor) is assigned to each student and has a board certification in an appropriate subspecialty of medical physics. (A list of cooperating facilities is given on p. 13 of this report.) Five master’s (non-thesis) degrees were awarded to medical physics distance learning students in the past academic year.
THE PH.D. IN MEDICAL PHYSICS Good
Rahnema
Students can complete the Ph.D. in Medical Physics as an option in Nuclear Engineering. The doctoral degree requires 52 semester hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s degree. Of the course work hours, 34 are in a major area, which must be a coherent subject area appropriate to medical physics. Nine semester hours completed for the master’s degree with thesis may be counted toward this requirement. There should be nine hours in a minor area that is intended to provide depth in an area not directly needed for the Ph.D. research or related to the principal area of expertise, and nine elective hours, which may be different than the major or minor, or could be applied to the major or minor area. We are pleased to announce that Megan Blackburn is the first Woodruff School recipient of a Ph.D. in medical physics. She defended her dissertation in June 2009.
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
CERTIFICATION OF MP DIPLOMATES
STUDENT GROUPS
Graduates of the medical physics program work toward certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). This certification is an indication that diplomates “have acquired, demonstrated, and maintained a requisite standard of knowledge, skill and understanding essential to the practice of radiologic physics.” As we went to press with this report, Dr. Farzad Rahnema reported that our medical physics alumni have been successful in progressing toward their ABR certification. The certification process consists of three parts, two written exams followed by a final oral exam. As of October 30, 2009, 25 diplomates have passed the first exam, 11 have passed the first and second exams, and three have completed their certification. Statistics from the alumni survey conducted in summer 2009 indicate that approximately 90 percent passed the first exam on their first attempt, 100 percent passed the second exam on their first attempt, and 67 percent passed the oral exam on the first attempt. This certification is essential for the high career earnings of medical physics graduates.
There are a number of organizations for students to join. These organizations offer a unique opportunity to learn about the many facets of nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics, provide an opportunity to meet practicing professionals, and provide valuable service to the program. American Nuclear Society: The student section of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) is the link for prospective nuclear engineers with their chosen profession. Dr. Chaitanya Deo is the group’s faculty advisor. Student Advisory Committee: The Nuclear and Radiological Engineering/Medical Physics Student Advisory Committee acts as a liaison between the NRE administration and students, provides the administration with commentary on the current status of the programs, including issues that directly affect the students, and notes items that will improve faculty and student relations. Dr. Farzad Rahnema is the faculty advisor to the group. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a scientific, educational, and professional organization that promotes the application of physics to medicine and biology, encourages interest in the profession, and provides information. The Health Physics Society is a scientific professional organization that was founded in 1956 to promote the practice of radiation safety.
From an Alumnus of the MSMP Program The following testimonial was provided by Christopher Williamson (BSME 2003, MSMP 2005), who works as a Medical Physicist at Northside Hospital Cancer Center in Atlanta. Georgia Tech has a great reputation and I was always pleased with the education I received. I considered other schools to work on my Master’s degree, but was excited to hear about the Medical Physics courses offered through the Georgia Tech program because the courses were not only taught by knowledgeable Georgia Tech professors, but also by working professionals associated with Emory University. That type of education allowed for theoretical concepts as well as real-world application. Georgia Tech’s ability to produce competitive students as well as my experience during clinical rotations made it easy for me to “hit the ground running” when I started my first job. Georgia Tech provides an environment that challenges students to not only learn the course material, but to also apply it in a real-world situation. The clinical rotations allow the students to observe the responsibilities of a medical physicist first hand and see how Georgia Tech courses are applied.
DEGREES The Woodruff School offers the undergraduate degree in nuclear and radiological engineering (BSNRE) and three graduate degrees (MSNE, MSMP, Ph.D.). In addition, the master’s degree in medical physics can be completed off-campus, through the distance-learning program. This report details various aspects of the degrees awarded in summer 2008, fall 2008, and spring 2009, the academic year at Georgia Tech. During these semesters, the programs granted 57 degrees: 32 bachelor’s degrees, 24 master’s degrees, and one doctoral degree. Of the 24 master’s degrees, 9 (6 NE, 3 MP) were completed with a thesis and 15 (14 MP, 1 NE) were course work only degrees.
From an Alumna of the Ph.D. Program This testimonial was provided by Megan Blackburn (BSME 2004, MSMP 2006, Ph.D. MP/NE 2009), who is currently doing advanced clinical training at Emory University. I feel that the Medical Physics program at Georgia Tech is very good. I learned important background knowledge within the Program. I know some Medical Physics programs are housed within Biology departments, and I do not believe that the same amount of background knowledge can be taught within these departments. This information provides an important basis on which to build everything else. The clinical rotations offered by this program were also of great importance. This provided us with a first-hand look at a medical physicist’s daily routine. Not only was experience gained, but it also allowed each of us to determine if this was really the path we wanted to take. I feel in many fields, you simply go to school and then aren’t really sure what the job will be like until you are working full-time. At that point, it is too late. I feel that the major strengths of the program are the courses themselves offered within the Nuclear Engineering program. They are difficult; however, they offer a very good background for everything a physicist will need to know.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES AWARDED In the past academic year, 32 students received the bachelor’s degree in nuclear and radiological engineering (NRE). Summer 2008 Alice Cheung Sara Rahnema Robert Williams Fall 2008 Daniel Bernal Patrick Brunick Kevin Connolly Derrick Faunce William Mays David Nesbitt Mark Thigpen Spring 2009 Nathaniel Aligood Kendra Barbour Alexander Chao Stephen Condon
Jesse Coyle Emily Flora Emily Freibert Sarah Gibboney (co-op) Brian Hales Ryan Hall David Hartmangruber Mark Iobst Nathan Jackson Kyle Johnson Alexander Lynn Kieran McMahon Crystian Merrill Jason Payne James Peters Caroline Stratton Jordan Vaughan Lisandro Vazquez
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MASTER’S DEGREES WITH THESIS
SCHOLARSHIPS
SUMMER 2008 Ryan Manger, MSNE. Assessing the Dose Received by the Victims of a Radiological Dispersal Device with Geiger-Mueller Detectors. Nolan Hertel, advisor Christopher Sommer, MSNE. Fuel Cycle Design and Analysis of a Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor. Weston Stacey, advisor Tyler Sumner, MSNE. A Safety and Dynamics Analysis of the Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor: SABR. Mostaffa Ghiaasiaan, advisor FALL 2008 Elisabeth Gayton, MSNE. Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Performance of the Gas-Coded Diverter Plate Concept. Said Abdel-Khalik and Minami Yoda, advisors SPRING 2009 Shaheen Dewji, MSNE. Assessing Internal Contamination After a Radiological Dispersion Device Event Using a 2x2 in Inch Sodium-Iodide. Nolan Hertel, advisor Robert Kelm, MSNE. In-Water Neutron and Gamma Dose Determination of a New Cf-252 Brachytherapy Source. Chris Wang, advisor Fang Liu, MSMP. Monte Carlo Modeling of an X-Ray Fluorescence Detection System by MCNP Code. Tom Hu, advisor Benjamin Waghorn, MSMP. Monitoring Dynamic Calcium Homeostasis Alterations byT1-Weighted and T1-Mapping ManganeseEnhanced MRI. Tom Hu, advisor Yidong Yang, MSMP. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Track Inflammatory Cells in a Murine Myocardial Infarction Model. Tom Hu, advisor
MASTER’S DEGREES WITHOUT THESIS SUMMER 2008 Carol Dudney Brent Friesen Sun Hsieh Xiaojun Jiang Christopher Myers Brian Petruzzello Erick Sweat Kristen Sydlowski
Dudney
Sydlowski
FALL 2008 Christopher Bentley Michael Cuddy Charles Frago Andy Wolf
MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP
SPRING 2009 Emily Colvin Yong Kwon Yue Wu
MSNE MSMP MSMP
DOCTORAL DEGREE AWARDED
Jiang
Frago
Almost all of our incoming, in-state students, receive HOPE scholarships, the tuition program financed through the Georgia State Lottery. After completing the first year at Georgia Tech, approximately fifty percent of the freshman class retains their scholarship. Students need to maintain a 3.0 grade point average each term to keep the HOPE scholarship.
THE PRESIDENT’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM The President’s Scholarship Program identifies students who have excelled in academia and leadership in high school. Financial awards are for four academic years, and students are expected to maintain honors-level academic performance and be involved in campus or community activities. These Tech scholars have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.68; enrolled Woodruff School President’s Scholars have a 3.71 GPA. A total of 1,347 President’s Scholars have graduated since the program began in 1981. There are currently 261 President’s Scholars enrolled at Georgia Tech in fall 2009, the same number as last year. There are 67 new scholars who started this fall, the same number as last year, and one of these is an NRE student. Current President’s Scholars in NRE are: Colin Bowers, Alex DeFreese (new), and Amy Varallo. When asked if any of this year’s budget issues impacted the program, Randy McDow, Director of the President’s Scholarship (PS) Program said “Because the PS Program is privately funded by alumni and other donors, the PS Program has not been substantially impacted by the budgetary situation, unlike many of our peers.” Each year, the Excellence Awards Banquet is held to celebrate the academic excellence and leadership achievements of female engineering students in the College of Engineering. This event brings together students, alumni, corporate partners, and Institute leadership to recognize the accomplishments of female engineering students who have achieved “high honors” status by earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.35 and above. As a testimony to the excellence of COE’s female undergraduate students, last year, more than 609 female engineering students, representing nearly forty percent of COE’s female engineering students, qualified for this event. In addition to the Women in Engineering Excellence Awards, the event also recognizes students and faculty leaders through Student Mentoring Awards, Faculty Mentoring Awards, and Teaching Excellence Awards, which are given annually. The corporate sponsors are committed to increasing the number of women in the technical engineering and scientific fields. In 2009, 109 scholarships totaling $122,000 were given. Of the students who qualified to attend the banquet, two nuclear and radiological engineering students received scholarships. Emily Woods and Lisa Worthington received United Technologies Scholarships.
The United Technologies Scholarship winners. Cuddy
SPRING 2009 Chih-Chieh Hu, Ph.D. NE. Mechanistic Modeling of Evaporating Thin Liquid Film Instability on a BWR Fuel Rod with Parallel and Cross Vapor. Said Abdel-Khalik, advisor
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HOPE SCHOLARSHIPS
WOMEN IN ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS Hsieh
MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP MSMP
Many awards recognize academic achievement, leadership, and outstanding service to the Woodruff School, the College of Engineering, and the Institute. Many undergraduate students in the Woodruff School receive some type of scholarship.
Colvin
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
FELLOWSHIPS
2009 INCOMING GRADUATE CLASS PROFILE
Woodruff School graduate students in NRE and MP are supported through Graduate Research Fellowships from their faculty advisor or Graduate Teaching Assistantships for teaching duties, mainly in undergraduate laboratories. In addition, many students receive fellowship funds from the Woodruff School, the Institute, and from off-campus organizations, societies, and industry. Below is a list of the major fellowships received in the past academic year (summer 2008 through spring 2009). Georgia Tech President’s Fellowship Benjamin Good National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Megan Blackburn
NANT Fellowship Franklin Hope Rickover Fellowship Justin Pounders Woodruff Fellowship Steven Douglass Benjamin Good Franklin Hope
MP
Total
70 26 8 0 3.7
78 22 14 2 3.47
148 48 22 2 3.56
558 774 4.5
545 761 4.2
549 764 4.3
8 0 1 0
11 3 4 2
19 3 5 2
NRE/MP ENROLLMENT BY CLASS, DEGREE, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY FOR FALL 2009
STUDENT AWARDS
Undergraduate Students Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors
Shaheen Dewji, doctoral student in NRE, was selected as an SAIC Fellow to support their participation in the Sam Nunn Security Program. This program allows a select set of students to study the policy aspects of their technical discipline as they relate to international security. Dr. Nolan Hertel is her advisor. Frank Grammens received a scholarship Dewji from the American Nuclear Society. Sam Lafountain received a scholarship from the American Nuclear Society. Kelly Love received a scholarship from the Department of Energy. Nivedh Manohar won a 2009 AAPM Summer Undergraduate Fellowship. Dr. Sang Cho is his faculty mentor. Amy Varallo received an American Nuclear Society Scholarship. Ben Waghorn was awarded first place in the 2009 AAPM Young Investigators Symposium Competition. Dr. Tom Hu is his advisor.
ENROLLMENT
56 7 1348 3.87
Asians Blacks or African Americans Native Americans Multiracials Whites
8 2 3 5 42
Georgia Residents Out-of-State Residents
20 40
TOTAL INCOMING FRESHMEN
60
36 154
Asians Blacks/African Americans Hispanics/Latinos Multiracials Native Americans Whites Internationals
19 9 6 9 1 145 5
Georgia Residents Out-of-State Residents
74 116
Total Graduate Students 190 (36 Females, 154 Males)
Total Graduate Students (14 females, 56 males)
41 29 11 3 14 30 26 56 7 3 2 1 46 11 70
260
NRE/MP ENROLLMENT HISTORY FOR FALL SEMESTER (1985 – 2009) Enrollment
13 47
Females (19%) Males
Graduate Students Master’s Ph.D.’s Females MS Ph.D. Total Males MS Ph.D. Total Asians Blacks / African Americans Hispanics/Latinos Multiracials Whites Internationals
61 43 37 49
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE NRE/MP PROGRAMS (49 Females, 211 Males)
2009 FRESHMAN CLASS PROFILE Number Incoming Freshmen Transfer Students Average SAT Average High School GPA Demographics Females (22%) Males
NRE
Applicants Admitted Accepted Distance Learning Average GPA (BS) Average GRE Score Verbal (out of 800) Quantitative (out of 800) Analytical (out of 6.0) Demographics Males Females Minorities Internationals
250 200 150 100 50 0 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Year Undergraduate
Graduate
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY Said I. Abdel-Khalik, Southern Nuclear Distinguished Professor Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1973 Fellow of ANS and ASME Dr. Abdel-Khalik conducts experimental and numerical research in both nuclear and mechanical engineering. Current experimental research projects include investigation of the root cause mechanism for axial offset anomaly in pressurized water reactors, single and two-phase flow and heat transfer in microchannels, with emphasis on accelerator targets and resistive magnet systems; first wall protection schemes for inertial fusion reactors; EHD enhancement of convection and boiling heat transfer for microgravity applications, and fuel cells’ performance enhancement. Current numerical research efforts include multifluid modeling of transient nonequilibrium two-phase flow, Rayleigh-Taylor instability of bounded layers with surface injection, thermal analysis of dry cask spent nuclear fuel storage systems, and density wave instabilities in boiling water reactors. Sang H. Cho, Associate Professor Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1997 Dr. Cho has performed seminal research on radiotherapy-related topics such as Ir-192 dosimetry, beta particle dosimetry, radiotherapy quality assurance, Monte Carlo modeling of medical linear accelerators and brachytherapy sources, and the use of gold nanoparticles for radiation therapy. He continues to have a special interest in the application of the Monte Carlo method to solve the problems related to various radiation treatment modalities such as intensity modulated radiation therapy, image guided radiation therapy, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. Also, his research efforts have been devoted to the use of gold nanoparticles as dose enhancers for radiotherapy, heat generators for thermal therapy, and imaging agents during pre-clinical molecular imaging. These new cancer treatment modalities are expected to be more powerful, but less toxic, than conventional radiation/thermal therapy. In addition to his therapyrelated research, Dr. Cho’s group at Georgia Tech performs investigations on nanoparticle-aided cancer molecular imaging. Chaitanya S. Deo, Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2003 Dr. Deo’s research interests and expertise lie in using computational algorithms and techniques based on statistical mechanics (Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics) and solid mechanics (liner elasticity, plasticity) to investigate structure-property processing relationships that are at the core of technologically relevant problems in nuclear engineering and materials science. Such techniques and algorithms are used for the identification, description, and theoretical interpretation of phenomena that affect materials behavior at nano as well as macro scales.
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Nolan E. Hertel, Professor Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1979 Fellow of HPS and Registered PE in Georgia Dr. Hertel is involved in the determination of internal contamination levels in individuals following a radiological dispersion device event using handheld field instruments. He is also involved in the measurement of neutron fields and doses in the vicinity of accelerator-based medical facilities, research reactors, and other neutron sources. Recently, he has been involved in the determination of activation product inventories in reactors in support of decommissioning activities and waste disposal. He is also involved in the development of algorithms to increase the utility of detectors being used in portable monitors for homeland security and nuclear materials safeguard activities. In addition, he has continued activities in radiation shielding and radiation skyshine, as well as in computational dosimetry topics, including the creation of dose conversion coefficients for use in external radiation protection. Bojan Petrovic, Professor Ph.D., Penn State, 1995 Dr. Petrovic’s current research focuses on numerical simulations of nuclear systems, advanced reactor design, nuclear fuel cycle, and computational medical physics. Novel reactor designs pose new challenges to analytic tools and thus require improved, more accurate methods. Dr. Petrovic’s interest is in developing new methods and approaches in reactor physics and transport theory for efficient and accurate Monte Carlo and hybrid deterministic-Monte Carlo analysis of large, real-life applications. His recent research includes both eigenvalue (criticality) and fixed source (shielding) methods and applications. Over the past ten years, Dr. Petrovic has been involved in the development of the IRIS Reactor. He is also interested in the nuclear fuel cycle, in particular, optimizing the core design and related reprocessing to improve spent fuel management. Dr. Petrovic has strong interest in interdisciplinary areas, and his research projects have included collaborations related to industrial and medical applications of nuclear technology. A current project examines the use of proton therapy for treatment of deep-seated tumors. Farzad Rahnema, Professor and Chair of the NRE/MP Programs Ph.D., UCLA, 1981 Fellow of the ANS Dr. Rahnema’s research interests and current activities are in theoretical and numerical radiation transport methods development with applications to reactor physics, medical physics, and radiation detection problems. Current sponsored research projects include developing advanced energy discretization methods and highly efficient and accurate methods for transport of particles (neutron, coupled neutron and photon and coupled photon and electron) in various systems. In reactor physics, hybrid deterministic and stochastic transport methods are being developed for whole core calculations in current and advanced light and heavy water reactors as well as in pebble-bed and prismatic gas cooled reactors. Also, hybrid diffusion and stochastic transport methods are developed to address spectral issues associated with modeling strong local control material in fuel and non-fuel regions of both pebble-bed and prismatic gas cooled reactor cores. Hybrid deterministic and stochastic methods are also developed for dose estimation in human tissues and for modeling passive and active radiation sensor systems.
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
Weston M. Stacey, Jr., Fuller E. Callaway Professor in Nuclear Engineering Ph.D., MIT, 1966 Fellow of the ANS and APS Dr. Stacey’s research has two principal thrusts. Experimental Plasma Physics Analysis and Supporting Theory. His group in the Fusion Research Center (FRC) formally collaborates with the DIIII-D National Fusion Facility in the planning, data analysis, and interpretation of plasma physics experiments in the DIII-D Tokamak, informally collaborates with the German TEXTOR Tokamak group in the analysis of a series of experiments; and independently carried out supporting plasma theory and code development. This work has concentrated on understanding density limits, calculating plasma rotation and transport, and understanding phenomena in the edge plasma which play a major role in plasma confinement. This analysis is supported by an active theoretical development activity. Advanced Nuclear Systems Design: Dr. Stacey’s student-faculty design projects have developed in a series of design studies the concept of a subcritical transmutation, driven by a fusion neutron source, which would transmute the long-lived actinides in spent nuclear fuel. C.-K. Chris Wang, Professor Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1989 Dr. Wang developed a nanodosimetrybased biophysical model for predicting survival fractions of cells that have been irradiated with various types of ionizing radiation. This model is being fine-tuned to make it applicable to radiation therapy modalities using neutrons and carbon ions. Dr. Wang continues his long-term effort on Cf-252 neutron brachytherapy (NBT) for treating radio-resistant tumors. He recently developed a dosimetry protocol, which is to be used to calibrate the new-generation Cf252 NBT sources in a water phantom for their neutron and gamma-ray dose distributions. Dr. Wang has also been working on a new type of neutron detector that employs gas electron multipliers. This new detector has a plate-like geometry as opposed to the traditional cylindrical or spherical geometry. As such, applications of the detector are being proposed for radiation protection and homeland security.
NEW FACULTY MEMBER Lei Zhu. Assistant Professor Ph.D., Stanford University, 2002 Began at Georgia Tech in Fall 2009 Dr. Zhu’s research covers the two main categories of medical physics: medical imaging and radiotherapy. Besides imaging, X-rays are also routinely used for radiotherapy, which is now considered the most effective treatment method for many cancers. In recent years. Dr. Zhu has worked on developing more accurate and efficient radiotherapy treatment planning algorithms. Using novel optimization techniques, such as compressed sending and projection methods, he has developed effective dose delivery schemes for various radiotherapy modalities. In addition to expansions of the research on X-ray CBCT imaging and radiotherapy planning, Dr. Zhu’s current research is devoted to the synergy between these two fields. He is interested in improving the quality of X-ray imaging in the image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and developing optimization schemes for adaptive radiation therapy. At Georgia Tech, he is developing the Advanced X-Ray Imaging and Therapy Optimization Laboratory.
AFFILIATED FACULTY Srinivas Garimella, Professor Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1990 Sustainable technologies, phase change in microchannel and compact heat exchangers, and heat and mass transfer in binary mixtures. Dr. Garimella is a Fellow of the ASME. S. Mostafa Ghiaasiaan, Professor Ph.D., UCLA, 1983 Multiphase flow, aerosol and particle transport, microscale heat transfer, and nuclear reactor thermodydraulics. He is a Fellow of the ASME. Sheldon Jeter, Associate Professor Ph.D., Georgia Tech, 1979 Thermodynamics, energy systems, and heat transfer
Garimella
Ghiaasiaan
Jeter
EMERITUS FACULTY Joseph Clement, started in 1965, retired in 1991 J. Narl Davidson, started in 1973; retired in 2006 Monte V. Davis, started in 1973, retired in 1987 Geoffrey G. Eichholz, started in 1963; retired in 1988 Bernd Kahn, started in 1974; retired in 1996 Ratib Karam, started in 1972; retired in 1997 Alfred Schneider, started in 1975; retired in 1990
ADJUNCT AND PART-TIME FACULTY Zongjian (Z.J.) Cao, Professor, Department of Radiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Ph.D., Indiana University, 1986 Medical imaging including single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), medical image reconstruction theory, medical image quality and quantitation, and internal dosimetry Eric Elder, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Director of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Ph.D., Georgia Tech, 1997 Image guided radiation therapy, adaptive radiation therapy, experimental medical physics, and radiation dosimetry Timothy Fox, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Director of Medical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Ph.D., Georgia Tech, 1997 Medical physics, intensity modulated radiation therapy, optimization, biomedical imaging, and image guided radiation therapy
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Tom Hu, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Director, Small Animal Imaging Program, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 2001 Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods to analyze biological/biomedical problems, imaging techniques to detect myocardial calcium homeostasis modulations, and collaborative and preclinical translational research to solve biomedical problems.
RESEARCH FACULTY Dwayne Blaylock, Research Engineer II and Interim Manager of the NRE/MP Laboratories M.S.N.E., Georgia Tech, 1997 Decommissioning and decontamination, longlived neutron activation analysis, radiation shielding and computer modeling. Eric Burgett, Temporary Research Engineer I and Staff Health Physicist, Office of Radiological Safety, Georgia Tech M.S.N.E., Georgia Tech, 2008 Radionuclide identification using plastic scintillators, radiation detectors, and material testing for neutron shielding materials. Also provides support to maintain compliance of a broad scope research license.
Nasser Maleki, Director of Medical Physics, Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah, Georgia Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 1981 Internal organ motion during radiation treatment, Image Guided Radiation Therapy, application of implantable passive and active markers for organ motion detection, and development of modern quality management techniques in radiation therapy. Tristan Utschig, Senior Academic Professional, Scholarship and Assessment of Teaching and Learning, Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Georgia Tech Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Analysis of thermal systems for fusion applications.
Dennis Sadowski, Research Engineer II M.S., University of Illinois at Chicago, 1986 Thermal sciences, and design and construction of experimental equipment. Dingkang Zhang, Research Engineer II and NRE/MP Student Recruiting Coordinator Ph.D., Georgia Tech, 2005 Development of radiation transport methods for neutronics analyses in reactor cores; hybrid diffusion/coarse mesh transport method for Pebble Bed Reactors; and the development of coupled photon/electron transport methods for dose estimation in medical physics applications. Coordinates the recruiting of graduate and undergraduate students to the NRE/MP programs; coordinates the clinical rotation experience for medical physics students in the distance-learning program; and coordinates approval of the facilities used for the clinical rotation portion of the medical physics program.
FACULTY HONORS Said Abdel-Khalik, Southern Nuclear Distinguished Professor, was appointed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to a 2nd term on the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS). This is a prestigious appointment to a national committee. Chaitanya Deo, Assistant Professor, received a Faculty Development Grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Srinivas Garimella, Professor, was appointed Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, beginning in 2009. He was nominated as a panel member to the UK Research Council Review of UK Energy Research.
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NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
CHANGES IN THE NRE/MP PROGRAMS
STAFF Shauna Bennett-Boyd Administrative Coordinator LaTonia Robinson-Steele Temporary Administrative Assistant I Camellia Henry Academic Assistant I Tom Lawley Director of Development Valarie Spradling Administrative Assistant I
Bennett-Boyd
Spradling
THE WOODRUFF SCHOOL HAS A DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Mark Juliano began in April as the Woodruff School’s Director of Information Technology. Prior, he was Manager at Autotrader.com; Systems and Database Manager at the Georgia Tech Foundation; and he designed embedded software for Tracor. In this new job, Mark oversees the computing infrastructure and daily computer support in the Woodruff School, including the support of High Performance Computing, student access clusters, and next-generation web services that enable the Woodruff School community to meet its academic and research goals. Mark sees his immediate goals as improving basic services and support as well as building partnerships with other IT organizations at Tech. He believes that leveraging common resources at Tech will free his team to focus more on the unique needs of the Woodruff School, and provide solutions for those needs. As an example, the increased use of simulation and modeling as a research method is driving demand for high performance computing. So the Woodruff School is working to provide a common HPC resource which will help us to remain competitive in attracting research funding and new faculty. Mark earned his B.S. from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
THE NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION Bill Cheesborough began as Director of Financial Services and Administration in late February. This is a new position in the Woodruff School. Prior, Bill directed the financial and planning affairs of a small business and a national security field site, and served as an Army aviation officer. He received his B.S. from West Point and an M.B.A. from Syracuse University. Bill is now responsible for fiscal, logistic, and administrative support of the Woodruff School. This includes providing strategic vision while directing the Finance, Facilities, and Administrative Support teams to promote an atmosphere of fiscal responsibility; provide a working environment commensurate with a leading engineering school; and facilitate the efforts of faculty and students engaged in learning and research. Some objectives that are already in process are: implement predictable and sustainable budgets; increase interaction between the administrative and financial support functions; and instill a proactive approach to planning.
Zach Fowler, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Adjunct Appointment in the Woodruff School, has left Georgia Tech. He is now in private practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Justin Schwartz, Part-Time Instructor, and Jack E. Crow Professor of Engineering, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University has left the Woodruff School to become Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University. Wilfred van Rooijen, Assistant Professor, left Georgia Tech and is now a Special Researcher at the University of Fukui Research Institute of Nuclear Energy, and Researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Sheila Williams, Administrative Assistant II for the NRE/MP Programs, accepted a position as Academic Advisor I in the Computational Science and Engineering Department in the College of Computing.
CONTRIBUTORS What follows is a list of contributors to the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs for the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. If you are interested in contributing to the NRE/MP Programs, please contact our Director of Development, Tom Lawley, at tom.lawley@me.gatech.edu or 404-385-8345. Faculty and Staff Corporations, Foundations, Nolan Hertel and Organizations Bernd Kahn, Retired Faculty AREVA NP Inc. Farzad and Mahnaz Rahnema McCallum-Turner Inc. Weston M. Stacy Southern Nuclear Operating Company USEC Inc.
ALUMNI AWARDS Benedict A. Eazzetta (BNE 1986, MSME 1987) was a recent inductee to the College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni. He is President of International Operations of Rola India Limited, a leading multinational technology services provider serving North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Daniel E. Montague (BNE 1977) was inducted into the College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni. He is Senior Vice President of ABSG Consulting Inc., a risk assessment and reliability engineering firm. Ben Waldrep (BNE 1988) was promoted to Site Vice President at Progress Energy’s Brunswick nuclear plant in Southport, North Carolina.
RANKINGS According to the 2009 annual rankings by U. S. News & World Report of the best graduate schools in the United States, Georgia Tech made another strong showing. The graduate program in nuclear and radiological engineering rose to number 8 (it was 9th last year), and the College of Engineering was ranked number four for the fifth consecutive year. Woodruff School Chair Bill Wepfer said, “This national recognition is especially gratifying as it comes at the end of a very difficult and challenging year which has seen record enrollments, large class sizes, and decreased budgets. The dedication of our faculty, staff, and students to the success of our School is both awesome and inspiring.” • The College of Engineering is tied for 5th for its undergraduate programs, according to U. S. News & World Report. • Georgia Tech is tied for 7th among Top Public Schools and is 35th among National Universities in U.S. News & World Report. • Georgia Tech is ranked 8th in the U. S. News & World Report Top Engineering and IT Universities in the World. (Six of the top ten universities are in the United States.)
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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
ADVISORY BOARD The role of the Advisory Board is to recommend strategic directions for the programs; suggest broad-based curriculum changes; and consult with the School Chair, the NRE/MP Program Chair, and the faculty on important issues.
NUCLEAR & RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING Mr. Jeffrey A. Benjamin Senior Vice President for Commercial and International Nuclear Projects CH2M Hill Englewood, Colorado Dr. Dana Christenson Associate Laboratory Director Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee
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Dr. James A. Lake (MSNE 1969, Ph.D. NE 1972) Retired from the Idaho National Laboratory Idaho Falls, Idaho Dr. William R. McCollum Jr. (BSECE 1973, MS 1974) Chief Operating Office Tennessee Valley Authority Chattanooga, Tennessee
Mr. Thomas A. Coleman (BSPhys 1971, MSNE 1973) Vice President of Federal Services Framatome-ANP Lynchburg, Virginia
Dr. Kyle H. Turner (BSEE 1968, MSNE 1969, Ph.D. NE 1971) Chief Executive Officer McCallum-Turner, Inc. Evergreen, Colorado
Mr. Joseph P. DeRoy Vice President Operations Support Entergy Jackson, Michigan
Dr. Lawrence J. Ybarrondo (Ph.D. ME 1964) Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Mr. Jeffrey Gasser (BME 1983) Executive Vice President/ Chief Nuclear Officer Southern Nuclear Operating Company Birmingham, Alabama
MEDICAL PHYSICS The first meeting of the new External Advisory Board for the Medical Physics Program was held at Georgia Tech on June 19-20, 2008. Dr. Walter Curran Executive Director Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Professor and Chair Radiation Oncology Department Emory University Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Andrew Karellas Professor of Radiology and Director of Radiologic Physics Department of Radiology University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, Massachusetts
Dr. Gary D. Fullerton Professor & Vice-Chair of the Radiology Department and Director of Colorado Translational Research Imaging Center University of Colorado Denver, Colorado
Dr. James V. Rawson, M.D. Warren Professor and Chair Department of Diagnostics Medical College of Georgia Augusta, Georgia Dr. George A. Zdasiuk Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Varian Medical Systems Ginzton Technology Center Mountain View, California
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
FACILITIES Georgia Tech has 228 buildings, totaling 14,408,652 square feet. For its programs in nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics, the Woodruff School has the use of the following buildings: Frank H. Neely Research Center 28,089 square feet Opened in 1963 Faculty offices and laboratory space NRE/MP Program Administration Gilbert Hillhouse Boggs Building 153,414 square feet Opened in 1970
UPDATE ON THE MOVE TO THE BOGGS BUILDING In late 2008 the NRE/MP program finalized the plans for the space on the third floor of the Boggs Building. The third floor includes space for an NRE/MP program suite, faculty offices and research laboratories, a high-speed computing room, the AREVA Radiation Detection Laboratory, and other program facilities. Renovation of the third floor began in late spring 2009 and is expected to be completed in late fall. It is expected that the NRE/MP program will occupy the space on the third floor during the break after the fall 2009 semester. In addition to the third floor, the NRE/MP programs has been working on the design of the Radiation Sources Laboratory in the basement area of Boggs. The basement laboratory will include a large experimental research area, the Southern Nuclear Radiation Physics Laboratory, shielded rooms for a neutron generator and an electron accelerator/ clinac, and an area for an ion accelerator. During the spring 2009 semester, one of the NRE senior design groups developed the shielding design for the neutron generator and electron accelerator/clinac area.
RESEARCH LABORATORIES The nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics programs have a number of research laboratories to conduct experimental as well as computational research. Some research laboratories are: • Neutron Reference Field Laboratory - A large high-bay laboratory with multiple neutron sources and assemblies can be used to create reference neutron spectra for use in neutron detector and dosimetry research. • High-Speed Computing Laboratory - A dedicated cold room to many of the programs parallel computational clusters. • Thermoluminscent Detector Laboratory - A dedicated laboratory to the preparation and analysis of thermoluminscent detectors. • PWR Axial Offset Anomaly Test Facility - Test loop designed to operate at prototypical PWR primary loop conditions. • Microchannel Test Facility - Facility aimed at simulation single and two-phase phenomena in high heat flux systems. • Oscillating Jet Test Facility - Facility aimed at investigating the fluid dynamic aspects of liquid jets for inertial fusion first wall protection schemes.
• Plasma-Facing Components Thermal-Hydraulic Test Facility Facility aimed at testing gas-cooled diverters for magnetic fusion reactor applications.
ACADEMIC LABORATORIES • AREVA Radiation Detection Laboratory - The laboratory consists of six complete experimental stations of radiation detectors and electronics as well as other associated equipment used during the class. • Southern Nuclear Radiation Physics Laboratory - The radiation physics laboratory is used in a senior level laboratory class to conduct radiation and reactor physics experiments. • NRE Student Computer Cluster - The NRE Student Computer Cluster has 12 individual workstations for undergraduate and graduate students to complete assigned classroom projects.
REMOTE FACILITIES IN MEDICAL PHYSICS The following facilities have been approved by the medical physics program for use by distance learning medical physics students to meet the clinical rotation requirements in the curricula for the MSMP degree. Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens, Georgia Alliance Medical Physics, LLC., Alpharetta, Georgia Cancer Care Northwest, Spokane, Washington Cooper Health System, Camden, New Jersey Florida Cancer Institute - New Hope, Spring Hill, Florida Intermountain Radiation Therapy and LDS Hospital, Salt Lake, Utah Jablonski Physics Services, Inc. St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Maryland Regional Cancer Center, Silver Springs, Maryland McComas Enterprises, Inc., Gloucester, Virginia Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia Medical Physics Consultants, Arlington, Texas Northeast Georgia Health Systems, Gainesville, Georgia Samaritan Health Services, Corvallis, Oregon Satilla Regional Cancer Treatment Center, Waycross, Georgia The Reading Hospital & Medical Center, West Reading, Pennsylvania Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Vantage Oncology Physics, Inc., Manhattan Beach, California
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: This report is planned and edited by Rona Ginsberg, Director of Communications, for the Woodruff School. Craig Moonshower designed the document. Most of the photographs were taken by Gary Meek. Additional photos are by Rob Felt, Melinda Wilson and the Georgia Tech or Woodruff School Archives. Thanks to Tom Akins, Shauna Bennett-Boyd, Megan Blackburn, Dwayne Blaylock, Bill Cheesborough, Dimetra Diggs-Butler, Melody Foster, Tim Fox, Norma Frank, Debbie Gulick, Amy Henry, Glenda Johnson, Mark Juliano, Tom Lawley, Kristi Mehaffey, Ralph Mobley, Paul Neitzel, Bojan Petrovic, Farzad Rahnema, David Rosen, Sandra Song, Valerie Spradling, Bill Wepfer, Wayne Whiteman, Chris Williamson, Melinda Wilson, Dingkang Zhang, and Lei Zhu for providing information for this report. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Woodruff Endowment to the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. © Copyright 2009, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, GWW/RG102009
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Letter
Dr. Farzad Rahnema Chair of the NRE/MP Programs George W. Woodruff School Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0405
Phone Fax E-mail
404-894-3731 404-894-3733 farzad@gatech.edu information@nre.gatech.edu www.nre.gatech.edu www.mp.gatech.edu
Online
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AND MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS • NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AND MEDICAL PHYSICS PROGRAMS
The annual report of the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs at Georgia Tech is published in the fall. For more detailed information about undergraduate and graduate programs in the Woodruff School, please contact us by any of the following methods: