1. Describe clearly and specifically how your exemplary leadership has been demonstrated and its impact.

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "1. Describe clearly and specifically how your exemplary leadership has been demonstrated and its impact."

Transcription

1 The Roy J. Zuckerberg Endowed Leadership Prize Application Nominee Name of Nominee: Steven snay Title: Health Physics Technician Campus: UMass Lowell Department: Radiation Safety Campus phone number: Home Address: 10 Appleton pl, Leominster, Ma Home phone number: Nominator (self) Questions 1. Describe clearly and specifically how your exemplary leadership has been demonstrated and its impact. Working in the Radiation Safety Office, it is my job to ensure the safety of members of the public as well as the users of radioactive material while at the same time having little impact on current research. As a health physics I am on the emergency response team for UMass Lowell I must know and lead others to safety in any radiation spills, or emergency. Radioisotope users on our campus include a 1 million watt nuclear reactor, 6 million volt particle accelerator, Biology labs, Clinical Life Science labs, Nuclear engineering labs, Physics labs, and the radiation safety office has its own labs. The labs have a wide variety of uses; Cancer treatment work (dose models for CT scanners, PET scanners, X-ray machines, Linear Accelerators, brachytherapy seeds, gamma knife) DNA research, Soil composition, mercury content analysis in water, optical testing, thermal studies of materials, isotope production, electronics testing for space applications, thermal neutron radiography, high dose rate gamma irradiations, Rutherford backscattering experiments (material identification), Proton induced x-ray emission (PIXE), and much more. It is my job to know how these uses (above) relate too and cause personnel doses of the users in their respective lab as well as members of the public. I interact with the many users on campus frequently to audit their entire program (dealing with the use of radiation). I am responsible for radiation safety training all members of the fore-mentioned labs, Lowell fire department, Umass police, Lowell police, EPA, trinity ambulance, hospital staff, UMass housekeeping, facilities, HVAC and the Environmental health and safety department. The training is to educate all responding members of society that may (in an emergency) come in contact or deal with radiation due to UMass Lowell s various labs. As well as being a member of the radiation safety office, I also teach a radiation and life lab. The lab is for UMass Lowell students and deals with many aspects of radiation from its basic properties to its complex uses. I believe that America as a whole has a fear of radiation and it is due to years of cold-war propaganda and bias facts. I take pride in educating and presenting unbiased radiation facts and letting the class decide whether they like or dislike radiation.

2 2. If chosen, what will be the impact of this award on the leadership described? How will the award enhance and/or enable broader and/or more significant leadership impact? If I receive this award I would like to offer classes to members of the public (like continuing education but at no or little cost) that would present radiation facts and uses in today s society and how America can benefit from using the atom for peace. One example would be the use of radiation in the brachytherapy seed that can be place in a cancerous tumor and in time decrease cancer. In 3 years I have trained and guided 15 internship students, some of who are collaborating with Umass Worcester, and other hospitals around Massachusetts for their research. This research was devided between UMass Lowell and other hospitals. It is this collaboration that unifies the radiation safety community and its educators (i.e. UMass Lowell) 3. What will be the intended outcomes of the award activities? How will successful attainment of the desired outcomes contribute to the University s mission and goals? I feel the University is here to educate the minds of America and to keep with that I would like this award to do just that. With the many uses for the atom (from homeland security to cancer treatment to electrical power production to nanotechnology) it is in the better interest of the university to advance with the resurgence in the atom. 4. How would you balance the performance of activities associated with this award with the fulfillment of your normal duties and responsibilities? I am a health physicist and as a health physics it is my duty to ensure the safe use of radioactive material while not hindering research. One way to fulfill my job is by educating people on the proper use of radioactive material and this award would allow me to pursue that even further.

3 Steven P. Snay 10 Appleton Place Leominster, Ma (860) CAREER OBJECTIVE: To ensure the safety of the worker through great radiological protection practices and health physics techniques EDUCATION: Masters of Science, Radiological Sciences and Protection (2007) Baccalaureate in Physics with a Radiological Health Physics Option from UMass Lowell (2005) Associates in Nuclear Engineering from Three Rivers Community College TRCC (2003), Harvard H. Ellis Regional-Voc Tech School graduated (2001) WORK EXPERIENCE: ACTIVITIES: Health Physics technician, UMass Lowell (2004-present) Auxiliary Operator, UMass Lowell Research Reactor (02-04) Unit 2&3 I&C technician, Dominion Nuclear (summers 02 & 03, refueling outages 02 & 03) Unit 2 Health Physics, Dominion Nuclear (summer 04) On Board of directors New England Chapter Health Physics Society ( ), Committee chair person for student affairs ( ). President the American Nuclear Society (trcc chapter), ΣΠΣ Physics Honor society, National Honor Society, National Scholars Honor Society, ΦΘΚ International Honor Society, Health Physics Society member, Society of Physics Students. ACHIEVMENT/AWARDS: Outstanding Radiological Sciences Graduate Student (07), National Academy of Nuclear Training scholarship (03 &04), American Nuclear Society -John Lamarsh scholarship, Kenneth Skrable Technical Excellence in Radiological Science Award (2005), Association of Facilities Engineering scholarship, Candidate Outstanding Technical student of the year (1/14/03), TRCC Math scholarship 02-03, Charles R. Mingins Award outstanding Senior (2005), National Physical Fitness Awards, Served as Student body Class President, participated in the Seventh Annual Connecticut Geography Olympiad and National Geography Alliance, Connecticut Association of Public school superintendents (CAPSS) Certificate of excellence. INTEREST: Physics, kayaking, hiking and snow shoeing.

4 JOB TRAINING: Laser Safety for Health Physicists by Ben Edwards, CLSO (March 20, 2008) UMass Lowell Environmental Health and Safety Laboratory training (July 17, 2007) IATA/DOT radioactive material shippers training by Dr. Roy Parker (November 15, 2007) Health Physics Society annual meeting and PEP Characterization of radioactive material for transport (June 25-29, 2006) Health Physics Summer School Medical Health Physics (June 16-23, 2006) JOB TASKS: Assistant Radiation Safety Officer, UMass Lowell (2004-present) As the ARSO I oversaw the proper radioactive material use by 16 authorized users, 17 Laboratories including a 5.5MV direct current positive ion particle accelerator and 1MW Swimming Pool reactor. The reactor building houses a nuclear reactor and a 120kCi gamma radiation facility capable of exposures in MRad/hr. My tasks (below) included ensuring the safe use of radioactive material for workers and the public. Radioactive material shipping and receiving Procedure Writing Annual Broad Scope License Audit (2004 and 2005) Laboratory Surveys to verify compliance of a Radioactive Material user (Contamination, Dose rate measurements, worker compliance to procedures) Decontamination Decommission laboratories for free release (Waste Removal, Final Lab Survey, etc.) Radioactive waste handling, analysis and database Inventory (liquid, solid, sharps, mixed waste) Effluent monitoring (waste water holding tanks and Reactor primary & secondary water analysis) Source inventory (Sealed Source leak test, Byproduct inventory, and special Nuclear Materials) Investigations and analysis of unknown sources, solid and liquid waste for radioactivity and being in compliance with EPA laws for chemical satellite areas. Partook in State and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Audits Conducted training and live decontamination to EPA Emergency response drills and Reactor emergency closet inventory Personnel radiation monitoring implementation (TLD, FILM Badges) and calibrations ( Electronic and Pocket dosimeters) Implementation of a new Electronic dosimeter program (Procedures, Radiation Work Permits, MCNP5 Monte Carlo simulation of the calibration apparatus, and source field verification)

5 Portable survey meters instrument inventory, calibrations using a pulse generator, and calibrated radiation sources (Ion chambers, Geiger s, NAI detectors and neutron meters) Personnel hand and foot monitor setup and calibration Gamma Spectroscopy system setup, install and calibrations (efficiency, energy etc.) for BeGe and HpGe using the Genie 2000 Software Gas Proportional Counter Calibration, Use, and system install configuration Liquid Scintillation Calibration and Use Conducted training of all radiation workers and ancillary personnel (i.e. housekeeping, facilities, police, and fire fighters.) Health Physics internship manager