Radiation Physics: A Possible New Direction in the OSU Department of Physics

1
Radiation PhysicsA Possible New Direction in
the OSU Department of Physics

• Eric Benton
• Oklahoma State University
• Department of Physics

2
The Need for Radiation Physicists and Engineers

• The Federal Government (NRC, DHS, DOE, etc.) and
  industry has identified a critical need
  existingPhysicists and Engineers in the area of
  Nuclear Science
• Attrition by retirement in Health Physics and
  Radiation Protection
• Demand outstripping supply for Medical
  Physicists
• Renaissance on the Nuclear Power
  Industry--especially in light of threat of global
  warming due to reliance on fossil fuels.
  (However, in last 30 years, 37 Nuclear
  Engineering Depts., including those at OSU and
  OU, have been shut down)

3
Radiation Physics at OSU

• The OSU Physics Department already has a well
  established research program in Radiation
  Dosimetry.
• The existing research program would be enhanced
  by new research initiatives in development of
  active radiation detectors and in the modeling of
  radiation interaction with matter including
  living tissue and electronic components.
• The Physics Department has little in the way of
  courses, either on the graduate or undergraduate
  level, specializing on Radiation or Nuclear
  Physics
• Ive written and am currently circulating a white
  paper proposing the establishment of a Radiation
  Physics Program within the OSU Physics Dept.

4
Benefits to Oklahoma-1

• Increasing number of Radiation-related
  high-tech businesses in Oklahoma
• Landauer, Inc., the worlds largest provider of
  personnel radiation dosimetry services fabricates
  all of its primary detector material in its
  Stillwater factory/laboratory.
• Two companies in Proton Cancer Therapy are
  building treatment centers in Oklahoma
• ProCure Treatment Centers, Radiation Medicine
  Associates, and Radiation Oncology Associates in
  Oklahoma City
• NanoLife Sciences, Inc. near Tulsa.
• Small startup research companies
• Lucas Newman Science and Technologies, Stillwater
• Eril Research, Inc., Stillwater

5
Benefits to Oklahoma-2

• Good job prospects for graduates with Bachelors,
  Masters, and Ph.D.
• Keep Graduates in Oklahoma
• Increased Enrollment in Physics Department and
  OSU in general, especially of Graduate Students
  born in Oklahoma.
• Research Funding Opportunities from variety of
  sources
• Medical (e.g. NanoLife Sciences, Inc.)
• Federal Government (e.g. DHS Domestic Nuclear
  Detection Office, DoE, NASA, DoD
• Industry (e.g. Landauer)

6
Need for NSF EPSCoR Support

• Equip teaching laboratories in the Radiation
  Sciences
• Establish state-of-the-art Radiation Sensor
  development and testing laboratories and
  facilities
• Publicize/Market OSU Radiation Physics Program to
  prospective undergraduate and graduate students
  through Oklahoma and the greater region
• Develop hands-on curricula in Radiation Physics
  to engage and train students, maintain the
  relevance of their education, and retain them
  throughout the course of their studies.