If you noticed that this newsletter is a bit early this quarter, you have the Health Physics Society (HPS) to thank. The 51st Annual Meeting of the HPS begins this year on June 25 in Providence, Rhode Island. Many of us will be fortunate enough to attend (me included), and that's why I've sent the newsletter out a week early.
While at the annual meeting, I plan to attend the Accelerator Section Special Session. Our president-elect, Scott Walker, has put together a great program for the session. For those who won't be able to attend, we've included in this issue of the newsletter several abstracts from the session and will plan to present the remaining abstracts in a future newsletter.
This issue also includes an invited paper by Martha Dibblee, who gives us a personal account of her adventures while on assignment from the State of Oregon to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Her article is especially timely in that she worked with NRC staff on implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005, with its new requirements for accelerator-produced materials. This engaging and informative account gives us a window into the complex world of NRC rulemaking.
Finally I once again thank the Accelerator Section for its generous support for my work on this newsletter. You honor me first by giving me the opportunity to work with such a fine group of professionals, and then honor me again with your show of appreciation. Thank you Lorraine, Scott, and Sayed; Don and Kamran; and all of the board and contributors to this newsletter. I look forward to another year working with you all.