From the President

Linnea Wahl (lewahl@lbl.gov)

This is my final article as Accelerator Section president, since the next issue of the newsletter will introduce the new board members who took office at the section’s annual business meeting in Salt Lake City in June. The past year has been productive, and we rightly have been praised as one of the most active sections in the Health Physics Society. The willingness of our members to serve the section explains our success.

This year’s Nominating and Elections Committee did a great job recruiting new officers and running the election. From Carter Ficklen and Don Cossairt who identified an excellent slate of nominees, to John Bliss who prepared, distributed, collected, counted, and submitted the ballots, the process ran smoothly throughout. This process repeats annually, and the election each year is a reminder of how crucial the volunteer work done by section members is in keeping the section strong and vital.

Beyond committee work, section members volunteered their time to support the section in other ways over the past year. Members spent many hours preparing presentations for the section’s special session organized by President-elect Mike Grissom and held at the annual Health Physics Society meeting. From submitting their abstracts by the February deadline to preparing their talks in time for the special session, these members volunteered their time to share their accelerator health physics knowledge and experiences with their colleagues. Special commendation goes to Bob Casey who, as winner of a 2010 Dade Moeller Lectureship, prepared and delivered a special 30-minute lecture.

In addition, there are those who each year make the extra effort to present professional enrichment programs and continuing education lectures at the annual Health Physics Society meeting. This year, Scott Walker presented three professional enrichment programs and along with James Liu, one continuing education lecture, for a total of seven hours of lecture time. Preparing and presenting these lectures are an incredible commitment of time and energy.

Then there is the ongoing effort of members like Ralph Thomas, who successfully nominated our former colleague, Lutz Moritz, to the newly created Health Physics Society Honor Roll. Lutz was named an inaugural member of the Honor Roll at the Health Physics Society Awards Banquet, and his son, Dr. Orson Moritz, was present to witness this honor. Ralph devoted many hours of work soliciting letters of recommendation and preparing an outstanding nomination package.

I have managed to name only a few of the many volunteer efforts made by Accelerator Section members over the past year. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated professionals, and I am confident that the Accelerator Section will continue to exemplify service to the society and the profession. Thanks to all of you in the Accelerator Section for another great year.