ORAU

ORAU is launching the Rural Health Research Innovation Cluster, a multi-university collaboration focused on advancing high-impact rural health research. Institutions are coming together to align efforts across four priority areas:
▶️ Workforce
▶️ Access to Care
▶️ Preparedness
▶️ Women’s Health

The goal is simple: identify shared research priorities and build strong, multi-institution collaborations that address critical rural health challenges. ORAU will bring partners together for a strategic planning workshop in August. Interested in learning more? Email [email protected].

ORAU has distributed $180,000 in research grants to 36 junior faculty members from its member universities through the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program. Powe awards support early-career researchers by providing seed funding to advance their work and foster professional development. Temple University, one of ORAU’s member institutions, also sponsored a grant in collaboration with ORAU. Read more and find the list of award recipients here: https://bit.ly/4vGmOad

A few of the women of ORAU attended the United Way of Anderson County (UWAC) Leading Ladies Luncheon on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The event empowers connections, inspires conversations and celebrates women making a difference. Keynote speaker was Susan Hubbard, Ph.D., Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where she helps lead one of the nation’s most extensive science and energy research portfolios, focused on breakthrough discoveries and their translation into energy and national security solutions for the nation.

☢️ ORAU offered “Nuclear Science – From Atoms to Energy,” a professional development workshop for educators, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The workshop was designed to equip K-8 teachers with a stronger, more confident understanding of nuclear science, and offered practical strategies for communicating nuclear science to students in appropriate, meaningful ways. The course attracted elite educators from across the country, including one from California. Kris and Kenny Light led the session. Kris is science outreach instructor for the American Museum of Science and Energy; Ken built many of the models and activities used to demonstrate nuclear science principles. Meghan Millwood, ORAU President and CEO, dropped In to check out some of the hands-on activities.

🛑 NUCLEAR ENERGY ACADEMIC ROADMAP MONDAY
Summer is a busy time for the ORAU K-12 STEM education team as they manage several months’ worth of in-person, virtual and residential education programs for students and teachers. The ORAU-led Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap states that empowering educators is essential to the success of K-12 nuclear education. Identifying knowledge gaps, offering targeted professional development, and building supportive educator networks will enable teachers to grow, share best practices, and confidently deliver accurate, engaging content. Involving industry partners in the design and implementation of nuclear-related programs ensures relevance and sustainability.
Learn more at https://bit.ly/4quPbX2

Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap The Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap provides guidance for students, educators, industry professionals, and stakeholders to prepare for careers in the nuclear sector by addressing challenges, shaping curricula, and developing workforce initiatives. It aligns educational programs with industry needs,....

📢 IN THE NEWS
The Pathway to Trades Summit is still capturing attention. The summit brought together stakeholders from the nuclear industry, skilled trades, education, government, economic development and community organizations to plan for meeting the need for skilled trades workers in the growing nuclear energy industry. Chris O’Keefe, president of the Tennessee State Building and Construction Trades Council, and Ashley Stowe, PhD, ORAU chief research and university partnerships officer, write in a Knoxville News Sentinel op/ed that East Tennessee has the expertise, partnerships and commitment necessary to help shape the future workforce that will power the nation’s next generation of energy innovations. More here: https://bit.ly/49KvKmt

🎙️ON OUR POD
Gabe Grell, Ph.D., is a self-described geek. He is a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow focused on high-energy astrophysics, which involves observing some of the most powerful objects in the universe, including massive stars (10 to 20 times bigger than our sun), black holes, galaxies and supernovae, all of which emit very strong radiation in the form of X-rays. Grell analyzes the data received from satellites measuring these X-rays to deduce the atomic makeup and physical properties of those objects. Grell says he has always been kind of a math and science geek and began taking an interest in astronomy in high school. Listen here: https://bit.ly/4uXluQy

For more about the NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: https://bit.ly/46ec8Dn.

podcast.show

ORAU is proud to announce our new recruiting partnership with Omega Technical Services! This collaboration strengthens our shared commitment to supporting critical workforce needs across the nuclear and technical sectors. By combining ORAU’s recruitment expertise with Omega’s deep industry experience, we’re creating new opportunities, expanding talent pipelines, and supporting the missions that matter most to our nation. We look forward to all we’ll accomplish together! Learn more about ORAU Workforce Solutions: https://bit.ly/48YPD7l

🍎Attention teachers!
Looking for professional development opportunities this summer?
ORAU has several PD courses available at no cost to you over the next few weeks. In-person, virtual and asynchronous sessions are available. Topics include artificial intelligence, math engagement, project-based learning and so much more! Teacher PD is available at no cost but registration is required. Register here: https://bit.ly/4vooANd

A few weeks ago, ORAU hosted the Pathway to Trades Summit, which brought together stakeholders from the nuclear industry, skilled trades unions, lawmakers, academia and others to determine and work to address the need for skilled trade workers for the burgeoning nuclear industry.

Read our blog about the summit and then check out the results page for media coverage of the event, with more to come, including a key takeaways document that highlights efforts already underway to solve the need for more skilled trades workers. https://www.orau.org/blog/programs/pathway-to-trades-summit-tackles-skilled-trades-workforce-needs-amid-nuclear-expansion.html

Read the results page: https://orau.org/pathway-to-trades/archive/2026/index.html

Pathway to Trades Summit tackles skilled trades workforce needs amid nuclear expansion Leaders from labor organizations, industry, government, education and community support services convened at the Pathway to Trades Summit to address one of the region’s most urgent challenges: building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the rapidly growing demands of the nuclear sector.