Volume 6, Number 3
April 2009

Editor's Note
Welcome to the spring 2009 issue of the INMM Communicator

By Brian Boyer INMM Communicator Editor E-mail: bboyer@lanl.gov

Here at Los Alamos we are thawing out from the cold but sunny New Mexican winter and windy spring getting ready for the Tucson meeting.  I am writing this as I am looking at the fine contributions we got this month from our technical divisions and students.  I had hoped for one student input this issue but our younger members are so enthusiastic I got two articles.

This month we will focus on two parts of our profession, physical protection and nonproliferation and arms control. We have a report from the Physical Protection Division from L. David Lambert, chair of the INMM Physical Protection Division, talking about a topic near to his heart and he hopes everyone’s heart titled, “Analog vs. Digital Considerations for Integrated Physical Protection Systems.”  We also have a report from the Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technical Division Chair Steve Mladineo titled, “Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technical Division Conducting Outreach to Enhance Awareness of Nuclear Security Issues.”   

One of the Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technical Division’s recent accomplishments in this area was the Third Annual Workshop on Reducing the Risk from Radioactive and Nuclear Materials in Albuquerque in March 2009. You can read how busy that division has been conducting outreach to help enhance the awareness of nuclear security issues.

As in every issue of the Communicator, we have news about the Institute’s internal operations in a column by INMM Vice President Scott Vance, “Inside Insights.” Another regular feature is the piece “Member News,” by our new Membership Committee chair Albert Garrett.  A special welcome to all the new INMM members since the fall; their names are listed in Al’s piece.

INMM has announced the opening and closing plenary speakers for the INMM 50th Annual Meeting, which will be held July 12-16, in Tucson, Ariz. USA. Learn who the speakers are and

One of the tasks I have been working on for DOE/NNSA this year has been Human Capital Development as part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI). A big part of NGSI is bringing young people into the field.  This month yet another Texas A&M Aggie has some news for us. D. Grant Ford from Texas A&M’s Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI), a recently graduated graduate student from Texas A&M, describes the NSSPI and its synergism with technology and policy.  They have a very strong relationship with the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. I was recently at NSSPI and impressed with the quality of students and the broad scope of tying technology and policy that is possible with NSSPI.

We also have an article by Mark Laughter, a young staff member from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  Mark came to ORNL in a postmaster’s program where he was mentored by Dianne Fischer. Mark attended undergrad and grad school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. He received his B.S. degrees in nuclear engineering and physics in 2002 and an M.S. degree in nuclear engineering in 2005. Mark has sketched us out an article on the lighter side of nuclear material handling titled, “Safeguards at the Movies: Hollywood’s Nonproliferation Vocabulary.” However, I remember watching Fail Safe as a kid and The Atomic Cafe as a young adult. Movies can certainly convey attitudes about nuclear issues including nonproliferation and safeguards and can be a bit more than diversionary entertainment.

We also got a report from Eric Chandler, president of the University of Michigan INMM Student Chapter, giving us a rundown on activities of this new student chapter.  Sara Pozzi, new faculty member at the University of Michigan, former editor of the Communicator, is the faculty advisor.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you. If you have any items you would like to have in the Communicator please forward them to me. We are the Communications Committee! Spreading the news of what is and what goes on in our profession is our mission! 

Of course, the Communications Committee is still looking for volunteers: drop me a line at bboyer@lanl.gov. I hope all of you thaw out this spring and get ready for the dry heat of Tucson July 12-16 at the INMM 50th INMM Annual Meeting. From what occurred at our last Executive Committee Meeting in New Orleans in March, I can guarantee that our program will be better than ever and our planned opening and closing plenary speakers are top class once again.

Unfortunately, I must end and append this note with the sad news that our long-time INMM colleague and long-time INMM Secretary, Vince DeVito, passed away. 

I have been in INMM since 2002 and I always saw Vince as a fixture at the INMM enthusiastically being one of the key cogs making INMM work and our Annual Meeting such a big success. 

He was one of those people who are nearly irreplaceable with their knowledge, skill, and most importantly concern and good will to all our members. I had just seen Vince at the New Orleans Executive Committee Meeting and feel very sad that that now is the last time I saw Vince. I never got the opportunity to thank him deeply for all he has done for us. It will be a bit empty in Tucson without Vince. Good bye Vince and God bless.