New Director Coming to AFRL Information Directorate in Rome

Air Force officials announced recently that Dr. Davy M. Belk will succeed Dr. Donald Hanson as director of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y. Dr. Belk, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is currently director, Engineering Directorate, Ogden Air Logistics Center, located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Read more

Compact Cancer Therapy Particle Delivery System Patented

As part of an effort to make high-precision particle cancer therapy accessible to more patients, a physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory has developed a simpler, less-expensive gantry design for delivering tumor-killing particle beams. Brookhaven Science Associates, the company that manages the Lab for the Department of Energy (DOE), has applied for a U.S. nonprovisional patent on the design, which is now available for licensing and commercial development. Read more

Commercial Fishermen, NEFSC Scientists Collaborate to Learn More about Monkfish

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and fishermen are working together aboard commercial fishing vessels to gain information about the monkfish population in northeast U.S. waters, part of an ongoing collaboration between the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of NOAA's Fisheries Service and the monkfish industry under the center's Cooperative Research Program. Read more

NAES Lakehurst Recognized for Environmental Protection Efforts

In conjunction with Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented an Environmental Quality Award to the Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES) in Lakehurst. NAES Lakehurst was one of seven winners from New Jersey honored for efforts to protect the environment. EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou presented the awards in April at a ceremony at the EPA's office in Manhattan, and environmental advocate Majora Carter delivered keynote remarks. Read more

Volpe Center Evaluates State-of-the-Art Vehicle Safety Systems

The Volpe Transportation Systems Center serves as the independent evaluator of the Integrated Vehicle-based Safety Systems (IVBSS) project, the first large-scale initiative for both light vehicle and heavy truck platforms focused on safety system integration. IVBSS technologies warn drivers in crash-imminent situations, helping to prevent rear-end, lane-change, and road-departure crashes. Read more

Picatinny Employees Receive Army Research and Development Achievement Awards

Thirty-three Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) employees received 2008 Army Research and Development Achievement (RDA) awards on April 16. Col. Russell J. Hrdy, ARDEC deputy director, distributed the awards, presenting each winner with an official plaque. Read more

2009 Northeast Region Awards - Call for Nominations

The Northeast Region is now accepting nominations for its 2009 awards. Nomination forms are available at http://www.flcnortheast.org/awards.html. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, June 30, 2009, and the awards will be presented in September 2009 at the Northeast regional meeting in Princeton, New Jersey. Read more

CT Scan to Help Scientists Diagnose Role of Clouds in Climate

During May and June, scientists from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Colorado at Boulder will use high-tech scanners-analogous to those used in medical settings—to make observations of clouds. The research, conducted at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) in Ponca City, Oklahoma, could lead to more accurate weather forecasts and predictions about climate. Read more

Lakehurst Engineers and Artisans Provide Support to Newest Navy Carrier

In January, Tom Gerace, a recovery systems lead engineer at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Lakehurst, was challenged with the task of refurbishing an old barricade power pack to be used on the newest aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). The barricade power pack is a piece of equipment that provides and maintains the fluid pressure required by the hydraulic cylinders that raise and lower the barricade stanchions on the flight deck. The stanchions are the two large support structures that hold up the barricade webbing assembly (a nylon web system) needed to absorb the kinetic energy of a landing aircraft and transmit it to the arresting gear engine. Read more

Turtle Travels: From Woods Hole to Jekyll Island, Georgia

Dory, Boo Boo and Godzilla are not typical names for patients being treated for pneumonia and exposure to cold water, but these three are not typical patients. They are endangered sea turtles, and after spending months at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium recovering after being stranded on Cape Cod beaches over the past two winters, they are heading south to be released in the warm waters off Jekyll Island, Georgia. Read more

Volpe Center Crashworthiness Experts On-call

The Volpe Transportation System Center's Rail Equipment Crashworthiness Team conducts research to generate technical information that can serve as the basis for federal regulations, industry standards, and railroad specifications. This information relates to passenger- and freight-equipment crashworthiness and occupant-protection features. The team's activities include investigations of train accidents; development of improved crashworthiness strategies; impact tests of baseline and improved-design equipment; and analyses of car-crush, and train and occupant dynamics. Read more