NASHVILLE, Tenn.–Theodore (Ted) Rockwell, internationally renowned expert in nuclear engineering, will speak on “Nuclear Technology: Facts and Myths about Radioactivity” in a free public lecture at Vanderbilt University April 23. The lecture will be held 4-5 p.m. in the main auditorium on the first floor of Featheringill Hall.
Rockwell was one of the authors of a Science magazine article, “Nuclear Power Plants and their Fuel as Terrorist Targets,” published last September. He will discuss a variety of issues related to nuclear technology, including: the toxicity and danger of nuclear wastes; the risks in transporting nuclear wastes; lessons from the past, such as Chernobyl; naturally occurring radiation and nuclear power plants as terrorist targets.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Rockwell was technical director of Admiral Hyman Rickover’s program to develop criteria, procedures and facilities for safe operation of nuclear-powered naval vessels as well as the world’s first commercial central station nuclear power plant. He is the founding officer of the engineering firm MPR Associates and the international organization of independent radiation experts, Radiation, Science and Health, Inc. He is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and recipient of the first ANS Lifetime Contribution Award, now known as the Rockwell Award. He has received Distinguished Service Medals from both the Navy and the Atomic Energy Commission.
The lecture is sponsored by the Vanderbilt chapter of Sigma Xi Scientific Honorary Society. Featheringill Hall is located behind the Free Electron Laser Building near the intersection of 24th Avenue South and Kirkland Place. For map, visit: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/map.cgi?mode=4&zoom=4&panx=0&pany=0 Media contact: David Salisbury, 615-343-6803, david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu