Award Presentation 2014 GEOFFREY G. EICHHOLZ OUTSTANDING SCIENCE TEACHER AWARD Presented to
BRENDA HALLBAUER at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society Baltimore, Maryland 13–17 July 2014
THE 2014 Eichholz Outstanding Science Teacher Award, conferred to Brenda Hallbauer, recognizes the long-term, sustaining impact on public understanding of nuclear/ radiation safety through the creation of a dedicated Nuclear Science class at Hannibal High School (Hannibal, Missouri). Since 2006, Brenda has impacted over 225 high school students through her teaching, which has helped create a strong pipeline of graduates who have a greater understanding of The author declares no conflicts of interest.
the nuclear/radiation sciences—including career opportunities in the nuclear science and radiation protection fields. Located approximately 100 miles northwest of St. Louis, Hannibal High School serves a geographic area at the heart of the Midwest, which has significant nuclear power generation, medical radioisotope manufacturing, and research and testing facilities nearby. For her Nuclear Science class, Brenda incorporates many of the Health Physics Society’s teacher resources (e.g., demonstrations and classroom activities, HPS career information sheets, and many of the
www.health-physics.com
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Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
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Health Physics
lesson plan resources) to augment her curriculum. In addition to the classroom teachings, the Nuclear Science class students complete a 3-d internet activity using the EPA “RadTown” resource (cited on the HPS web site). These hands-on exercises are excellent support to the Nuclear Science class curriculum and provide a deeper understanding of concepts to these students. Other educational resources, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are used for classroom work and assigned readings. Brenda has created the Nuclear Science class from the teaching unit she developed for graduate work at the University of Missouri “Nuclear Science and Engineering for Secondary Science Teachers” (NE7313) summer program. As an alumna of the NE7313 program, Brenda uses the university’s Geiger Mueller instructional kits in her class to conduct experiments (e.g., the HPS “Introduction to Radiation and Radiation Detection” exercises). Brenda also maintains an excellent relationship with personnel at Ameren Callaway Nuclear Energy Center and Linn State Technical College for facility tours and demonstrations to further support her curriculum.
December 2014, Volume 107, Number 6
Brenda earned a Bachelor of Science degree (Agriculture Science) from Illinois State University and received teaching certification from Hannibal LaGrange University. Brenda is a member of the National Education Association and the Science Teachers of Missouri. In addition to teaching Nuclear Science, Forensics, and Biology classes at Hannibal High School, Brenda is the school’s swim team coach and serves on the Missouri State Athletic Association’s Swimming and Diving Advisory Board. It is with great honor that the Greater St. Louis Chapter, Health Physics Society, along with our industry and academic partners, have come to know Brenda. Our professional community supports Brenda and looks forward to ongoing collaboration efforts for the promotion of the nuclear/radiation sciences in our schools. SCOTT SUROVI Greater St. Louis Chapter Health Physics Society
www.health-physics.com
Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
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BRENDA HALLBAUER at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society Baltimore, Maryland 13–17 July 2014
THE 2014 Eichholz Outstanding Science Teacher Award, conferred to Brenda Hallbauer, recognizes the long-term, sustaining impact on public understanding of nuclear/ radiation safety through the creation of a dedicated Nuclear Science class at Hannibal High School (Hannibal, Missouri). Since 2006, Brenda has impacted over 225 high school students through her teaching, which has helped create a strong pipeline of graduates who have a greater understanding of The author declares no conflicts of interest.
the nuclear/radiation sciences—including career opportunities in the nuclear science and radiation protection fields. Located approximately 100 miles northwest of St. Louis, Hannibal High School serves a geographic area at the heart of the Midwest, which has significant nuclear power generation, medical radioisotope manufacturing, and research and testing facilities nearby. For her Nuclear Science class, Brenda incorporates many of the Health Physics Society’s teacher resources (e.g., demonstrations and classroom activities, HPS career information sheets, and many of the
www.health-physics.com
497
Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
498
Health Physics
lesson plan resources) to augment her curriculum. In addition to the classroom teachings, the Nuclear Science class students complete a 3-d internet activity using the EPA “RadTown” resource (cited on the HPS web site). These hands-on exercises are excellent support to the Nuclear Science class curriculum and provide a deeper understanding of concepts to these students. Other educational resources, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are used for classroom work and assigned readings. Brenda has created the Nuclear Science class from the teaching unit she developed for graduate work at the University of Missouri “Nuclear Science and Engineering for Secondary Science Teachers” (NE7313) summer program. As an alumna of the NE7313 program, Brenda uses the university’s Geiger Mueller instructional kits in her class to conduct experiments (e.g., the HPS “Introduction to Radiation and Radiation Detection” exercises). Brenda also maintains an excellent relationship with personnel at Ameren Callaway Nuclear Energy Center and Linn State Technical College for facility tours and demonstrations to further support her curriculum.
December 2014, Volume 107, Number 6
Brenda earned a Bachelor of Science degree (Agriculture Science) from Illinois State University and received teaching certification from Hannibal LaGrange University. Brenda is a member of the National Education Association and the Science Teachers of Missouri. In addition to teaching Nuclear Science, Forensics, and Biology classes at Hannibal High School, Brenda is the school’s swim team coach and serves on the Missouri State Athletic Association’s Swimming and Diving Advisory Board. It is with great honor that the Greater St. Louis Chapter, Health Physics Society, along with our industry and academic partners, have come to know Brenda. Our professional community supports Brenda and looks forward to ongoing collaboration efforts for the promotion of the nuclear/radiation sciences in our schools. SCOTT SUROVI Greater St. Louis Chapter Health Physics Society
www.health-physics.com
Copyright © 2014 Health Physics Society. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
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