FIU at the 15th ICEM2013 Conference in Brussels, Belgium

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) participated in the recent American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 15th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2013) held in Brussels, Belgium, during September 8 -12, 2013. Dr. Leonel Lagos (Director of Research at ARC) attended the conference and presented two papers based on the applied research and workforce development being conducted at ARC in support of the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM). Dr. Lagos was also invited to form part of an international panel to address challenges and opportunities affecting the global environmental remediation and radioactive waste management community. Two students, DOE Fellows from the FIU-DOE Science and Technology Workforce Development Program (fellows.fiu.edu), accompanied Dr. Lagos to the conference and each presented a paper based on the DOE EM research they are conducting at ARC.

Dr. Lagos’ participation in the conference was fully supported by FIU and he made presentations on the following:

• Training and Mentoring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers to Secure Continuity and Successes of the US DOE’s Environmental Remediation Efforts
• D&D Knowledge Management Information Tool – A Web Based System Developed to Share D&D Knowledge Worldwide
• International Panel on Challenges and Opportunities Affecting the Global Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management Community

DOE Fellows Gabriela Vazquez (second from left) and Ximena Prugue (third from left) with Rosa Elmetti-Ramirez (DOE) and Leo Lagos (FIU) at the 15th ICEM Conference in Brussels, Belgium.

The two DOE Fellows were fully supported by ASME to participate in ICEM2013 where they presented their DOE EM research being conducted at ARC:

• Ximena Prugue – Development of a Mechanical Based System for Dry Retrieval of Single-Shell Tank Waste at Hanford
• Gabriela Vazquez – Improved Third Generation Peristaltic Crawler for Removal of High-Level Waste Plugs in United States Department of Energy Hanford Site Pipelines

Dr. Lagos was also invited to give a lecture at and tour the Belgium Nuclear Research Center in Mol, Belgium. Dr. Lagos provided a comprehensive presentation addressing the use of fixatives for contaminated soil suppression as well as a description of the applied research being conducted under the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement for DOE-EM.

This conference provided a great opportunity to expand on the international collaboration for applied research in support of DOE EM and international organizations. Participation in the ICEM13 conference was funded by Florida International University with support from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (supporting students’ travel and participation in the conference). Additional information can be obtained by contacting Dr. Leonel Lagos (Principal Investigator, Director of Research) at (305) 348-1810 or lagosl@fiu.edu.

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