News

FIU researchers build robots to clean toxic waste, map contaminated sites, and make repairs in dangerous conditions, protecting humans and speeding cleanup.

Yesterday, leaders responsible for cleaning up some of the most radioactive contaminated sites in the nation gathered on campus to recognize a dozen of our top students at the 2024 DOE Fellows Induction Ceremony. FIU is in the 29th year of a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy, with a focus on addressing the environmental challenges resulting from the nation’s nuclear weapons program and building a skilled workforce for…

Miami, Florida April 30, 2024 The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) hosted the inaugural Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Workshop for Nuclear Decommissioning.  The workshop got started with welcoming remarks from FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing (Dr. Ines Triay, Interim Dean), and FIU’s ARC (Dr. Leo Lagos, Director of Research), as well as Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management official (Mr. Rodrigo Rimando). The workshop…

Florida International University (FIU) is hosting an AI Robotics Workshop on April 22 – 24, 2024. The Technology Innovation Hub: Applied Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear Decommissioning Workshop aims to serve as a collaborative platform where industry leaders, academic heads, faculty, and students can engage in insightful discussions to better understand the Robotics/AI landscape. Register Now

ARC is pleased to announce that Dr. Amer Awwad, Sr. Research Scientist, in collaboration with Dr. Atorod Azizinamini, Professor from FIU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and Director of Infrastructure Research and Innovation, have developed an innovative technology to quickly assess the durability of hardened concrete. The technology can quickly test concrete strength without the need to take a core sample of the concrete. A patent has been granted for…

Miami, February 14, 2024 FIU’s Applied Research Center is hosting a two-day technical meeting with representatives from DOE contractor (Washington River Protection Solutions) and Savannah River National lab. The objective of the workshop is to review robotic technologies being developed at FIU in support of DOE Tank Farm at the Hanford site in Richland, WA. In addition, other robotic research projects being conducted as part of DOE EM and Sandia…

MIAMI – Over 30 members of a team exploring the use of wearable devices to improve worker safety recently gathered at Florida International University (FIU) to discuss efforts to develop, evaluate and deploy the technology at EM cleanup sites. FIU is among six organizations funded by EM to better understand the strains site workers face due to the physically challenging nature of their work, and to find solutions to reduce such impacts using…

Dr. Leonel Lagos (pictures bottom right) pointing to FIU robotics technologies to a cleanup caucus attendee. WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Avery attended the second annual House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus reception at the U.S. Capitol last week. Attendees heard from U.S. Rep. Susie Lee and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleishmann, who are co-chairs of the caucus, as well as U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, among others. In his address to attendees,…

Miami, Florida 05/13/2023 As part of the DOE EM Cooperative Agreement, FIU is leading the efforts on robotic system design for the surveillance, maintenance, and repairs of DOE facilities. The project is entitled “Development of a Robotic Remote System with Plug‐and‐Play Interchangeable Components for Inspection and Repairs of DOE Facilities and Repositories”, and includes participation from Florida International University, Argonne National Lab, Savannah River National Lab, DOE EM TDO, DOE…

Florida International University (FIU) is conducting a series of D&D Tech Talks focusing on several D&D topics relevant to the DOE EM Complex. On April 25, 2023, FIU will feature a Tech Talk from Hansell Gonzalez-Raymat a Senior Scientist at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). This talk focuses on the DOE-EM project that is funding a National Laboratory team from Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory…

Florida International University is hosting a Technology Showcase at Florida International University’s Applied Research Center. The purpose of the meeting is to review the current R&D efforts being conducted at FIU-ARC in support of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Legacy Management. Participants include stakeholders from across the DOE Complex including Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), Central Plateau Engineering, Savannah River National Laboratory,…

Dr. Aravelli is a Research Specialist and an adjunct faculty at Florida International University (FIU). Her research and industrial experience span multidisciplinary areas of engineering that include sensors, robotics, building energy systems modeling, engine emissions, optimization, and structural health monitoring. She recently presented her research on Structural Health Monitoring in Nuclear Waste Transfer System using Acoustic Sensing and Machine Learning at the University of Texas Arlington Research Institute (UTARI). The…

Florida International University (FIU) is conducting a series of D&D Tech Talks focusing on several D&D topics relevant to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EM Complex. On January 24, 2023, FIU will feature a Tech Talk from István Szőke, PhD, from the Institute for Energy Technology in Norway, who will share an international perspective on decommissioning. Join us next Tuesday, January 24 at 10 am EST. More information by following the link below….

On December 8, 2022, the FIU ARC Robotics Team received recognition at the Employee Appreciation Lunch.  Dr. Ines Triay, Executive Director, ARC in the center of the picture, presented the ARC’s Robotic Team with the award. In the picture, from left to right: Dwayne McDaniel, Amer Awwad, Leonel Lagos, Dr. Ines Triay, Anthony Abrahao, Mackenson Telusma, and Aparna Aravelli.  The ARC Robotics Team designed, developed, and created a prototype, to test and deploy two one-of-a-kind…

From Dr. Aravelli… Happy to share the news of graduating from FIU Presidential Leadership Program cohort 2022 and attending the graduation ceremony on Wednesday Nov 16, 2022. This is a highly commended opportunity at FIU, for faculty and administrative staff exploring and understanding the transition to leadership roles in academia. This program aided me to examine the challenges and gaps in higher education, particularly in FIU, from an executive perspective….

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Donning devices that help relieve stress on workers’ muscles and joints or create a virtual reality simulating a worksite, more than 40 members of a team recently met in person for the first time since fiscal 2020 to evaluate technology to improve the safety and well-being of EM’s workforce. The team gathered at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in Pensacola. IHMC is among the organizations…

Miami, Florida September 27 and 28, 2022 Florida International University and the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) completed a two-day review of FIU’s Cooperative Agreement (CA). FIU’s applied research is performed under the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement (under Contract # DE-EM0005213) and provides technical support to DOE-EM and DOE-LM in the area of environmental remediation, environmental stewardship, and FIU STEM student…

July 28, 2022, 2 PM in EC 2186 FIU-ARC is pleased to share that Dr. Paul Dixon, Deputy Director, Civilian Nuclear Programs Office, Los Alamos National Laboratory will be giving a lecture on July 28, 2022, at 2 PM in EC 2186 on Exploring geologic disposal options for nuclear waste in Israel.  Summary: The objective of NNSA/IAEC collaboration is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of an intermediate-depth borehole for disposal…

Miami, July 7th, 2022 Florida International University’s Applied Research Center and Broward College have established a partnership to develop the next generation of Artificial Intelligence professionals. The main goal of the program is to encourage FIU STEM students to pursue higher education degrees in the areas of computer science and computer engineering. This new program is funded by the US Department of Education with the intention of engaging STEM students…

RICHLAND, Wash. – Robot technology is providing new ways to monitor the integrity of underground double-shell waste-storage tanks at the Hanford Site. Under a cooperative agreement with DOE, Florida International University (FIU) recently worked with EM Office of River Protection (ORP) tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to test a miniature magnetic rover, deploying it at a tank in the site’s AP Tank Farm. “It is always great to see the research that the students…

  Global standards leader ASTM International launched the organization’s first student chapter at Florida International University (FIU) during a virtual ceremony on Friday. The FIU chapter will include a scholarship program, project grants, awards, and research and publication opportunities. “We are thrilled to be launching this chapter at FIU,” said Kathie Morgan, ASTM International president. “Connecting with academia has always been a priority for ASTM, and now we are able to…

Dr. John Dickson, a Senior Research Scientist at FIU’s Applied Research Center, has successfully managed to have his research featured in the Chemical Engineering Journal. The Chemical Engineering Journal is an International journal of research and development, which focuses upon three aspects of chemical engineering: chemical reaction engineering, environmental chemical engineering, and materials synthesis and processing. The paper titled “Surfactant-Modified Siliceous Zeolite Y for Pertechnetate Remediation”, was authored by Dr….

Innovative research by Florida International University (FIU) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM) has led to a publication in Communications Chemistry, an open access journal from Nature Research which publishes high-quality research, reviews and commentary in all areas of the chemical sciences. The article “Spontaneous redox continuum reveals sequestered technetium clusters and retarded mineral transformation of iron” authored by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and FIU’s…

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of this event! This year’s theme is Climate Action. As an academic and research organization which supports the clean-up and preservation of our environment FIU’s Applied Research Center annually participates in events such as the annual Miami-Dade County’s Baynanza beach clean-up, involving our staff, students and families. With social distancing in place, however, many Earth Day activities have gone digital. Therefore FIU ARC would like to…

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November 5, 2019 | 10:00 am  | EC Room 2186 Bio Marissa Morales-Rodriguez, PhD: Morales-Rodriguez is the principal investigator and manages projects related to the research and development of cyber-physical sensors with applications in the energy, defense, environmental and manufacturing industries. Her research is currently focused on sensors development for controls and security of smart grid to increase resilience and reliability for energy delivery systems by augmenting visualization of electrical distribution…

Miami, Florida September 9, 2019 Florida International University’s Applied Research Center was honored to host the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) workshop entitled “Interregional Workshop on Optimization of Technology Selection for Decommissioning of Large and Small Nuclear Installations.” The workshop was conducted on the campus of Florida International University in Miami, Florida during the week of September 9 – 13, 2019. The workshop counted with the participation of Member State…

ARC-PNNL Team working on the project “Management of Hanford Low Activity Waste Off-Gas Condensate” just published a manuscript in the Journal of Hazardous Materials  (IF 7.65) entitled “Comparative analysis of ZVI materials for reductive separation of 99Tc(VII) from aqueous waste streams” authored by Daria Boglaienko, Hilary Emerson, Yelena Katsenovich and Tatiana Levitskaia. The study demonstrated effective reductive separation of Tc-99 from aqueous NaCl solution at near neutral pH with ZVI materials…

ARC researchers (Joseph Sinicrope, Peggy Shoffner, and Leo Lagos), with their collaborators Andrew  Szilagyi (DOE EM) and Connor Nicholson (SRNL) received a designation of “Paper of Note” for the WM’19 Symposia. Their paper, titled “International Standards as Critical Enablers to the Development and Diffusion of D&D Technologies” was one of twenty-three papers selected for this distinction this year.

The Applied Research Center cordially invites you to attend ARC’s Postdoctoral and Graduate Students Research Showcase 2019 on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 starting at 1:00 pm in EC 2300. This event will bring ARC’s postdocs and graduate students together to present and discuss the research projects they are working on at ARC.   Download Research_Showcase_2019_Flyer  

Dear Colleagues  I’m delighted to share this excellent news with our community (the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, Savannah River National Laboratory, FIU ARC and FIU Chemistry). Today, our DOE Fellow, Mr. Hansell Gonzalez-Raymat successfully passed his dissertation defense for a Ph.D. in chemistry. Hansell graduated from FIU in fall 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. After being accepted as a Ph.D. graduate student, Hansell was also competitively selected as a DOE Fellow in fall…

Congratulations to Applied Research Center (ARC) – Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Fellows hackathon team for winning the ShellHacks 2018 Oath challenge. ShellHacks is a recently-created annual hackathon held at Florida International University (FIU) during the month of September. The goal at each hackathon is to work in small teams to “hack together” a novel solution to a problem with the prospect to win prizes, recognition or both. This year,…

Dr. Yelena Katsenovich and a post doc associate Dr. Daria Boglaienko attended the Goldschmidt Conference in Boston on August 12-17 where they presented research conducted at the Applied Research Center at Florida International University in support of the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. Dr. Boglaienko presented results of experiments conducted to investigate the removal efficiency of technetium-99 from the liquid phase via reductive sorption of soluble Tc(VII). This work is conducted in…

Photo left to right: DOE Fellows Frances Zengotita, Dr. Hilary Emerson, DOE EM MSIPP Intern Antony Arun Maria, and DOE Fellows Silvina Di Pietro DOE Fellows Silvina Di Pietro and Frances Zengotita, DOE EM MSIPP Intern Antony Arun Maria, and Dr. Hilary Emerson attended the American Chemical Society National Meeting last week where they gave fantastic presentations on their research conducted at the Applied Research Center at Florida International University…

AIKEN, S.C. – EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Florida International University (FIU) are teaming to examine a range of fixative and coating materials that could be a major improvement to help stabilize residual contamination in excess nuclear facilities. “Once you’ve ‘fixed’ the residual radioactive material in a building and/or a surface, you’ve substantially reduced risk and potential worker exposure,” SRNL engineer Michael Serrato said. “You’ve also created a much more stable envelope…

FIU’s Applied Research Center is pleased to announce that our very own Director of Research (Dr. Leo Lagos) was invited to give the keynote speech at the Mirion Connect Annual Users’ Meeting (http://www.mirionconnect.com) held in Bonita Springs, Florida on August 6 -10, 2018. During the keynote, Dr. Lagos showcased the research and STEM workforce development efforts being conducted at FIU’s ARC for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental…

The Waste Management Symposia (WMS) has announced the selection of “Superior Papers” for manuscripts submitted and presented at the Waste Management Symposia 2018 (WM18) held in Phoenix, AZ this past March. I’m pleased to announce that papers submitted and presented by Florida International University’s Applied Research Center (ARC) scientists and DOE Fellows have been selected as “Superior Papers” by the WM18 Technical Committee. The ARC papers include:   Paper #…

Congratulations to Dr. Himanshu Upadhyay on his highly well received presentation at the 2018 International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA) (https://www.itea.org/) Test and Training Instrumentation Workshop on May 15-17 in Las Vegas, NV.  Himanshu’s talk presented FIU’s Cyber Attack Orchestration Test Bed for Automation and Threat Monitoring in Virtual Environment (CTAM), developed for the Department of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center. CTAM has proved its efficacy in advanced cyber threat monitoring and response…

It is with great pleasure that we would like to announce that the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) has secured an additional multi-million dollar award for sponsored research from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center (DOD-TRMC). The new funding is a continuation of the cybersecurity technology research & development and STEM workforce development/training efforts being led at ARC since 2013. ARC, in collaboration with our colleagues at…

Miami, Florida April 3, 2018 On April 20, 2018, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Florida International University’s (FIU) Applied Research Center (ARC) will enter a Memorandum of Understanding (IAEA) to foster collaboration between the two institutions. The objective of the MoU is to set forth the framework for non-exclusive cooperation between the two institutions in the area of science and technology, knowledge management and transfer, and workforce development and…

PHOENIX – A wide range of robotics developed by universities and used in EM’s cleanup were on display at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.    One of three Florida International University robots deployed at EM sites, the Mini Rover is a miniature robotic system designed for inspection of double-shell tank floors at the Hanford Site. It can be deployed to slots from the annulus and provides visual feedback as it maneuvers through…

Featured at the Waste Management Symposia 2018 in Phoenix, the NASA Valkyrie weighs 300 pounds, and stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall. While EM is many years from using a humanoid robot, Valkyrie’s highly dexterous arms could replace gloves in EM glove boxes, making work easier and safer for laboratory technicians and workers. Tele-operated robotic arms and manipulators could provide key advances in glove box and hot cell design and operations. NASA…

Building on the initial success from the recent publication of two new international standard specifications for fixatives in July 2017, DOE EM and ASTM International’s E10.03 Subcommittee have embarked on an aggressive strategy to address shortfalls in uniform testing protocols specifically designed to provide a set of accepted tools to evaluate and compare the operational performance of fixative technologies under a variety of safety basis scenarios. As highlighted by Mr….

Researchers from the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) are continuing their efforts to collect timeseries data from the Tims Branch watershed at Savannah River Site (SRS) in support of ongoing surface water and contaminant transport modeling research being performed at FIU. Two DOE Fellows, Ron Hariprashad and Juan Morales, who are both FIU graduate students participating in the DOE-FIU Science and Technology Workforce Development Program, successfully…

Dr. Yelena Katsenovich, Research Scientist from the FIU Applied Research Center, gave a lecture for the Sea Level Solutions Interdisciplinary Research & Design Studio on “Constructed Wetlands for Storm Water Contaminant Remediation: Design, Process and Function” on February 13. Her talk covered various aspects of low-cost constructed wetlands, which is an environmentally sound and affordable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment technologies. This lecture provided information that will assist a team of FIU students from multiple disciplines in…

Thank you to our local tv station for stopping by ARC’s Robotics and Sensors lab today. Our DOE Fellows and researchers did a great job demonstrating our robotics/remote system technologies being development for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. Big thanks to FIU and Millie Acebal for including FIU’s Applied Research Center.

MIAMI – DOE recently inducted several Florida International University (FIU) students into its fellowship program that serves as an incubator and pipeline for EM’s future workforce.    “It is our hope at the Department of Energy that these STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students will be part of the next generation of scientists and engineers that will continue DOE-EM’s mission into the future,” said Kurt Gerdes, director of EM’s Office of Subsurface…

A big FIU congratulations to: Joseph Coverston, Ryan Cruz, Katherine Delarosa, Christopher Excellent, Silvia Garcia, Alejandro Koszarycz, Manuel Losada, Ximena Lugo , Anibal Morales-Zambrana, Joshua Núñez, Tristan Simoes-Ponce…..We looking forward in working with you for the next few years of your FIU career and beyond…….GANAS For information about the Workforce Development Program visit https://fellows.fiu.edu

August 31, 2017 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm  | EC Room 2300 Abstract Today worldwide, one of the main factors to contribute to the development of quality of life in both developing and developed metropolitan cities and urban/rural areas, is the advancing of sustainable waste management and waste to energy. The education of policy/decision makers, governmental authorities, public & private sector (local industry) is crucial in order to inform the local society…

Dear D&D Community, On July 24, 2017, ASTM International’s E10 Committee on Nuclear Technology and Applications published two new international standard specifications for fixative technologies that aim to immobilize radioactive contamination, minimize worker exposure, and protect uncontaminated areas against the spread of radioactive contamination during the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The first specification (E 3104-17, Specification for Strippable & Removable Coatings to Mitigate Spread of Radioactive Contamination) establishes performance specifications…

Ms. Sandra Herrera joined ARC in the fall of 2014 and worked as a research assistant providing technical support for the project conducted in collaboration with the U.S. DOE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to support U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management clean up mission. After graduation from FIU with MS degree in Environmental Engineering in Spring 2016 she moved with her husband to  Zurich, Switzerland. She recently…

Miami, Fla On July 18th and 19th, the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University conducted a review of the research program sponsored by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM). The research review was led by the Principal Investigator (PI) for the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement (Dr. Leo Lagos), ARC staff and FIU’s DOE Fellows (http://fellows.fiu.edu). The meeting was conducted by video teleconference (VTC) and was…

Our Director of Research, Dr. Leo Lagos, conducted a very productive and successful meeting with representatives from the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris, France. During the meeting, he presented FIU’s capabilities in the areas of nuclear decommissioning, robotics, environmental remediation, radiochemistry, cyber security and materials/composite research. The topics of discussion included participation in international projects on nuclear decommissioning and environmental remediation, standards development and the organization of an international…

Dr. Mehrnoosh Mahmoudi, Post-Doc Associate, and Ron Hariprashad, DOE fellow, are in Savannah River Site where they are conducting fieldwork in Tims Branch with assistance from Dr. John Seaman and his research team at the Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL). The aim is to collect cross-section measurements along the main Tims Branch stream, as well as in situ water quality and flow data to assist in calibration of the hydrological…

A publication titled “A Review for Chromium Removal by Carbon Nanotubes” was recently accepted for publication by Chemistry and Ecology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Authors included Dr. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos (FIU ARC) in collaboration with scientists from the University of Cyprus and the University of Eastern Finland. This review paper highlights the use of an innovative technology (carbon nanotubes) to remove chromium contamination from surface water and groundwater as well as…

Register NowDeploying robotic systems in hazardous environments presents a variety of both benefits and challenges. TechNeeds is bringing together robotic experts from federal agencies, national research laboratories, industry and academia to address the integration of robotic systems into hazardous work environments and how they can be used to assist and support the workforce to accomplish high priority/high risk tasks. Seminar title: Robots, Sensors & Humans – Benefits & Challenges of…

March 31, 2017 | 1:30 pm  | EC Room 2300 Abstract A review of the nuclear waste treatment regulations indicates a lack of a rational environmental approach to deal with the problems of the nuclear industry’s waste. In fact, a few simple truths point out the depth of the problems at the federal level: No landfill standards, No treatment standards for radio isotopes of concern and rules that exist for high level waste…

March 17, 2017 | 11:00 am  | AHC4 Room 302 Nuclear forensics analysis is a growing area of study that is defined as “The technical field of interpreting signatures and other clues in or about potential nuclear threats, such as nuclear materials that have slipped outside of regulatory control, nuclear devices that could produce nuclear yield, and other classes of radiological threats such as Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDD) and Radiological Exposure Devices (RED)”. Furthermore,…

254th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition Washington, DC | August 20-24, 2017 “Fate, Transport and Remediation of Radionuclides in the Environment All interested parties are encouraged to submit an abstract The chairs of the symposium: Dr. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos Dr. Patricia Paviet Dr. Sarah Saslow See you in Washington D.C. ! Download Flyer: ACS National Meeting & Exposition, DC, Aug 2017

ARC’s Joseph Sinicrope is attending the ASTM International Conference in Norfolk, VA from 29 Jan – 2 Feb, where he will be chairing the E10.03 Subcommittee charged with developing uniform standards and testing protocols for D&D technologies.  

September 3, 2017 | 3:00 pm  | MMC Campus | SIPA Room 220 Soft X-ray synchrotron radiation methodologies are being developed and employed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to elucidate the electronic structure of actinide materials. Results from these investigations have begun to provide improved fundamental knowledge that can be used as a scientific basis for the enhanced design of special-purpose actinide materials and the overall understanding…

On 01/23 and 01/24, FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) had the pleasure of hosting Ms. Vivian Cato from Savannah River National laboratory.  Ms. Cato had an opportunity to meet with our DOE Fellows as well as tour ARC’s and Department of Chemistry research facilities. In addition, Ms. Cato provided a comprehensive overview of the MSIPP program during a presentation attended by DOE Fellows, ARC researchers/staff and FIU Department of Chemistry…

“Plutonium in the Environment: Can we Predict its Subsurface Behavior?” December 15, 2016 | 2:0 PM | Applied Research Center | EC 2186 There is an acute need to expedite progress toward a permanent storage facility that can safely isolate long-lived actinides and fission products from the biosphere. Significant uncertainty remains on how to safely store long-lived radionuclides that will make up the majority of the dose after a few hundred years. Plutonium…

  “Synergies Between Ongoing Savannah River Site Nuclear Processes and the Savannah River National Laboratory’s Nuclear Measurements Group” November 14, 2016 | 11:30 AM | MMC Campus | CP Room 103 The Savannah River National Laboratory’s Nuclear Measurements Group provides both radiochemical analyses and non-destructive assay of nuclear material to the Savannah River Site. The radioanalytical capability of the group serves to complement the more-limited services provided by the Savannah River Site…

“Chemistry under Challenging Conditions” November 14, 2016 | 11:00 AM | MMC Campus | CP Room 103 Managing the storage, retrieval, and disposition of legacy high-level nuclear waste and developing advanced nuclear fuel separation processes are challenging endeavors due to the complex chemical matrices and high radiation fields. At the Savannah River Site, the legacy waste from nuclear materials production are mixtures of precipitated metal hydroxides and hydrous metal oxides and highly…

Our very own Dr. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos is featured in this new video FIU Roar: Remove, Optimize, Assess, and Recover Phosphorus. In this video Dr. Vasileios Anagnostopoulos is showcasing the FIU-ARC’s technology for the abatement of phosphorous. The research proposed is a collective effort among FIU’s Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC) and the Applied Research Center (ARC) with the support of the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences & Education and FIU’s…

The Applied Research Center at FIU hosted a webinar entitled “Liquid Scintillation Counting – Theory & Applications” provided by Perkin Elmer LSC Specialist. This webinar covered topics such as scintillation counting basics, performance optimization, low level counting and gross alpha-beta counting among others. The webinar was attended by Department of Energy Fellows, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Scholars, FIU staff, as well as graduate students from the Nuclear Oncology Lab (Department of…

“Thermal Measurement and Modeling of Nuclear Waste in the Double Shell Tanks at Hanford Nuclear Waste Site Using Miniature Sensors“ September 27, 2016 | 3:00 PM | FIU Engineering Campus | Room 2186 Double Shell Tanks (DST’s) at the Hanford Site in Washington store nuclear waste and their structural integrity is a primary concern. Depending on the chemical composition and pH of the waste, certain temperature requirements are specified especially for…

“Investigation of NH3(g) Treatment for the Immobilization of Uranium in the Presence of Pure Minerals” August 18, 2016 | 2:30 PM | FIU Engineering Campus | Room 2300 The injection of NH3(gas) is under consideration as a novel remediation technique for uranium at the DOE’s Hanford Reservation. The goal of NH3(gas) injection is to raise the pH to dissolve natural silicate and aluminosilicate from sediments. This should lead to co-precipitation…

ARC’s robotics lab is featured in this WSVN-7 Miami Prep – STEM piece showcasing the robotics/remote system technologies being developed under the DOE EM – FIU Cooperative Agreement. Big congratulations to College of Eng and ARC colleagues. This was a wonderful collaboration. Read full story

A publication entitled “The effect of Si and Al concentrations on the removal of U(VI) in the alkaline conditions created by ammonia gas”,  written  by Drs. Yelena Katsenovich; Leonel Lagos; DOE Fellow students; PhD Candidate, Claudia Cardona; and MS Candidate, Robert Lapierre, in collaboration with Dr. Jim Szecsody from the Pacific North National Laboratory (PNNL), was accepted for publication by the Applied Geochemistry Journal. This study evaluates changes in uranium…

A team of researchers from the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) are headed to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina for a week of sample and data collection from the Tims Branch watershed in early August 2016 in support of ongoing surface water and sediment transport modeling research being performed at ARC. Dr. Mehrnoosh Mahmoudi who is leading…

“Savannah River National Lab: Underpinning Critical National Missions” by Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) C. Griffin July 28, 2016 | 1:00 PM | MMC AHC4 Room 302 Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) C. Griffin is the Associate Laboratory Director for Environmental Stewardship at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), operated for the Department of Energy (DOE) by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC. In this position, he is responsible for the management, growth and development of…

TEMPE, ARIZONA – July 8, 2016 – WM Symposia, Inc. today announced that its Managing Director, Mr. James Voss, has accepted the position of Chair of the prestigious Florida International University Applied Research Center (FIU ARC) Advisory Board.  WM Symposia, Inc. has been a corporate sponsor of the FIU ARC Advisory Board since 2015, and a supporter of the FIU ARC Workforce Development Program since 2008. Mr. James Voss is…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) was recently awarded a contract to support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) in its mission to plan, assess and test cyberspace technology development, acquisition, fielding, and sustainment of defense systems for the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB). ARC hosted a post-award conference and kick-off meeting on June 30, 2016, at their facilities…

FIU researcher leads team of U.S. scientists on international mission to map geochemistry of Arctic Ocean. David Kadko, a professor and associate director of the Applied Research Center at FIU, was the chief scientist and lead principal investigator of the U.S. team. In this role he led 51 scientists, students and technicians who conducted experiments and collected samples from the ocean, atmosphere, ice, snow and sediments. Read the full expedition…

By Dr.  David Roelant Much has been written about radioactive tritium near nuclear facilities across the country. As a university researcher with expertise in radiation protection and safety, I often see information and opinions that use language to create a sense of fear in the public. My hope here is to offer a response that is more objective from a safety and risk perspective. Tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, is…

From FIU News FIU environmental engineering student Christine Wipfli is experiencing the wonders of Austria first-hand after being selected for a prestigious, one-year internship from the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) at its headquarters in Vienna. The IAEA is an international organization that encourages the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology, in addition to promoting nuclear safety and security worldwide. As part of her internship, which runs through March 2017, Wipfli…

Excerpt from FIU News “Students honored at 2016 Student Life Awards” (http://news.fiu.edu/2016/04/students-honored-at-2016-student-life-awards/99062) Presidential Award Described as a leader, mentor, teacher, and a cutting edge researcher and scholar in material science and engineering, Vishal Musaramthota is changing the world. At FIU, Vishal has served in various leadership capacities in student organizations, including The Materials Advantage – FIU, a student organization that serves to evoke interest in material science for students in…

Miami, Florida April 7, 2016 – Florida International University The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University conducted a 3 day Research Program Review covering all technical research areas under the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and Florida International University’s Applied Research Center Cooperative Agreement (Contract # DE-EM0000598). Since 1995, the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) has provided critical technical support…

  The Annual Western Hemisphere Security Conference was recently hosted at FIU by the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy. Mr. Joe Sinicrope served as a Distinguished Panel Member for the Cyber Security Issues in the Western Hemisphere panel held at Frost Art Museum at the FIU Modesto Maidique Campus on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. For more information visit http://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/events/2016/securityconference/

The FIU Nuclear Advisory Board, chaired by Nils Diaz, had a virtual meeting with our expert Board Members to review the “remarkable” accomplishments of the FIU Nuclear Program with emphasis on Radiochemistry and Health Physics. Dr. Triay, Dr. Roelant and Dr. Anagnostopoulos (shown R to L), hosted the Meeting from FIU ARC.

By Joseph Sinicrope, Peggy Shoffner, Edward Walker and Leonel Lagos Nuclear power plants are being closed at a growing rate. Standardized testing and performance metrics for their deactivation and decommissioning will help ensure public safety. Read article: The Expanding Niche in Nuclear Plant Deactivation    

“Electrochemically-Modulated Separations for Safeguards Analyses ” by Douglas C. Duckworth, Ph.D. February 12, 2016 | 3:00 PM | SIPA Room 103 Abstract The safe and secure use of nuclear power requires an advanced and robust analytical infrastructure supporting nuclear material safeguards. The International Atomic Energy Agency maintains an on-site material safeguard lab at the Rokkasho Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facility in Japan as well as the general Safeguards Analytical Laboratory in Siebersdorf, Austria. An…

“Insights into the Culture of the Department of Defense and Its Impact on Applied Research Requirements ” by Mr. Joseph Sinicrope February 5, 2016 | 3:00 PM | EC Room 2300 Mr. Joseph Sinicrope serves as a Research Scientist for Florida International University’s Applied Research Center located in Miami, Florida. His primary areas of concentration for the Center are related to innovation, development, testing, evaluation and deployment of technologies in support of the Department…

DOE-FIU partnership renewed, new class inducted Clara-Meretan Kiah  Twelve FIU students have earned the opportunity to participate in hands-on research, competitive summer internships and personal mentorship that will train them to be the next generation of scientists and engineers in charge of environmental restoration in the United States. These students are the newest members of FIU’s Department of Energy Fellowship, a workforce development program that prepares students in STEM majors…

Making History!!!!! Our DOE Fellows and ME student kicked start the newly formed American Nuclear Society Student Chapter at FIU. The interim officers met today for the first time with FIU Student Chapter advisor (Dr. Lagos). In the picture (from left to right) Awmna Rana (Communication Officer), Carolina Padron (Secretary), Ryan Sheffield (President), Maximiliano Edrei (Vice President), Janesler Gonzalez (Officer – special programs), Jesse Viera (Treasurer) and Dr. Leo Lagos…

“Sea Level Rise and Climate Change in South Florida: Implications and Adaptation” by Jayantha Obeysekera, Ph.D. November 19, 2015 | 3:30 PM | WC Room 130 Jayantha Obeysekera is the Chief Modeler at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), a regional governmental agency in South Florida, United States. At SFWMD, he had a leading role in modeling of Kissimmee River Restoration, and the Everglades Restoration. He was responsible for establishing a large group…

Dr. David Kadko, Associate Director of the FIU Applied Research Center, spent approximately 65 days leading a team of scientists on the Geotraces Summer 2015 expedition on board the US Coast Guard research icebreaker Healy to study the geochemistry of the Arctic Ocean.

Dr. Kadko and his colleagues on the Healy reached the North Pole on Saturday at 11:47 AM EDT. This is the first time a US ship was able to successfully reach the North Pole unaccompanied. Congratulations to the ship and crew for this amazing achievement! Here are a few interesting pictures of Dr. Kadko and colleagues.

September 11, 2015 | 3:00 pm  | SIPA Building Room 103, FIU MMC Add to Calendar 08-24-2015 10:00:00 08-24-2015 12:00:00 15 Lecture Series: “Consent Based Siting of Nuclear Waste Management Facilities” by Mr. Jim Voss “Consent Based Siting of Nuclear Waste Management Facilities” MARC Building International Pavilion, FIU Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199 false MM/DD/YYYY Dr. Tsouris’ research interests include: Separations for energy applications: Separations processes…

Photos from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands, where professor David Kadko, Associate Director of the FIU Applied Research Center, is leading a team of scientists on the Geotraces Summer 2015 expedition to study the geochemistry of the Arctic Ocean onboard the US Coast Guard research icebreaker Healy. Full gallery at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiu/sets/72157657202165050  

August 24, 2015 | 10:00 am  | MARC Building International Pavilion, FIU MMC Add to Calendar 08-24-2015 10:00:00 08-24-2015 12:00:00 15 Lecture Series: “Consent Based Siting of Nuclear Waste Management Facilities” by Mr. Jim Voss “Consent Based Siting of Nuclear Waste Management Facilities” MARC Building International Pavilion, FIU Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199 false MM/DD/YYYY Mr. James (Jim) Voss is the managing director of Waste…

Oceanographer David Kadko has been to the Arctic Ocean several times over the course of his career, but on Aug. 9 he left for one of the biggest undertakings and international collaborations in the history of Arctic research. Kadko, a professor and associate director of the Applied Research Center at FIU, is the chief scientist of a multimillion-dollar U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES initiative. He is leading a team of 51 scientists, students and technicians conducting experiments that will help provide the most comprehensive understanding of the…

Last week, Florida International University – Applied Research Center’s Director of Research (Dr. Leonel Lagos) visited the United States Department of Energy‘s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP is the world’s third deep geological repository licensed to permanently dispose of transuranic radioactive waste for 10,000 years; this waste is left from the research and production of nuclear weapons in the United States. During this site visit, Dr. Lagos accompanied Associate…

Peggy Shoffner and Joe Sinicrope are representing ARC at the 2015 EPRI Decommissioning Workshop. They are providing presentations on the D&D KMIT initiative as well as the results of our test and evaluation of the FX2 Advanced Fogging Technology. The workshop has 100+ participants from over 30 private sector, academic, international, and government organizations, focusing on the latest developments in the D&D problem set.

Lorenzo Cabrera, entrepreneur and founder of Cabrera Services, was welcomed as ARC’s new Advisory Board member on May 12, 2015.  Mr. Lorenzo Cabrera met with Dr. Leonel Lagos, Dr. David Roelant, Gloria Dingeldein, Joseph Sinicrope and Dr. Ines Triay.  Mr. Cabrera presented Dr. Triay with a check for $5,000 for ARC’s Foundation account and expressed his interest in supporting and mentoring ARC students.  ARC is extremely grateful for Mr. Cabrera’s…

Last month, Applied Research Center’s Director of Operations, Mr. Brian Fonseca, traveled to Guam, where he participated in a day-long series of insightful briefings on Guyana’s political, social, economic, and security environments. Brian’s 2-person team has been assigned to randomly monitor the 180 polling stations along the east bank of the Demerara River, in the Georgetown district. The team experienced a 12-hour day racing from polling station to polling station to…

This week, Applied Research Center’s Director of Research, Dr. Leonel Lagos, participated in the American Nuclear Society Annual meeting in San Antonio, TX. In addition, Dr. Lagos is an active member of ANS and ANS’ Executive Committee Robotics & Remote Systems Division (RRSD). In this capacity, Dr. Lagos serves as RRSD’s newly elected treasurer and contributes toward the advancement of robotic systems and technology for the nuclear industry. The Applied…

Summer is here and 15 of our DOE Fellows are traveling across the country to participate in 10-week summer internships at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. Our DOE Fellows will be interning at DOE Headquarters  in DC and Maryland, Oak Ridge National Lab (Oak Ridge, TN), Savannah River National Lab (Aiken, SC), Pacific Northwest National Lab (Richland, Washington State),  Washington River Protection Solutions (Richland, Washington State), Idaho National Lab (Idaho…

FIU-ARC held the DOE Fellows lecture series on April 8, 2015 featuring Dr. Miles Denham from Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Dr. Denham joined SRNL as a research geochemist after obtaining his Ph.D. from Texas A&M in 1992. He has been instrumental in developing innovative treatments for metals and radionuclides including mercury, uranium, strontium-90, technetium-99, and iodine-129. Dr. Denham has been the lead geochemist on several projects to transition active…

Miami, Florida April 6, 2015 – Florida International University Since 1995, the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) has provided critical support to the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) mission of accelerated risk reduction and cleanup of the environmental legacy of the nation’s nuclear weapons program. ARC’s applied research is performed under the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement (under Contract # DE-EM0000598) and provides technical support…

Eight FIU STEM students presented their STEM research at this year’s Life Science South Florida STEM Symposia. This year’s meeting was hosted by Indian River State College (IRSC) in Port St Lucie. Key notes were delivered by IRSC President, Edwin Massey, Dr. Richard Houghten (Founder and President – Torrey Pines Institute), and Mr. Ken Pruitt (St. Lucie County Property Appraiser and Former Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate). STEM…

Dr. Triay was recognized as an honoree at the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA) 12th Annual Women’s History Month Reception where she was honored for her many years of public service. The South Florida Chapter of the ASPA is the oldest national professional organization representing the field of public administration. The South Florida Chapter, with over 300 members, is one of the largest chapters in the nation and is comprised of public…

April 16, 2015 | 3:00 PM | Engineering Campus | Applied Research Center | Room 2186 RSVP To This Event Mr. José E. Sánchez became Director of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss., in August 2013. ERDC R&D supports the Department of Defense and other federal agencies in military and civilian projects. Principal research mission areas include Warfighter…

Dr. Triay has been selected by the board of directors and members of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Miami-Dade County as the Women that Shine 2015 honoree! This award was created to honor women in our community that have made great accomplishments in their profession. The LWV has been actively engaged in making democracy work since 1920. They are a non-partisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens…

Twenty (20) DOE Fellows and graduate students from the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) had the opportunity to meet industry leaders at the 2015 Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 15 through March 19, 2015. The conference participants include some of the most influential leaders in the field of radioactive waste management, from the public and private sectors in the U.S. as well as…

March 24, 2015 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm | MMC – WC | Room 130 RSVP To This Event Dr. Matahel Ansar is a Section Administrator (Section Chief) for the Applied Hydraulics Section at the South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida. In this position, he provides overall management of the Section, and technical leadership to about twenty three engineers involved in hydraulic design, flow computations at water control…

February 27, 2015 | 3:00 PM | School of International & Public Affairs Building (SIPA) | Room 220 RSVP To This Event Across all of the fields of analytical chemistry, atomic spectrometry (elemental analysis) is the least evolved in terms of miniaturization and transportability. Simply put, the mainstay inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) source requires too much operational overhead. This laboratory is developing the liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) microplasma for…

January 30, 2015 | 3:00 PM | School of International & Public Affairs Building (SIPA) | Room 220 RSVP To This Event Advanced fuel cycles all over the world rely on successful chemical separation of various elements in used nuclear fuel. Numerous solvent extraction processes have been developed and new systems are still being tested for recovery and purification of metal ions from this material. Classic molecular interaction is often…

“By-products and other abundant materials: Useful decontamination tools by Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, PhD January 29, 2015 | 3:00 PM | FIU Engineering Campus | Room 2300 Considerable research efforts in the fields of environmental remediation and water treatment focus on combining two key elements: delivery of efficient techniques and cost-effectiveness. The exploitation of materials that are abundant and easily accessible, as well as other low commercial value, agro-industrial by-products may offer…

Twenty-year-old Rosalyn Sussman cut a steely, solitary figure in September 1941 as she started her doctorate in nuclear physics at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. “I was the first woman to have a graduate assistantship in physics there since 1917,” she recounted to biographer Eugene Straus. She was the only female faculty member among 400, and there were no women’s bathrooms in the lab facilities—a major inconvenience, especially during the many nights…

The 8th Annual DOE Fellows Poster Exhibition and Competition took place on October 23, 2014. The purpose of this event was to showcase the DOE Fellows’ research accomplishments for the past year as a result of their participation in various U.S. Department of Energy – Environmental Management (DOE-EM) related applied research projects at FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC). A total of 17 posters were exhibited. Some of the projects showcased…

The growing necessity for monitoring and management of radioactive waste in the U.S. has motivated the Department of Energy to engage the newer generation of engineers to design and develop innovative technologies to address this issue. The DOE Fellows at the FIU Applied Research Center have been tasked with evaluating and researching engineering solutions and applications that provide solutions to this problem. Gabriela Vazquez, a FIU DOE Fellow, is currently…

Christopher Dutton, from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and the Yale University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology gave a seminar at FIU-ARC on August 6th, 2014 about Low-Cost Open Source Networked Environmental Data Acquisition. Christopher Dutton (former Project Coordinator for the USAID-funded Transboundary Water for Biodiversity and Human Health in the Mara River Basin Project – TWB MRB) will present an overview of the Arduino platform and provide…

The Applied Research Center is pleased to highlight the achievement of one of our Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Fellows. Miss Silvia Vidaurre (Cyber Fellows Class of 2014) recently received the Peer Recognition for the Month of July at the 46th Test Squadron, which is part of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin, Air Force Base. Silvia is participating in a 10 weeks Cyber Security summer internship at Eglin AFB…

Led by a Florida International University (FIU) scientist, a team of researchers will travel to the Arctic Ocean in 2015 to conduct experiments that will contribute to better understanding the effects of global climate change in the region. Established by the U.S. GEOTRACES Science Steering Committee, the U.S. Arctic GEOTRACES initiative will be part of an international, multiple icebreaker effort—provided initially by the United States, Canada and Germany—and will include…

Florida International University has a long history of nuclear research and has been developing a new Masters in Applied Radiological Science (MARS) degree program.  On June 23rd the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced that it had awarded a new grant entitled, “FIU Nuclear Fellowship Program.” This is the 3rd grant awarded to FIU in the past 2 years by the NRC to support this vision.  Dr. Konstantinos Kavallieratos from…

  PHOENIX – Florida International University (FIU) staff members and students who work with EM on research efforts took part in the Waste Management 2014 Conference on the safe management and disposition of radioactive materials and waste in Phoenix earlier this month. The staff members and students are from FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC), which provides technical research support to EM in environmental remediation and student workforce development for high-priority areas such as radioactive waste processing and…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) launched its new Cyberspace Technology Testing and Training Center (CT3C) during an inaugural ribbon cutting ceremony held on March 18th, 2014, led by FIU Provost & Executive Vice President, Dr. Douglas Wartzok and the Principal Deputy Director of the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), Mr. G. Derrick Hinton, SES.   Following the inaugural ribbon-cutting, six (6) FIU STEM students were inducted as “Cyber Fellows” into…

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – DOE officials today marked a historic landmark in EM’s mission as they celebrated the close of the Cold War cleanup program’s $6 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Program. DOE officials recognized the commitment, leadership, and hard work of thousands of workers who helped make Recovery Act work successful. “I think it’s important to remember the bigger picture. The core of it was that DOE accomplished really, really, really important things,”…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) will be attending and making technical presentations at the upcoming Waste Management 2014 Conference (WM14) in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 2 – 6, 2014. Seven (7) professional oral and poster presentations will be given based on the applied research being conducted by ARC on behalf of DOE-EM in major areas of research: 1) High Level Waste, 2) Soil and Groundwater…

On November 13, 2013, Florida International University’s (FIU’s) Applied Research Center (ARC) conducted the seventh (7th) annual DOE Fellows’ Induction Ceremony. This year, Ms. Elizabeth Connell (Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management) was one of the keynote speakers for the ceremony. Ms. Connell commented on the strong partnership between DOE and FIU over the last two decades and the contributions that FIU has made to…

The Department of Energy, Florida International University, and the Applied Research Center Welcomes the New Class of DOE Fellows (Class of 2013) Welcome to the Family !!!!!!

The seventh annual DOE Fellows Poster Exhibition and Competition took place on October 16, 2013. The purpose of this event was to showcase the DOE Fellows’ research accomplishments for the past year as a result of their participation in various U.S. Department of Energy – Environmental Management (DOE-EM) related applied research projects. A total of 12 posters were exhibited. Some of the projects showcased by the students were a result…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) participated and contributed toward FIU’s first College of Engineering Research Day. The event was organized by the College of Engineering and student societies. This successful event took place on September 26, 2013 and brought together College of Engineering’s faculty, staff and students. ARC’s DOE Fellows and students presented a total of eight (8) posters showcasing the U.S. Department of Energy’s funded applied research. ARC’s DOE Fellows…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM is taking steps to collect lessons learned and best practices in the Cold War cleanup gained through the experience of its workforce. EM joined a collaborative effort that is making these resources available on the Deactivation and Decommissioning Knowledge Management Information Tool (D&D KM-IT), a public, web-based knowledge management information system for the D&D community. The tool contains D&D knowledge and expertise gained over the years by…

In an occasional EM Update series, we feature interviews with former EM Assistant Secretaries to reflect on their achievements and challenges in the Cold War cleanup and to discuss endeavors in life after EM. Before serving as EM’s Assistant Secretary in 2009 — leading the largest, most diverse and most technically complex environmental cleanup program in the world — Dr. Inés Triay was the cleanup program’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,…

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 Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) will be attending the upcoming American Nuclear Society (ANS) Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo in Hollywood, Florida, from August 11 to August 14, 2013.

The Department of Energy’s corporate homepage features a website launched by the Applied Research Center showcasing applied research performed under a Cooperative Agreement between DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and Florida International University.

Florida International University’s Applied Research Center was instrumental in placing a total of twenty seven (27) FIU Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math (STEM) students who are spending their summer participating in internships across the US. These internship opportunities are provided as part of several initiatives between FIU’s Applied Research Center (FIU-ARC),  federal agencies and major government contractors partners. This summer, six (6) FIU STEM students were selected for Cyber Security…

The first nuclear production facility was built at the Hanford Site in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to support the production of plutonium for the first atomic weapons. From 1944 to1980, the facilities of the Hanford Site were involved in the production of nuclear fuel. The fabrication of natural and slightly enriched uranium into fuel elements for nuclear reactors in Hanford’s 300 Area, and the reprocessing of irradiated…

By Amy Ellis In the next few months, FIU researchers will be doing their part to prevent the kind of high-tech cyberattacks that could cripple financial institutions, disable major infrastructure or threaten national security. The Department of Defense plans to provide seed funding of $150,000 to FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) to launch a cybersecurity test technology program. The project’s goal is to develop new technology to help thwart cyberattacks…

Congratulations to Dr. Leonel (Leo) Lagos on being elected to the Executive Committee of the American Nuclear Society’s Robotics and Remote Systems Division (RRSD). Dr. Lagos will serve a three year term as Executive Committee member of RRSD. Dr. Lagos is the Director of Research at Florida International University’s Applied Research Center (FIU-ARC) and Principal Investigator of a $24M/5-year Cooperative Agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and FIU…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) conducted a series of videoconferences from April 29 through May 1, 2013, to present the applied research conducted over the last year as part of their Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) as well as the proposed tasks for the next year. Participants in the videoconferences included the research scientists and engineers at ARC, associated FIU faculty, personnel…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) attended and made technical presentations at the Waste Management 2013 Conference (WM13) in Phoenix, Arizona, from February 24 to February 28, 2013. Ten (10) professional oral and poster presentations were given based on the applied research being conducted by ARC on behalf of DOE-EM in major areas of research: 1) High Level Waste, 2) Soil and Groundwater Remediation, 3) Deactivation…

I am pleased to announce that Leonel E. Lagos, Ph.D.,PMP® has been promoted to Director of Research of the Applied Research Center (ARC) effective November 24, 2012.  The Director of Research will support the ARC Strategic Plan to better position ARC for growth, and to improve the ability to secure external funding, expand collaborations with schools and centers within FIU, and better oversee and coordinate proposal writing, and research efforts…

Ximena Prugue believes that the future of energy consumption relies on educating and enticing the next generation to get involved. Ximena Prugue is a mechanical engineering undergraduate student and research assistant at Florida International University, working at the Applied Research Center as a Department of Energy Fellow. She is also the founder of Giving the Green Light, a non-profit organization that replaces kerosene lamps in rural India with solar powered…

On November 13, 2012, Florida International University’s (FIU’s) Applied Research Center (ARC) conducted the sixth (6th) annual DOE Fellows Induction Ceremony. This year, Ms. Alice Williams (Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management) was one of the keynote speakers for the ceremony. Ms. Williams welcomed the FIU students to the DOE Fellows program and noted the impressive level of knowledge and skills…

Inés Triay, Ph.D. has accepted the appointment as Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) effective October 15, 2012. ARC’s current Executive Director, Dr. John Proni, will assist Dr. Triay during a transition period through December 30, 2012. Beginning in January, Dr. Proni will focus on expanding the current collaboration of ARC with the School of Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS) and the Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC) in…

Mr. Amaury Betancourt, a DOE Fellow with the Department of Energy (DOE) Science and Technology Workforce Development Program at Florida International University, collaborated with a team of scientists at the Savannah River Site (SRS) during a summer internship in 2011 to evaluate the effects of an innovative mercury remediation strategy on a real ecosystem. During his 10-week internship at SRS, Mr. Betancourt assisted SRS scientist Dr. Brian B. Looney in…

In 2010, Lee Brady graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Florida International University (FIU). He continued his education at FIU where he later earned a master’s degree in engineering management in the spring of 2012. When inducted into the DOE/FIU Science & Technology Workforce Development Initiative in the fall of 2008, he dedicated his time to a project designed to solve operational shortcomings in the current high-level…

Ravi Gudavalli began his academic journey at FIU as a graduate environmental engineering student in Fall 2003. Ravi was immediately hired by the Applied Research Center (ARC) in 2003 working as a graduate student research assistant. Upon completing his master’s degree in Fall 2005, Ravi worked as a Research Analyst at ARC for a year. In 2007, Ravi joined the civil engineering doctoral program with a major in environmental engineering….

Staff and students from the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) participated in the 2012 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Annual Meeting and Decommissioning, Decontamination and Reutilization (DD&R) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, from June 24 to June 28, 2012. Participation included hosting an exhibitor booth in the vendor hall, presenting technical research at oral and poster presentations, and chairing technical sessions. A total of three professional oral and…

During their summer internship at the Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters in Washington, DC, DOE Fellow students from Florida International University (FIU) attended a breakfast reception with FIU president Mark Rosenberg and members of the Florida delegation at the US Capital Building on June 25, 2012. The students included DOE Fellows Claudia Cardona and Janty Ghazi from the FIU-DOE Science and Technology Workforce Development Program (http://fellows.fiu.edu ), as well as…

The scientific efforts of Dr. Yelena Katsenovich, Dr. Leonel Lagos and Mr. Denny Carvajal (DOE Fellow Class of 2009), in an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Dawn Wellman of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), have developed an original research manuscript that was published in May 2012 in the international journal Chemical Geology. This research provides a more comprehensive understanding on the effect of microorganisms on uranium release from autunite within…

The modeling efforts of Dr. Georgio Tachiev and his team of researchers was recently published in the Spring 2012 edition of the Remediation Journal. The paper describes the development of an integrated surface and groundwater model for flow and mercury transport in EFPC. A model with even greater detail has been developed and is currently being used to predict transport patterns of mercury and evaluate risks during deactivation and decommissioning…

Seventeen Department of Energy – Florida International University (FIU) Fellows attended the Waste Management 2012 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, from February 26 to March 1, 2012. The DOE Fellows from the DOE – FIU Science and Engineering Workforce Development Initiative met with Mr. David Huizenga (DOE Senior Advisor for Environmental Management) while at the conference to discuss their EM applied research work being performed at FIU’s Applied Research Center as…

The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU), in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), developed an original research manuscript that was accepted on March 14, 2012, for publication in a future issue of the international journal Chemical Geology. The manuscript was prepared by Yelena Katsenovich (FIU), Denny Carvajal (FIU-DOE Fellow), Dawn Wellman (PNNL) and Leonel Lagos (FIU), and is entitled, “Enhanced U(VI) release from autunite…

Staff and students from the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) participated in the Waste Management 2012 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, from February 26 to March 1, 2012. Participation included hosting an exhibitor booth in the vendor hall, presenting technical research at oral and poster presentations, and contributing to conference panel sessions. A total of eight professional oral and poster presentations were given by FIU Applied Research…

Come learn about the D&D Knowledge Management Information Tool (http://www.dndkm.org) at the Waste Management Conference presentation: Session 59 on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 2:50 pm in Room 106C. The Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU) will be participating in the upcoming Waste Management 2012 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, from February 26 to March 1, 2012. The D&D Knowledge Management Information Tool (http://www.dndkm.org) will be presented during on…

The DOE Fellows program at Florida International University (https://arc.fiu.edu/Intern ) hosted Dr. Soon-Heung Chang during his visit to FIU. Dr. Soon-Heung Chang is the current President of the Korean Nuclear Society, as well as the Dean and Vice President at the prestigious Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST).  During his visit to FIU, Dr. Chang had the opportunity to visit FIU’s laboratories and facilities where DOE Fellows and…

mwhitefield@MiamiHerald.com (MIMI WHITEFIELD) Against the backdrop of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean, a House subcommittee convened a field hearing in Sunny Isles Beach Monday to discuss U.S. readiness if an offshore oil spill in Cuba or the Bahamas reached American waters or drifted ashore. The hearing of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee came as the Scarabeo 9, an oil rig leased by the Spanish company Repsol, embarks on oil…

Released: 1/30/2012 8:00 AM EST Source: Nova Southeastern University Newswise — FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE Fla. — Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Florida International University (FIU) researchers have drafted a plan to best prepare South Florida for an oil spill off the coast of Cuba. The proximity of intended Cuban oil drilling and production puts the U.S. coastal zone at risk from Florida to the Carolinas and northward. Oil from a spill…

The Need for Critical Dialogue Between U.S. and Cuba with the Emergence of its First Drilling Project By BIANCA CONDE, University of Miami In six weeks, Cuba is planning implementation of an exploratory drilling project about 50 miles up-current from South Florida. Due to the potential threat of an oil spill, both Cuba and the U.S., as well as other countries in the Gulf of Mexico whose coastline and marine…

The Department of Energy (DOE) -Florida International University (FIU) Science and Engineering Workforce Development Initiative was established by DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM) and FIU’s Applied Research Center in 2007. The program is designed to build upon existing DOE-FIU relationship by creating a “pipeline” of minority engineers specifically trained and mentored to enter the Department of Energy workforce in technical areas of need. This innovative program was established…

On November 16, 2011, FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) conducted the fifth (5th) DOE Fellows Induction Ceremony. This year, Ms. Tracy Mustin (Acting Principal Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management) was one of the keynote speakers for the ceremony. Ms. Mustin welcomed the FIU students to the DOE Fellows program and encouraged them to continue to hone their communication skills as well as their technical skills. Ms. Mustin emphasized the needed…

During a recent visit to Miami, Florida, former New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman met with leaders at the Florida International University (FIU) College of Engineering. Gov. Whitman is currently a co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy), founded in 2006 to promote the recognition that nuclear energy can improve energy security, ensure clean air quality, and enhance the quality of life and economic well-being of all Americans. While…

WASHINGTON, DC— The Department of Energy has selected Florida International University as one of four institutions chosen in an annual competition for fossil energy research ideas from the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other (HBCU/OMI).  The Department of Energy will provide $199,234 to Florida International. Students and faculty from the chosen universities will investigate projects dealing with computational energy sciences, material sciences, and sensors and controls for use…

Dear FIU Colleagues,  I have some exiting news to share with you. Effective Monday, July 25, 2011, we will welcome Dr. Ines Triay, former Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the US Department of Energy (DOE-EM), as a Visiting DOE Scholar here at FIU ARC.  Dr. Triay remains a DOE Career Senior Executive Service employee and she will be in a detail assignment at FIU’s Applied Research Center under an…

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AFNS) — A mentor-protégé team earned the Nunn-Perry award March 2 for achievements in cyber applications for the Air Force, officials from the service’s office of small business said here March 4. Ball Aerospace, Colorado Engineering, Inc. and Florida International University were recognized at the annual Mentor-Protégé Conference in Virginia Beach. The mentor firm, Ball Aerospace, specializes in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, space science and tactical systems. The protégé…

On November 23, 2010 FIU’s Applied Research Center conducted the 2010 DOE Fellows Induction Ceremony and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signing with Savannah River National Laboratory and Y-12 Security Complex. This year, Ms. Ines Triay (Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management) was the keynote speaker for the ceremony. Other distinguished guest included Dr. Paul T. Deason (Deputy Director, Savannah River National Laboratory), Gloria Mencer (SPO Manager, Socioeconomic Program Office ,Y-12…

The Global Energy Security Forum in FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), in collaboration with General Motors, is bringing the Chevrolet Volt to FIU on Friday, October 29, 2010.  FIU students, faculty and staff, as well as the South Florida community, will have the opportunity to be among the first in the country to test drive the much anticipated Chevrolet Volt.  The event will take place from 9:30…

The third annual DOE Fellows Poster Exhibition and Competition took place on October 20, 2010. The purpose of this event was to showcase the student’s research accomplishments for the past year as a result of their participation in various Department of Energy- Environmental Management (DOE-EM) related projects. A total of 16 posters were exhibited. Some of the projects showcased by the students were a result of their summer internship assignments…

On October 28, 2009 Dr. George Philippidis was a guest of reporter Hernan Restrepo on the Colombian National Radio.

This award from the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management includes the following exciting research projects: Integrated surface and groundwater modeling of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee site with an emphasis on contaminant transport under different remediation strategies and supporting the development of a regulatory total maximum daily load for mercury for the watersheds at the site (in collaboration with the College of Engineering); Development of innovative monitoring systems for…

On March 5, 2009, former EPA Administrator and New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman visited FIU’s Engineering Center, where she was briefed on the energy research and technology developed by the College of Engineering and Computing and by the Applied Research Center. During her visit to Florida International University, Gov. Whitman spoke to more than 100 students, faculty and administrators at a seminar presented by the School of Computer and Engineering Technologies….

FIU’s DOE Fellows participated in last week’s 2009 Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix, AZ. The Waste Management Symposia is one of the biggest conferences sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Nuclear Society every year.  A total of 17 FIU students (16 DOE Fellows and one Ph.D candidate student) participated in this year’s Waste Management Symposia and 14 of them presented their research at the Student Poster…

I am pleased to announce that Dr. John Proni will join the FIU community as the new Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) on January 5, 2009.  In his role as Executive Director, Dr. Proni will be in charge of developing new opportunities within the existing areas of ARC (Environmental Management, Energy, Business Services and Military programs), as well as in new areas such as interactions with our…

BY MODESTO MAIDIQUE AND GEORGE PHILIPPIDIS Special to The Miami Herald Herald Energy Article For anyone who thinks a $700 billion bailout is a lot of money for Americans to commit to this economic rescue plan, consider this: In this country, we spend about that much on foreign oil every single year. And what do we have to show for it? Over the past 30 years, our dependence on foreign…

DOE’s Office of Environmental Management officials visited FIU on November 13, 2008. Mr. James Rispoli (Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management), Mr. Mark Gilbertson (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Engineering & Technology), Ms. Yvette Collazo (Director, D&D and Facility Engineering), and Ms. Shirley Frush ( Headquarters Technical Program Manager) visited Florida International University (FIU) on November 13, 2008 to participate in the 2008 DOE Fellows Induction Ceremony, and a Memorandum of Understanding…

Dr. George Philippidis makes comments to Channel 10 regarding the prospects of off-shore drilling off the coast of Florida following President Bush’s lift of the executive branch’s ban on such oil exploration in July 2008.