July 9, 2007 — Ali Simpkins, a senior research engineer in the Geosciences and Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), has been selected to receive the 2007 Elda E. Anderson Award from the Health Physics Society (HPS).
The HPS is a scientific and professional organization whose members specialize in occupational and environmental radiation safety. The award honors the memory of Elda E. Anderson, a pioneer in the field of health physics and a founding member of HPS. It is given to an HPS member 40 years of age or younger in recognition of excellence in "research or development, discovery or invention, devotion to health physics, and/or significant contributions to the profession of health physics."
Simpkins was recognized for her continued service to the HPS as well as her contribution to environmental health physics, including the development of tritium derived intervention levels adopted at the federal level.
Simpkins, who joined the SwRI staff in 2006, is a nuclear engineer with experience in environmental pathway analysis, risk assessment and nuclear safety analysis. Her work at SwRI has concerned research on biosphere characteristics in support of regulatory reviews for the potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., and biosphere dose model development.
Simpkins holds bachelor's and master's degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri- Rolla. She is the author or co-author of more than 50 publications, presentations and technical reports and serves as a technical reviewer for the journals Health Physics, Nuclear Technology and Nuclear Safety.
Simpkins is director for the HPS Strategic Plan Goal 5: Government, Public and Society Relations. She is also a member of the American Nuclear Society, Tau Beta Pi, Alpha Nu Sigma and Blue Key.
She will receive the award during the HPS Annual Meeting to be held July 10 in Portland, Ore.
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