There are 1374 of you and we need your active participation. You have several options:

• Write or present papers,
• Be active in the operation of RP&S which consists of governance, and/or
• Participation in Standing Committees.

In addition, all members are welcome and encouraged to attend the Executive Committee Meetings held twice yearly at our National ANS meetings. Since many of you attend the National meetings, please make it a priority to attend an Executive Committee Meeting to get acquainted and involved. Usually about 20 members are present out of about 30 regulars -- not a very good showing.

Many of you work or have worked in the nuclear defense complex.. However, national priorities have shifted since the end of the cold war and the nuclear arms race. Today, waste management and environmental restoration activities have become central to the Department of Energy's mission. Others of you work at nuclear power plants and similarly face new challenges such as new detection systems design and operation, hot particle control, enhanced waste compaction or solidification, renewed ALARA emphasis, and new initiatives to handle and store spent fuel and manage nuclear waste. Our members are the nucleus and possess the insight for formulating the solutions, particularly dose rate control, for these new challenges.

Clearly we are involved with science and technology development and yet we are not the cohesive professional group that RP&S could be. Does this mean that 98% of us are without commitment, or time to pursue professionalism, or interest in improving our science, or passion to enhance civilization through nuclear science and engineering? Not necessarily. Many of you do great work and frequently write and/or present papers. However, too few are active RP&S participants.

If you do have commitment, time, interest and passion please get involved. If you can't attend, let one of the officers or committee chairpersons know and we will get you involved. The Program, Membership, Standards and Benchmark committees always need additional members. Our 1998 topical meeting, "Technologies for the New Century," to be held in April in Nashville needs additional organizing committee members. Call Bob Roussin (423-574-6176) or Dan Ingersoll (423-574-6102).

Our Board Members, Officers and I need your input. Please feel free to call me personally at 509-376-3482 with your ideas, thoughts, and the activities of our RP&S Division which you can strengthen.

Best Regards,

Jess Greenborg

The Past-chair of the Division serves in an ex-officio capacity on the Executive Committee and as the Chair of the Nominating Committee. I am writing the Division membership in this latter capacity asking for nominations for the upcoming elections. We will be seeking individuals willing to serve as officers of the Division as well as individuals willing to serve on the Executive Committee. It is our practice to have the Executive Committee members represent a cross-section of the Division. Therefore, we are seeking nominations to represent our members in the national laboratories, universities, corporations, utilities, and other parts of the business. If you or someone you know is interested in being nominated for a position in the Division, please send a letter and a short resumé to me at the address below. The Radiation Protection & Shielding Division is one of the most active in the Society and, to keep that status, we must have members willing to serve in leadership roles. While the time commitment is not large, the importance of this service to the continued viability of the Division is enormous. I hope each of you will consider such a commitment.

John W. Poston, Sr.
Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-3133 409-845-4161 (FAX) 409-845-6443 jwp8890@acs.tamu.edu

The Blizard Scholarship Committee, consisting of Dan Ingersoll, John Poston, and Nolan Hertel, reviewed seven candidates and selected the winner for the 1997­98 school year. This year's winner is Brian C. Franke of the University of Michigan. Brian received his B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from Kansas State University and is now pursuing a PhD at Michigan under the advisement of Dr. Ed Larsen. His special interests are in stochastic and deterministic methods for neutral and charged particle transport simulation. Congratulations, Brian!

This is the third scholarship to be offered by the division. The balance of the Blizard Scholarship fund continues to grow slowly and is now over $18,000. Please consider making continued contributions to the fund. Our hope is to grow it to the point that we can increase the annual stipend above the current value of $1,000. Contributions should be sent to ANS Headquarters.