Y-12 Blog
Heroes don’t always wear capes (but they do wear face coverings). These three Y-12ers jumped into action to help a Kentucky man suffering from dementia. (from left: Chris Griffis, Mark Butcher, and Jack Bolinger)
Most Y-12 employees try to be helpful. Last month, three Y-12ers proved that statement when they were in the right place at the right time.
Chris Griffis, Jack Bolinger, and Mark Butcher were driving near the Horizon Center on Highway 58/95 when they spotted someone in the road.
“He looked to be in distress, and we stopped to see if he needed help,” Griffis said.
The three got out of the car and asked the man if he needed assistance. The man was confused, couldn’t answer any questions, and had a wound on his head.
Bolinger said, “The more we talked to him, the more it was apparent that, at the least, he had a concussion. He couldn’t tell us who he was, where he was headed, or where he came from. He thought he was in Kentucky. He was barely making coherent sentences.”
Bolinger called 911, and the three stayed with the man until the paramedics arrived.
“Everyone is always in a hurry, and I get that, but take time to figure out someone’s situation,” Butcher said. “You should always look to lend a helping hand, especially when you can improve or help someone else’s situation.”
The paramedics took him to the hospital for evaluation. Later that day, Bolinger received a call from one of the paramedics that the man was suffering with dementia and had been missing from Kentucky.
Griffis said, “Sometimes the world we live in seems quite dark; however, there are many more good people in the world than people who would wish to do you harm. You absolutely need to be aware of your surroundings for the safety of you and your loved ones. Conversely, there are people everywhere who could use some assistance in one form or another. You never know how much a seemingly small gesture can mean to someone who needs it.”
“Something that is often missing from people’s actions are doing them from a service perspective, where nothing is in it for them,” Bolinger said. “If you see a need, take action! Never underestimate the impact you can have in someone’s life by a seemingly insignificant action.”
These good guys advise to look for places where you can help. Griffis said, “It’s vital in our country right now to help those who truly need it.”
It pays to be alert, and when you see something — even someone in distress — say something. Thanks to these three Y-12ers, the missing Kentuckian was soon home.
When it’s time to perform factory acceptance testing on a critical technology during a pandemic, what do you do? Since the product still must be delivered, you adapt by monitoring the work remotely.
Pre-pandemic, CNS and NPO staff would have sent several people on multiple trips to observe electrorefining testing. This time, because of COVID restrictions on the number of people allowed in the shop, the project team could only send two representatives.
With limited access and high stakes - electrorefining is key for uranium processing - the project team had to figure out how more of them could view the testing. By purchasing some iPads and communicating via WebEx, the team remaining in Oak Ridge could effectively monitor the testing and communicate with the team members at the vendor’s site. Project manager Steve Cruz said, “We had a learning curve with WebEx, but it was manageable.”
From a conference room in Jack Case Center, the NNSA customer and Production team members were able to monitor the testing that was being conducted across the country in one of Merrick’s facilities. In fact, some team members were able to view the testing from their computers on site or while teleworking.
Cruz thinks viewing factory acceptance testing remotely may be advisable even when travel isn’t restricted. “With remote viewing, staff who only need to see a small portion of the testing can do so without the expense of travel,” he said. The remote viewing also allows parties who are interested to witness the testing, too, which may be helpful to train staff to observe such tests in the future.
Remote testing may have been born of necessity, but the benefits, including reduced travel costs and ease of staff participation, may remain when we reach the “new normal.” Watch this short video (closed captioned version) for more information.
Project manager Steve Cruz participates in factory acceptance testing for electrorefining remotely.
Development’s Trevor Roberts, Direct Material Manufacturing lead, isolates several key samples to be sent to Y-12’s Analytical Chemistry Organization.
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) works globally to prevent state and non-state actors from developing nuclear weapons or acquiring weapons-usable nuclear or radiological materials, equipment, technology, and expertise. Through the Office of DNN Research and Development (DNN R&D), NNSA advances its nuclear threat reduction mission by developing ways to detect and monitor foreign nuclear fuel cycle and weapons development activities.
This summer Development, the Analytical Chemistry Organization, Program Integration, Mission Engineering, and Environment, Safety, and Health leveraged ongoing Direct Material Manufacturing and completed the second campaign in isolating select lithium samples.
Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) Chief Scientist Greg Schaaff said, “When people think of nuclear nonproliferation and forensics, most think of the production and use of uranium and plutonium materials. However, the production of lithium compounds are central to civilian energy and military applications.”
Matthew W. Francis is the Pantex and Y-12 contact with DNN R&D. He said, “Using Y-12’s lithium processing and applications core capabilities, DNN R&D has funded a collaboration between CNS, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory to determine potential signatures capable of differentiating between civilian and weapon applications of lithium compounds.”
“In our initial subsampling campaign in FY19, we had to overcome many challenges along the way,” said Jason McCall, program manager of Global Security and Strategic Partnership Programs. “Challenges included failed coring tools, answering questions on contamination, and coordinating with other projects in regards to schedule and priority. Trevor Roberts was essential in getting us through these challenges, as well as many others. By the time we started ramping up the second subsampling campaign in FY20, our initial challenges were a distant memory. Trevor and the entire Direct Material Manufacturing team were key in making our subsampling campaign a success.”
Following the subsampling efforts (which is when a sample is drawn from a larger sample), several lithium samples were shipped to ACO to run through several measurement methods to identify a variety of trace elements.
“ACO sees many new matrices that push our current analytical capabilities,” Tom Oatts, ACO lab supervisor, said. “Through the use of innovative approaches to existing lab methods, Sarah Slack and other ACO team members can push these capabilities to meet our customers’ needs and requirements.”
Francis said, “While this project is still ongoing, accomplishing these campaigns was essential for the overall success of the project. This effort could not have been executed if it wasn’t for the great collaboration across the various Y-12 organizations.”
Sarah Slack of the Analytical Chemistry Organization separates key trace elements that potentially could be used for differentiating between interdicted lithium samples.
As CNS’s newest and seventh affinity group, the Network of Black Leaders for Excellence, or NOBLE, kicked off with an in person “Survivor” lunch and learn for CNS employees this fall. As part of the drive to improve diversity and inclusion within our workforce, employees fostered professional networking opportunities while learning how to become better work stewards and interact on relevant inclusion topics.
“We chartered NOBLE to serve as a catalyst to provide professional development that will ultimately improve the skillset and culture of the Y-12 workforce,” said Y-12 scientist Maxx Jackson, who co-founded NOBLE.
With the lunch and learn session serving as an open discussion and network opportunity for CNS employees to learn more about each other beyond first impressions, employees gained insight and provided valuable feedback on how individual backgrounds and experiences make us stronger as a community and workforce.
“It was fascinating to see what other people valued in terms of position, background, family status, and how that drove their decision making and thought processes. It was an incredible lesson in understanding that we can look similar, but think differently, or look very different, but think the same,” said Julie Huff of Y-12 Mission Engineering, who participated in September’s lunch and learn. “It challenged our perceptions, broadened our perspective of what makes us individuals and what draws us together, and how by understanding one another better, we can work together better.”
In addition to the lunch and learn, employees can join and assist NOBLE by contributing in various organizational efforts, which include mentoring, coaching, career development, and community engagement opportunities.
“NOBLE impacts all CNS employees, especially African American employees, by leveraging the perspectives and talents of all CNS employees,” Jackson said. “Our focus is on increasing Black employee participation and contribution to improve leadership opportunities and allow for greater leadership contributions throughout the company.”
Through executing this vision, NOBLE aims to serve as a resource for Black employees transitioning from a collegiate to a professional setting by providing a network for current Black employees to promote career development and excellence. This includes participation in community engagements to increase company presence through recruitment and volunteer efforts.
“The future of NNOBLE is encompassed by interactive and relevant activities,” Jackson said. “Whether it’s technical lecture series, human resources partnered training, or community outreach, we are always looking to engage and support the professional goals of all CNS employees.”
Y‑12 Mission Engineering interns share information.
In a typical April, interns would be finalizing travel and living arrangements for their anticipated summer internships. But in 2020, COVID-19 created pandemonium, and many interns across the country were disappointed when many companies canceled internships. CNS Human Resources and the executive leadership team wanted to make CNS's program happen, so HR enlisted help from multiple organizations, including Safeguards, Security, and Emergency Services; Communications; Performance Excellence, and Information Solutions and Services.
Cristy Landrum, intern program lead, and Recruiting & Placement’s Amy Moran stepped into motion.
“We worked with CNS leadership to establish guidelines and processes on how to proceed with our original start date of June 1,” Landrum said. “We wanted to allow time to onboard remotely and to telework until site conditions allowed for safe work on site.”
CNS President and Chief Executive Officer Michelle Reichert said, “Interns are our future workforce. We wanted to offer them the experience they had signed up for and accepted, and our team went to work to make it happen. We knew we might not be able to offer a 100% in person internship, but we knew we had the resources, creativity, and tenacity to make it the best it could be, considering the circumstances. The result allowed students to see how CNS thinks outside the box to make the undoable doable.”
The teamwork involved with this year’s program led to success.
Landrum said, “Nothing stops the CNS team from working towards the mission. We don’t buckle under pressure, and we don’t throw in the towel when times get tough. We strive for excellence, and we work together to quickly find ways to meet our goals.”
Interns leave contributions
As Pantexans and Y-12ers for the summer, the 2020 interns made valuable contributions to the CNS mission in the Development, Engineering, Operations, Security, Supply Chain Management, and Information Solutions and Services Departments. Before they left, 19 interns were even offered an opportunity to continue their CNS careers as full-time employees.
Despite changes brought by COVID-19, CNS honored its commitment to providing educational development opportunities for the 40 students this summer as a part of the CNS Internship Program. In a modified program, the 16 interns at Pantex and 24 interns at Y-12 experienced the sites, virtually and in-person.
Pantex’s Paul Mendez and Mike Hight from Personnel Security were just two who assisted in finding the solution. The team had a quick turnaround time, because the final decision to go virtual was made less than a month before the start date.
“We had some obstacles,” Mendez said. “There was short notice for almost every aspect from processing Clearance Action Requests to identification verification. Personnel Security assisted with reviewing and processing Clearance Action Requests, and we provided the required briefing and ensured appropriate access was set up.”
Hight said, “The hardest part was the short notice to process interns, and the need to stay flexible in processing them - it took some specialized effort to determine their status and work them in with all the other onboarding actions we conduct.”
Next was making a traditional program a virtual one. Landrum said, “This was my first year as the lead over the internship program, so implementing the program was a challenge, then when you throw in COVID-19, it made it even more challenging. I knew I needed to get others on board.”
That’s when Jessica Dawes and Alex Moore came into play and helped build a knowledge library, which became a partnership with others within the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
“The NSE Internship Library was established to allow interns joining the NSE in 2020 to have content about the sites and the NNSA mission,” Moore said.
Dawes added, “The library is composed of virtual content to assist interns in developing a better understanding of roles and responsibilities of the organizations within the NNSA, as well as illustrate how integrated the organizations are in order to achieve the NNSA mission.”
Currently, the knowledge library is with NNSA Public Affairs to be published online. “The NSE workforce team, made up of employees from various NSE organizations, emailed the material to their sites’ interns,” Moran said. “We paired the material, which consisted of a lot of website links, with a planned event - the NSE Virtual Intern Panel. The event was a success with seven panelists from across the enterprise and 177 participants (interns) all learning about the work across the NSE and how they can contribute to our mission.”
Last, but not least, was determining how to share on the job training, so Landrum and Moran asked Performance Excellence’s Training Compliance & Delivery to join the effort. Within a few weeks, the team had General Employee Training ready to teach virtually through WebEx. Once required training was completed, Christine Shawhan (Six Sigma) and others from PE developed a schedule for Enrichment Series classes that the interns attended virtually.
“We offered information on how to write a business case, how to facilitate a virtual meeting, and shared various Lean Six Sigma tools,” Shawhan said. “Amy and Cristy then recommended having the CNS Affinity Groups share with the interns, so they could learn about future possibilities. Teamwork makes the dream work. Seems silly to say, but it really does!”
So at the end of the 10 week internship, the 40 interns for 2020 left with a robust amount of information from a program that wasn’t sure it would even happen.
“It really ended as a win-win project,” Moran said. “One intern told me before she left Pantex that the lessons taught in the [Enrichment Series] meetings would not have come up in a typical college education. She said she was able to learn how to be a competent professional before graduating with her degree.”
Landrum said, “Change is inevitable, but we will support the mission. You simply adapt and react. By continuing the internship program, it taught the students that turmoil doesn’t stop CNS from working towards supporting the mission.”
A Y-12 Mission Engineering intern works in a lab during his time at Y‑12.