On July 15, 2026, Dr. Sherry Faye, Director of the Wadsworth Center’s Nuclear Chemistry Laboratory (NCL), served as an invited guest speaker at the U.S. Department of Energy and American Chemical Society-sponsored Nuclear Chemistry Summer School (NCSS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This highly selective six-week program is designed to introduce undergraduate students to graduate programs and careers in nuclear science.
Dr. Faye presented an overview of the NCL’s mission and capabilities, including
- Routine surveillance testing of environmental and drinking water samples supporting public health
- Emergency response functions for radiological incidents, including work with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Applied and collaborative research in nuclear chemistry and radioanalytical methods
- Educational and training opportunities, including internships and fellowships at the Wadsworth Center
The visit included a networking lunch with students and fellow speakers, providing direct engagement with the next generation of scientists. Other speakers included leaders in radiochemistry research and education from institutions such as University of Iowa, University of Notre Dame, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the National Nuclear Data Center.
This engagement strengthened Wadsworth Center’s visibility in the national nuclear science community and supported ongoing efforts to recruit highly motivated students into state public health laboratory careers.