Meet our Members

To best serve members of the Oak Ridge community, ATSDR and CDC selected the following ORRHES members based on their outstanding collective and individual expertise and diverse backgrounds:

Peggy Mustain Adkins, Extension 4-H Specialist, The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Maryville, TN

Ms. Adkins trained Tennessee’s 304 County Extension 4-H Agents and Tennessee’s 20,000 4-H volunteers in several developmental areas: organization, character, curriculum, and salaried and volunteer staff. She served on the University of Georgia faculty for several years. Ms. Adkins also served on the faculty of the National Youth Developer’s Institute, consulted to industry, worked with 32 states as a curriculum development trainer and consultant. Further, she created and taught three-year and two-year faculty curriculum development certification courses at Louisiana State University and the University of Tennessee.

Charles Aultman Washington, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Washington was a former Cold War worker as a research chemist who was a productive inventor and contributor to the Department of Energy's weapon complex. As Vice President of the local chapter of the NAACP and President of the local chapter for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, he had always been an important advocate for the public health of minorities. Mr. Washington had numerous patents on inventions from Y-12 classified processes. He was a member of the ORR Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board, and had a great working relationship with community members. As a technical and scientific expert, Mr. Washington was a vital asset to the Subcommittee.

Willard Donald Box, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Box lived in Oak Ridge for over five decades. For many years, he supervised the Troubleshooting Group (K-25) at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion plant, and for 32 years was employed by ORNL as a Development Engineer in the Chemical Engineering Division. Mr. Box directed the Drop Test Facility where he tested large shipping casks for safety. He received the Advanced Technology Award for the International Inventors Club of America, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Invention Award, and the Inventor of the Year Award in Robotics from Martin Marietta Energy Systems.

Herman Cember, PhD, Lafayette, IN

Dr. Cember authored Introduction to Health Physics, the most widely-used textbook in graduate level health physics programs. His credentials included Certified Health Physicist,  Registered Professional Engineer, and a Fellow in the American Public Health Association and in the Health Physics Society. His wide-ranging professional experience, including his research on lung cancer from inhaled radioactive aerosols, brought unique expertise to the Subcommittee. Dr. Cember was appointed as adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana in the Nuclear Engineering Department to teach radiation dosimetry.

Robert Craig, PhD, Chief Operating Officer, RAMSAFE Technology, Oak Ridge, TN

Dr. Craig lived and worked in the Oak Ridge area for over 20 years. He received a PhD in ecology and worked as an environmental scientist, manager, and corporate officer for environmental companies. He was a member of the East Tennessee Economic Council, Chairman of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce for 2001, and represented the economic development advocates for Oak Ridge and East Tennessee. Dr. Craig was sensitive to public concerns and worked well with many constituencies in resolving varied health concerns. Dr. Craig brought a balanced approach to the health issues and was a valuable contributing member of the Subcommittee.

Donald Anthony Creasia, PhD, Knoxville, TN

Dr. Creasia was a retired toxicologist with primary interest and experience in inhalation toxicology. He received a PhD in physiology from the University of Tennessee and an MS in toxicology from Harvard University. From 1970-1977, he was a toxicologist at ORNL (lung cancer/air pollution) and from 1977-1983 was Director of the In Vitro Carcinogenesis program of the National Cancer Institute, FCRF, in Frederick, MD. He worked from 1985 to 1998 at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases,( USAMRIID) Ft. Detrick, Maryland. From 1983 to 1985, he was a Fellow with the National Research Council at the USAMRIID, and was well-versed in environmental hazards and toxic substances related to environmental health issues. As a former resident of Oak Ridge, Dr. Creasia had familiarity with its history, operations, health concerns of the residents, and the issues related to toxic waste cleanup. Dr. Creasia made a positive contribution to the activities of the Subcommittee.

Kowetha Anna Davidson, PhD, D.A.B.T., Toxicologist, UT-Battelle, LLC., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (chair)

Dr. Davidson spent three decades living in Oak Ridge and working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She received a PhD in zoology from the University of Tennessee and was a Diplomat of the American Board of Toxicology, Inc. Dr. Davidson conducted human health hazard evaluations and chemical-specific risk assessments. She served on the ORNL/ORAU Institutional Review Board and previously served on the National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors. In addition, Dr. Davidson facilitated and participated in community conversations and discussion groups addressing racial reconciliation, hate crimes, and violence in the home. She shared valuable technical information with the Subcommittee, and served as a link to the African-American community.

Karen Galloway, Secretary, Operational Safety Services Division, UT-Battelle, LLC., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Ms. Galloway was born and raised in an area downstream from the Oak Ridge Reservation. Based on the Iodine-131 dose reconstruction by the State of Tennessee, Ms. Galloway met the criteria of the high-risk group, a female infant living in the Bradbury/Jones Road area in the early 1950's. She worked as a secretary for over 20 years at ORNL and was involved in technical and scientific document preparation and dissemination. She had a great deal of experience working with committees and local community groups. Ms. Galloway represented the affected community, and the information she provided to the Subcommittee was invaluable.

George Gartseff, MPH, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Gartseff and his family lived in Oak Ridge for over ten years. He received a BS in Biological Sciences from Auburn University and an MPH from the University of Alabama School of Public Health. Mr. Gartseff consulted with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and for various industrial clients. Additionally, he provided independent business-to-business consulting services within the technical contracting community.

Jeffery Paul Hill, Environmental Safety and Health Representative, Atomic Trades and Labor Council, UT-Battelle, LLC., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Hill, a life-time resident of the area around Oak Ridge Reservation near the Tennessee River, worked at ORNL as a millwright for over 20 years. He was an active member in the Carpenter's Union and the Atomic Trades and Labor Council his entire career. For over ten years, he served as the Environmental, Safety, and Health Representative. As an avid sportsman, Mr. Hill used the river and reservoir downstream from the ORR to swim and fish for most of his life and continued to live along the Tennessee River. As the only labor representative of affected workers, Mr. Hill was a vital contributing member of the Subcommittee.

David Harris Johnson, Knoxville, TN

Mr. Johnson was a community health advocate who worked with  grassroots organizations to create programs for youth and older clients. He also served as the Southeast Tennessee Coordinator for the Tennessee Minority Health and Community Development Coalition, Inc., a group that addressed health and welfare concerns of minorities. He lived in eastern Tennessee and grew up there during the early 1950's when the Oak Ridge Reservation had its largest hazardous materials releases. Mr. Johnson was a community leader with extensive experience working with diverse groups and grassroots organizations to bridge communities and health advocate resources for a common goal. Mr. Johnson contributed valuable community health concerns to the Subcommittee.

Susan Arnold Kaplan, President/CEO, KapLine Enterprises, Inc. (KEI); Founder and Executive Director, Institute for Technology, Social, and Policy Awareness, Inc. (ITSPA), Knoxville, TN

KEI was a consulting firm specializing in technical, business, and community communications and analysis. In addition to founding KEI, Ms. Kaplan founded ITSPA, a non-profit organization whose mission was to stop community deterioration, worker displacement, and harm to the environment due to the development and use of technology and funding cuts to technology programs. Ms. Kaplan was President of the Karns High School Foundation. In that role, she arranged all events of the foundation including fund-raising and dispersing funds for academic programs at the school. She lived on the Clinch River across from the ORR since 1987. She was a member of the Citizens Advisory Panel (CAP) for the ORR Local Oversight Committee and chaired the CAP's Economic Transition and Work Force Issues Subcommittee. As a former ORNL worker with a degree in chemical engineering, she was most concerned with health effects of workers and exposures to harmful materials. Her knowledge of the ORR and contaminants of concern, combined with her dedication to serve, made Ms. Kaplan a valuable member of the Subcommittee.

James Frederick Lewis, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Lewis grew up in the east Tennessee area and spent over 20 years in the Oak Ridge area. He was a retired mechanical engineer from TVA with more than 27 years of experience in nuclear, fossil, and hydroelectric power production quality engineering inspection and procurement. Mr. Lewis supervised and brought to closure more than 600 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant welding-related employee health concerns to the satisfaction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission during its first review. He was actively involved in community outreach and clearly concerned with adverse health effects from OR to minority constituents. As a community health organizer and respected minority leader, Mr. Lewis was an asset to the Subcommittee.

Anthony P. Malinauskas, PhD, Kingston, TN

Dr. Malinauskas joined the staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1962. He held several positions at ORNL, such as Director of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Programs, Director of the Office of Environmental Technology Programs. Until his retirement in 1998, he was Director of Environmental Programs Development. Dr. Malinauskas received a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Michigan Institute of Technology. His work in support of analyses of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island Power Station merited him the E.O. Lawrence Award from the Department of Energy and a Special Award for Advancements in Nuclear Technology from the American Nuclear Society. He was also a key participant in analyses of the Chernobyl Reactor accident in Russia and in studies of the effects of terrorist attacks on spent reactor fuel shipments in the United States.

Lowell Peter Malmquist, DVM, Kingston, TN

Dr. Malmquist was a retired veterinarian who lived and practiced in Roane County for more than 25 years. He lived on the Clinch River downstream from the ORR and was extremely concerned with the possible adverse health effects and contamination. Dr. Malmquist served as Chairman of the Roane County Health Board and was a member of the Roane County Commission.  Highly regarded in the community, he was aware of the historical problems generated by the operations of the ORR and how it affected Roane County and its citizens. With his veterinary medicine background, Dr. Malmquist was an added value to the proceedings of the Subcommittee.

LC Manley, Oak Ridge, TN

Mr. Manley lived in the Scarboro community, a predominantly African-American neighborhood less than a mile from the Oak Ridge Reservation. He retired from the ORNL after 30 years as a laboratory technician. He was actively involved in working with his community to learn more about the health conditions in Scarboro. Mr. Manley served as a member of the Scarboro Advisory Committee for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies to look into environmental health issues affecting their community. Mr. Manley, in his community outreach programs dedicated to improving the quality of life for minority residents in the Scarboro community, was a key asset to the Subcommittee.

Donna Mims Mosby, Executive Director, Scarboro Day Care Center, Oak Ridge, TN

Ms. Mosby was the Executive Director of the Scarboro Day Care Center located near the Y-12 Plant of the Oak Ridge Reservation. For over 15 years, she was involved in community activities. Throughout the city she networked and built rapport with parents regarding environmental, health and other community issues. Ms. Mosby was committed to the health and well-being of children in the community. It was of great importance to the largely African-American community that Ms. Mosby represent them on the Subcommittee on minority-related public health activities.

Barbara Ellen Sonnenburg, Ten Mile, TN

Ms. Sonnenburg was a representative of the Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, which represented the interests of local governments in Department of Energy's environmental management and operation of the Oak Ridge Reservation. She had concerns for many years about the environmental issues and health problems of workers, former workers, and other city residents. Ms. Sonnenburg was involved in public policy work about environmental health effects and represented the interest of communities downstream from the site. As a respected community leader, Ms. Sonnenburg was an asset to the Subcommittee.