Brookhaven Lab's James Tarpinian Receives Award from the American Academy of Health Physics
September 28, 2004
UPTON, NY - James Tarpinian, Assistant Laboratory Director for Environment, Safety, Health & Quality (ESH&Q) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, has been honored with the 2004 Joyce P. Davis Memorial Award from the American Academy of Health Physics. This award, which consists of a plaque, was presented to Tarpinian in recognition of his exemplary service and devotion to the academy, and to honor him as a role model in upholding the ethical and professional standards of the academy.
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Jim Tarpinian (right) and Dale Denham of the American Academy of Health Physics. (Click image to download hi-resolution version.)
The 1,500-member academy promotes professionalism in the health physics field, which is primarily concerned with radiation safety in the workplace and the environment. In addition to encouraging the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the practice of health physics and enhancing communications and education among health physicists, the academy sponsors professional certification of health physicists who meet education and experience requirements and who pass the certification examination offered by the American Board of Health Physics.
A member of the academy since 1984, Tarpinian served as a director from 1997 to 1999, and he was the academy's president in 2002.
"I am extremely proud to be part of the American Academy of Health Physics, an organization that is devoted to establishing, promoting and enforcing high standards of conduct," Tarpinian said. "I am equally proud to be a part of Brookhaven Lab, where all radiation protection staff are expected to uphold these high standards, which they do very well. It is important that these high standards continue to be part of the Laboratory culture to assure the safety of employees and the public."
Tarpinian received a B.A. in biology from the University of Connecticut at Storrs in 1975 and an M.S. in radiological sciences and protection from the University of Lowell, in Massachusetts, in 1980. In that year, he joined Bechtel Power Corporation as supervisor of decontamination and radioactive waste engineering. Tarpinian worked his way through the ranks of Bechtel, one of the world's largest engineering-construction firms, to become manager of safety and health for the Hanford restoration contractor, Bechtel, Hanford, Inc. Managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford, in Washington State, is the site of the world's largest environmental cleanup project.
Tarpinian joined Brookhaven in April 2003 in his current position. As head of Brookhaven's ESH&Q Directorate, he is responsible for environmental protection, occupational safety and health, and quality services at the Laboratory.
A health physicist certified by the American Board of Health Physics, Tarpinian is also a Fellow of the Health Physics Society (HPS). He was Director of the HPS from 1995 to 1998, and he received the Elda E. Anderson Award from the Society in 1991.
2004-10223 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
