Schaefer Environmental Radiation Laboratory

Radon Sleuths Hall of Fame

The Schaefer Environmental Radiation Laboratory is a cluster of a rooms within the Physics Department that contain instruments for measuring radon, environmental sampling, and spectroscopy systems for alpha and gamma radiation. This facility is dedicated to the spirit of Thomas O. Schaefer, SJU '81. Tom's pioneering senior thesis work on the gamma spectra of outdoor radioactive particulates opened an era of collaborative research on environmental radiation by students and Dr. Steck . Employing hard work, dedication, and initiative, Tom built both a useful detection system and a tradition. Tom, a Marine pilot, died in a military aircraft accident in 1984. The  students shown below kept his spirit alive by following his tradition of completing thesis work in environmental radioactivity and thus qualifying for the honorary title of Radon Sleuth:

	Tom Schaefer ('81) "Airborne radioactivity associated with atmospheric nuclear weapons tests" Currently: Deceased Melrose, MN		Dr. Carol Meger ('84) "Indoor radon levels in the CSB/SJU area" Currently: Working in California
	Norm Tyrell ('85) "Radium-226 levels in relation to radon emanation by Stearns County soils" Currently:  Unknown after being In Arizona attending graduate school after working for Fuji in Japan.		Dr. Joe Baraga ('86) "Alpha spectroscopy on a C64" Currently: In Minneapolis working as a radiologist after graduating from MIT-Harvard
	Fred Monette ('88) "The role of soil diffusion lengths in predicting potential radon problems" Currently: At Argonne National Lab working on national and international environmental radiation projects.		Dr. Brad Christian ('89) "Airborne radon detection by charcoal adsorption" Currently: An Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin in Medical Physics
	Dr. Bob Sitar ('90) "Creation of an alpha particle detector using dynamic semiconductor memory" Currently: At MIT as a post-doc after graduating from the UM-Ann Arbor.		Dr. Mike Bergmann ('91) "Modeling radon transport and entry" Currently: A research scientist at Cree, Inc. in North Carolina
	Dr. Greg Taft ('92) "Measuring airborne alpha radioactivity" Currently: Doing lase work in CO after teaching physics at UW Stevens Point after graduating from WSU.		Katie Allen ('95) "Climatic effects on surface gamma radiation" Currently: In Iowa
	Scott Baynes ( '96) "Temporal variation of indoor radon" Currently: Working on computer networking in St. Cloud in a company that he co-owns, after getting a master's degree in health physics from CSU.		Tony Noack ( '96) "Modeling radon and radon progeny" Currently: Working for CDC in the TC.
	Dr. Julie Berglund Raffi('04) "Passive radon progeny dosimeters based on SSNTD" Currently: Working as a medical physicist at Regions Hospital St. Paul after  UW-Madison Medical Physics and being a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea teaching Physics in French. Married with 2 children and a new first author see Medical Physics 37 2693 June 2010		Jon Dumm ('05) "FACTORS AFFECTING DEPOSITION, IMPLANTATION, AND RETENTION OF RADON PROGENY IN GLASS" Currently: UW-Madison Physics working on ICE CUBE
	Dr. Eric (Patton) Garlid ( '05)   "Equilibrium and transient modeling of the fate and transport of radon progeny" Currently: Working for INTEL in CA after UMN Physics		David Harrison ('10)   "Modeling Radiation Exposure from Decorative Granite"
	Dan Franta ('10) At UMN for Civil Engineering "RADON EMANATION FROM BUILDING MATERIALS INCLUDING GRANITE FLOORING TILES, CONCRETE AND WALLBOARD"   Winner of the Thomas Schaefer Memorial Thesis Award		Rachel Dols ('11)  A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Radon Mitigation in the Upper Midwest

P.S. If you are pictured here drop me an e-mail to update or correct your information.

 

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Last revised : 04 May, 2011 

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