ORAU: Then & Now
![Group of ORAU employees working together in a team meeting](../img/blog/blog-welcome.webp)
ORAU: Then & Now is a great resource for you to learn about how our people, programs and partners are making a huge impact, serving our country and giving us the competitive edge on the world stage in the areas of STEM education, workforce solutions, exposure science, health education, disaster preparedness, forensic science and so much more! We are committed to integrating our resources for the purpose of innovating a stronger tomorrow.
Learn our history that began with the Manhattan Project during World War II and the ways we respond to critical national needs today. Watch our short videos and discover how ORAU is championing science, health and education.
Check back often as we share behind-the-scenes content, surprise teachers with STEM equipment giveaways and interview some of the smartest men and women in the world.
![Shoe-fitting fluoroscope certificate illustration](../img/blog/museum/shoe-fitting-fluoroscope-shoecard.webp)
Discover some fun facts about the shoe-fitting fluoroscope at ORAU’s Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, such as who all claims to have invented the machine.
![blog-deia-3.webp](../img/blog/projects/blog-deia-3.webp)
When it comes to national preparedness, ORAU works diligently with the federal government creating resources to equip communities for emergency response. One of those resources includes a CDC discussion guide series for emergency planners. Another project includes considerations for mental health.
![Shelby Woods, a computer science teacher at Sevier County Junior High School in Sevierville, Tennessee, was named winner of the $25,000 grand prize in ORAU’s 2024 Extreme Classroom Makeover.](../img/news/2024/extreme-classroom-makeover-winner-2024-1.webp)
Extreme Classroom Makeover is one of ORAU’s most recognizable programs in the East Tennessee community, but you may not have paused to think of what’s going on in the background of this annual competition. Go behind the scenes to get a glimpse of what it is and what goes into it
![nuclear-craze-display_case.webp](../img/blog/museum/nuclear-craze-display_case.webp)
The fascination with all things nuclear started during World War II and continued for a couple decades. What fed into (and perpetuated) the craze? This blog offers four reasons nuclear science was at the forefront of pop culture throughout the 1950s and 60s
![bts-classroom-hero.webp](../img/blog/education/bts-classroom-hero.webp)
ORAU is not a school, so why do we have a classroom? Certainly, we can use the room as meeting space, but its design is intentionally a classroom. This space is equipped with some bells and whistles for K-12 programming that we offer students and teachers throughout the summer.
![atomic-pistols-1.webp](../img/blog/museum/atomic-pistols-1.webp)
Take a look at some of the atomic toys and items for children located at ORAU’s Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, including the Atomic Energy Lab.
![mc100-exterior.webp](../img/blog/programs/mc100-exterior.webp)
Take a look at some of the programs and departments within ORAU, such as the Research and University Partnerships Office, to learn more about the work that they do.