ORAU: Then & Now
Posts by Michael Holtz
Michael Holtz
Michael Holtz loves to tell a great story, and ORAU has a lot of them to tell. From focusing on our history running a cancer hospital to talking about our amazing thought leaders and everything in between, Michael tells the ORAU story on our website, on the Further Together podcast, in our annual report and through earned media.
2026
ORAU launched the Extreme Trades Makeover: Future Welders competition in mid-October to award three Alabama welding teachers with $30,000 in new equipment or upgrades for their workshops or classrooms.
While there has been a lot of research on the benefits of peer-to-peer support for women facing cancer, that has not been the case with men. ORAU stepped into this research gap and funded a one-year pilot study looking at peer support intervention for men facing cancer.
Explore how social listening reveals public perceptions of ultra-processed foods and their impact on health. Learn how ORAU experts analyze online conversations to shape effective health communication strategies and drive change toward healthier eating habits.
Discover how ORAU Workforce Solutions leverages AI to enhance recruitment while maintaining the human touch. Chelsea Hill shares insights on hiring trends, specialized STEM talent and career transitions in a rapidly evolving job market.
ORAU is helping researchers working with genomics, proteomics, clinical data and structural data accelerate discoveries by training them to use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE). ORAU won an NIH contract to create a state-of-the-art virtual training center for this very purpose.
ORAU-Directed Research and Development project focuses on using AI to speed up sample processing to identify chromosomal abnormalities and calculating the total dose of radiation exposure in patients treated for cancer.
Amid the nation’s critical shortage of healthcare workers, ORAU is leveraging its expertise and providing targeted support to help bolster the healthcare workforce in the region.
ORAU, a leader in workforce capacity building since its founding almost 80 years ago, is leading the charge to build the nuclear energy workforce sector locally, regionally and across the country.
ORAU manages the NASA Postdoctoral Program, and several of the fellows are supporting the Artemis missions to the moon and beyond.
Discover how ORAU’s CAD Design and 3D Printing Mini-Academy empowered high school students to build self-confidence and master STEM skills like computer-aided design and 3D printing. Led by Kristy Hutson, Ed.D., this hands-on workshop encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and ownership of the engineering process.
Long-time cancer advocate becomes cancer researcher thanks to the support of ORAU’s Research and University Partnerships Office.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and one ORAU employee is actively working to raise awareness about prevention and early detection.
The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge has opened an exhibit introducing the life and legacy of Alvin Weinberg, visionary nuclear physicist, who was once director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was the founder of the Institute for Energy Analysis at ORAU.