Julie Ezold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julie Ezold
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Ezold at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2018
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Julie Graudons
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| Alma mater | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute North Carolina State University, Raleigh |
| Known for | Tennessine |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
Julie Ezold is a super smart nuclear engineer who works at a special science place called Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She helps manage a big project involving a rare element called Californium. She also played a part in finding a new element named tennessine!
Early Life and Learning
Julie Ezold grew up in Schenectady, New York. When she was younger, she loved to dance! She took lessons in ballet, tap, and jazz. She also learned to twirl a baton. In fifth grade, she even won an award for her dance exams.
When Julie was in high school, she spent a summer learning about nuclear chemistry. This was at the University of Lynchburg. After high school, she went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She studied nuclear engineering there and finished in 1990. She then earned her master's degree in nuclear engineering in 1992. She did this at North Carolina State University, Raleigh. For her studies, she used a special reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Her Work as a Scientist
Julie Ezold has worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 1992. This is where she started right after her master's degree. Early in her career, she studied something called Iodine-129. She used a method called Neutron Activation Analysis.
Today, Julie is in charge of the Californium Program. Her job is to make special elements like Californium-252, Berkelium-249, and Einsteinium-252. Californium-252 is very powerful. Just a tiny bit, like one microgram, can release two million neutrons every second! Her main work focuses on transuranium elements. These are elements heavier than uranium. She also looks at how these elements can be used.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Julie Ezold has received many awards for her important work.
- In 2002, she got the US Department of Energy Defense Programs Award of Excellence.
- She was also honored for her amazing work in teaching others about science. This was at the UT-Battelle Awards Night.
- In 2009, she received a special award from the American Nuclear Society.
- She also won the Patricia Bryant Leadership Award. This was from the Women in Nuclear group.
In 2010, Julie was part of a team that made a huge discovery. They found a new element called Tennessine! She studied how two elements, Berkelium-249 and Calcium-48, reacted together. Her recent work helps make the production of transcurium isotopes even better.
In 2018, Julie Ezold was recognized as one of the "Top Engineers" by Marquis Who's Who. This was for all her great contributions to nuclear engineering.
See also
In Spanish: Julie Ezold para niños
