Health Physics Education & Outreach

Health Physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is part of the broader discipline of radiological sciences. Radiological sciences is the study of radiation and its effects/uses on humans and the environment. We are continually striving to provide useful and factual information that the public can rely on, as such we have a few resources that may help.


Radiation & Me Exhibit

In the Pinanski Hall lobby (1st floor) at UMass Lowell (UML), you will, or have already found the "Radiation and Me" micro exhibit. It provides an overview of how radiation reaches countless applications that effect, or save lives every day. This exhibit is a small demonstration of the countless uses of the atom and how radiation professionals are enhancing our everyday lives. Open to the public, weekdays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more details on the items on display, please view our:

High School Field Trips to the Nuclear Reactor

The UMass Lowell Radiological Sciences group can conduct facility tours for interested High School Science or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) groups. This field trip, for students and teachers, can bolster a curriculum from Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) specifically around context of;

  • Fission, 
  • Fusion, 
  • Energy, 
  • Radiation types, 
  • shielding, 
  • atomic structure, and 
  • harnessing these powers for the betterment of society. 
Topics covered align with concepts found in DESE HS-PS1-8 and HS PS1.A

We can also offer a demonstration and discussion of 

  • radiation uses,
  • radiation shielding, 
  • detection and measurements, 
  • units and quantities, and
  • careers in the Radiation and Nuclear fields 

Please contact us for more information and arranging our visit. 

We can offer a tour of one of our radiation laboratories (reactor, accelerator, radiochemistry lab, etc.) to see radiation science in action.

For the prearranged tour, we will need:

  1. the names and addresses of all attendees, that match their government issued ID (must be provided at least 48 hours in advance). All attendees must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. the car model, license plate number, and licensing state (provided at least 48 hours in advance of tour). If bussing, the bus driver will not be able to park anywhere onsite. Nearby parking lots are available offsite, not UMass controlled.
  3. the groups must be able to leave all backpacks, cell phones, jackets, etc. in our secured holding room for tours.

Please contact us for more information and arranging a visit. Please note, we reserve the right to cap or deny groups who request for any reason.


Onsite High School Radiation Demonstration

The UMass Lowell Radiological Sciences group (Faculty, Staff, or Students) can provide 1 hour onsite radiation demonstrations for interested High School Science in your classroom. This demonstration can be provided on your site, for students and teachers, can bolster a curriculum from Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) specifically around context of 

  • Fission, 
  • Fusion, 
  • Energy, 
  • Radiation types, 
  • shielding, 
  • atomic structure, and 
  • harnessing these powers for the betterment of society. 
Topics covered align with concepts found in DESE HS-PS1-8 and HS PS1.A

We can offer a demonstration and discussion of 

  • radiation uses,
  • radiation shielding, 
  • detection and measurements, 
  • units and quantities, and
  • careers in the Radiation and Nuclear fields 

Please contact us for more information and arranging our visit. 

While not all requests can be fulfilled, we try to accommodate as many as possible. Please note, we give precedence to larger group sizes. Arranging a big class (auditorium) to observe the demonstration reaches more students.


Nuclear Merit Scouts Badge

UMass Lowell (UML) Radiological Sciences is proud to offer the Boy Scouts of America an opportunity for their scouts to earn their Nuclear Science Merit Badge. This opportunity is offered a few times a year.

UMass offers a learning opportunity for the scouts to complete a few of the requirements for the Nuclear Science Merit Badge. More self study and exploration is required after your visit to UML.

We can offer:

  • A demonstration to discuss radiation, describe its effect on humans, the uses of radiation, explain the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principal, and sources of background radiation. Discussing units and quantities of radiation as well as examples from the everyday world.
  • to tour of one of our radiation laboratories (reactor, accelerator, radiochemistry lab, etc.) to see radiation science in action.
  • to conduct a radiation detection experiment, observing and learning how radiation is measured, measuring different types of radiation sources (Alpha, Beta, and Gamma), and observing how time distance, and shielding effect the radiation measurements (detector use) in the laboratory.

For the prearranged tour, we will need:

  1. the names and addresses of all attendees (Scouts and parents), that match their government issued ID (provided at least 48hrs in advance). All attendees must be U.S. Citizens.
  2. the car model, license plate number, and licensing state for anyone bringing cars (at least 48 hours in advance of the tour).
  3. the group must be able to leave all backpacks, cell phones, jackets, etc. in our secured holding room for tours.

Please contact us for more information and arranging a visit. Please note, we reserve the right to cap or deny groups who request for any reason.


Useful Radiation Resources

While not an exhaustive list, below is a selection of useful and factual radiation websites where one can find more information about radiation or the profession.

  • Radiation Answers is a useful website to discuss all the radiation sources used in society. It also provides information about background radiation, types of radiation, and quantities of radiation (activity, dose, etc.)
  • The Health Physics Society Careers page covers the careers in the profession and salary surveys of Health Physicists/Radiation Safety Professionals (bottom of page)