This spring, members of the DOE Young Professionals Group (YPG) had the opportunity to tour the facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to experience and learn about the lab's expansive capabilities. The tour spanned eight unique facilities which demonstrated the core capabilities housed at ORNL such as supercomputing, materials and manufacturing, basic science, transportation, and building efficiency. Oak Ridge's rich history with nuclear technology was also on full display at the historic Graphite Reactor and other facilities -- like the High Flux Isotope Reactor -- which are still in use today.

YPG also fulfilled a part of its core mission by connecting with the Oak Ridge Postgraduate Association (ORPA), which provides similar professional development resources to early-mid career professionals at ORNL. The group had a chance to network with about 20 current members of ORPA, and is looking forward to future collaborative opportunities.

The final piece of the tour took place in the heart of Knoxville where the group received a personal tour of the past and present vibes of the city. This included a trip to the top of the Sunsphere, which was the staple of the 1982 World’s Fair.

Overall, the two day trip proved to be nothing but extraordinary! Experiencing the rich history, technical prowess, and diverse culture of Oak Ridge and Knoxville provided an enriching getaway full of new perspective and knowledge. Following the success of this event, YPG hopes to coordinate similar tours to other national labs in the future.

The Young Professionals Group is a DOE sanctioned employee resource group started in February, 2016. The group focuses on growing young professionals through technical, professional, and social skills development. The group has grown to over 270 members and is always looking for new membership.

Learn more about YPG on Powerpedia, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or email the group at: YoungProfessionals@hq.doe.gov.