Oak Ridge, Tenn. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has appointed Nannan Jiang and Harriett McCurdy to its Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s (OREM) citizen advisory board.

The Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board is a federally chartered citizens’ panel that provides independent advice and recommendations to OREM, which is responsible for the cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation. The new members were introduced at the board’s February meeting.

Jiang, who lives in Knoxville, is a graduate student at the University of Tennessee pursuing a doctorate in energy science and engineering through the university’s Bredesen Center.  Graduate students in this program perform interdisciplinary research by joining Oak Ridge National Laboratory and university research teams focused on a diverse set of challenges related to energy and applied data sciences. 

Jiang has a passion for education and environmental issues. He is a member of the Oak Ridge Postdoc Association and currently serves as chair of the organization’s Professional Development Committee.  He is also a member of the Forum on Science Ethics and Policy, where he previously served as secretary; Ask a Scientist, where he previously served as outreach coordinator; and the Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society. 

He received a B.S. in biological sciences from Purdue University and an M.S. in microbiology from the University of Illinois. 

McCurdy, a resident of Oak Ridge, retired in 2014 after more than 40 years as a teacher for middle- and high-school students both in the United States and abroad with a focus on the sciences.  Most recently she served as a teacher of science and biology for grades 6-10 at Yangon Academy in Yangon, Myanmar.  Prior to that, she taught a variety of science courses and environmental studies courses in China, Morocco, Kuwait, and Ecuador. 

McCurdy is interested in educational, community and environmental issues. She is president of the Oak Ridge League of Women Voters and a member of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, which is dedicated to achieving and perpetuating protection of natural lands and waters by means of public ownership, legislation, or cooperation of the private sector with a focus on the Cumberland and Appalachian regions of Tennessee. 

McCurdy received an M.A. in teaching and her teaching certificate from Washington University and a B.A. in biology from Earlham College. 

ORSSAB meets the second Wednesday of most months at 6 p.m. at the DOE Information Center, 1 Science.gov Way in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Meetings of the board and its committees are open to the public. For more information, visit ORSSAB’s website, www.energy.gov/orssab or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ORSSAB. Meetings are recorded and posted to YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ORSSAB.