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CORVALLIS - Kathryn Higley, an associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiation health physics in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, will join the End Users Group of an international consortium, Environmental Risks for Ionizing Contaminants: Assessment and Management.

This consortium works to provide an integrated approach to addressing scientific, managerial and societal issues surrounding environmental effects of ionizing contamination, or potentially harmful radioactive materials, with emphasis on biota and ecosystems. It will discuss assessment frameworks, scientific knowledge gaps, setting criteria and standards, source and hazard analysis, and risk perception and communication, centered on ionizing radiation, other contaminants, and the environment.

Higley said she is "delighted to have this great opportunity to work with others in the international arena to develop the framework for radiation protection standards for biota."

Higley is an expert in human and ecological risk assessment, environmental pathway analysis, environmental radiation monitoring, and environmental regulations. She has been on the OSU faculty since 1994, and is a consultant to U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environment, Safety and Health.