In June of 2008, the Center for Environmental Radiation Studies at Texas Tech University, in collaboration with the International Radioecology Laboratory  in Slavutych, Ukraine, launched a month long training program near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant facility. This training was designed to facilitate and assist Iraqi scientists with the characterization and dismantlement of a former nuclear facility near Baghdad, Iraq.
The group at CERS was faced with the challenge of managing a complex field survey characterization resulting in the collection of hundreds of samples. Early in the process, it became apparent that the resultant data would need to be accessible to scientists  from around the globe, thus a server based application would be required. With a clear idea of the needs of such an application, Brian Enderson with the TTU/HHMI program was consulted for assistance. A few months prior to the training launch in Ukraine, Brian and Chris Seman, a TTU/HHMI Undergraduate Technology Scholar, spent countless hours working to fully customize the field survey database to increase its utility. Following successful beta testing, the cooperative database was put to use in the field by an international team, where it performed beautifully.
A document explaining the collaboration between the Center for Environmental and Radiation Studies and TTU/HHMI can be located at the following: Center for Environmental Radiation Studies
Visit the CERS webpage for more detailed information on the project.
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