ETEC News & Notes 9/9/2026
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From Robots to Regional Impact
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Students from
Oak Ridge High School's
Secret City Wildbots
FIRST Robotics Competition
Team 4265
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&
Cary Busby
President, Board of Directors
TNFIRST
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In person in the UT Outreach Center and online via Zoom.
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In Person (Registration Not Needed)
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This meeting is held in the UT Outreach Center in Oak Ridge. Guests of our members are welcome. Find more information about our Friday morning meetings here.
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To participate in the meeting via Zoom, register for this and future Friday meetings.
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Thank you to Paschal Solutions for sponsoring the Friday morning meetings in September.
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September 18 - Heidi Smith, Vice President Economic Development, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
September 25 - Featured Friday with the ETEC Board of Directors (All members and their guests are welcome to attend.)
October 2 - Lt. Governor Randy McNally Celebration (Program & Reception)
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CROSSROADS + SPARK | What's Next in Innovation
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You're invited to join the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce & ETEC on Tuesday, October 13, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) as we welcome the newest cohorts of ORNL’s Innovation Crossroads and UT’s SPARK Accelerator for an evening featuring networking, presentations, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres.
Meet the entrepreneurs, learn about the technologies and companies they’re developing, and make connections that can help these startups launch, grow, and thrive in East Tennessee. Click here for details and to register.
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Sponsorships Open: ETEC Pre-Game Power Up
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ETEC and the University of Tennessee Department of Nuclear Engineering are teaming up again for the 3rd annual
Pre-Game Power Up Tailgate!
Save the afternoon of Saturday, November 7, before the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium.
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Join ETEC members, guests, and UT nuclear engineering graduate students at the Zeanah Engineering Building for food, networking, and a showcase of student research before the game. Tailgate times will be announced once the game time is set. Registration will open soon!
Interested in sponsoring the Tailgate? 4 opportunities are available. Click here for details and to become a sponsor.
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Regional & Partner Events: September - October
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- APEX: SBA Bonding Program, webinar (9/10/26)
- Atomic Fall Fest: Annual Festival (9/12/2026)
- * NRC: 7th Artificial Intelligence Workshop: Navigating the AI Landscape: Regulator Transformation, Industry Innovation, and Global Collaboration, NRC Headquarters and via Teams (9/15/26)
- Appalachia Sessions Live: ETSU field trip (9/15/26)
- Appalachia Sessions Live: Northeast State CC field trip (9/16/26)
- ECA: National Cleanup Workshop, Arlington, VA (9/14-9/16/26)
- LaunchTN: 3686 Conference, Nashville (9/14-9/16/26)
- * Elks Community Enrichment Center: Groundbreaking Ceremony, Oak Ridge (9/17/26)
- Roane State CC: Call for Companies to Participate in the Fall 2026 Internship Day, Oak Ridge Campus (9/17/26)
- TSBDC: Strategic Focus in 60 Minutes, Oak Ridge Chamber (9/17/26)
- KTech: Women in Tech Expo – Grow Better Together (9/18/26)
- RSCC: Street Painting Festival, Oak Ridge Campus (9/19/26)
- Appalachia Sessions Live: UTC field trip (9/21/26)
- * ANS Knoxville/Oak Ridge: Dinner Meeting featuring talk on the ORANO IKE Program, ORAU Pollard Center (9/23/26)
- United Way: Long Table Dinner Celebrating 75th Anniversary & Kickoff, Jackson Square, Oak Ridge (9/23/26)
- AMSE: Speed Dating for Young Professionals, AMSE (9/26/26)
- Innov865: 865 Fest Conference, Bridgewater Place, Knoxville (9/29/26)
- * NRC: Public Webinar on New Reactor Licensing Pathways (9/30/26)
- Appalachia Sessions Live: UTK field trip (9/30/26)
- EPB: Quantum in Business Conference, Chattanooga, TN (10/1/26)
- ORCC: HR Solutions Summit, Townplace Suites, OR (10/1/26)
- TN ECD: Annual Governor’s Conference, Chattanooga (10/1-10/2/26)
- * IBEW: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for IBEW 270 Training Center, Oak Ridge (10/3/26)
- * TN Chamber: The Five Pillars of Leadership, Knoxville (10/6/26)
- Women In Manufacturing Conference Las Vegas, NV. (10/7-9/2026)
- * Secret City Improv: 2026 Festival, Oak Ridge (10/8-10/10/26)
- Air & Space Forces Assoc: 19th Annual Brig Bud Bacon Memorial Golf Tournament, Oak Ridge, (10/12/26)
- Appalachia Sessions Live: Connecting TN Kids to TN Careers, RSCC @ O’Brien Theatre (10/13/26)
- ORCC/ETEC: Startup Showcase Reception with Innovation Crossroads & Spark Accelerator, Location coming soon (10/13/26)
- Tennessee Trail Treasure Reverse Raffle (6/15/26 - 10/14/26)
- Kendall Electric/Cross Company: Fall Fest 2.0 Customer Appreciation, Knoxville, (10/15/26)
- * ORCC/Nuclear Science Week: Career Fair – Call for Employers/Institutions, at Roane State Oak Ridge (10/20/26)
- Chattanooga State CC: Nuclear Career & Industry Expo, Chattanooga, TN (10/20/26)
- IACMI: Build Freedom Summit, Galveston, TX (10/20-21/26)
- AMSE: Nuclear Energy Discovery Day & Dirt Tour II – Call for Partners, AMSE in Oak Ridge, (10/24/26 & 10/22/26)
- SpectraTech: Annual Open House, Oak Ridge (10/26/26)
- ORNL: 2026 Molten Salt Reactor Workshop (10/27-29/26)
- ETEBA: 2026 BOTC, Knoxville Conv. Center (10/27-10/29/26)
*New to the List
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Security & Environmental Management News
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Workforce, Economic Development, Innovation & Education News
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Nametags are a hallmark of ETEC Friday Mornings, and we are running out of space on the nametag wall. (What a great problem to have!) Do us a favor: when you get your nametag tomorrow or next Friday, take a second to pull the nametags of any employees who are no longer with your company and turn them in at the registration table.
Thank you!
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Welcome to our New Members:
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Blaine Construction Corporation
Blaine Construction Corporation has been setting the standard for superior construction services since 1969. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee and serving clients across the United States, they specialize in general contracting, construction management, and pre-engineered metal building services. For over 57 years, their dedication to honesty, integrity, and unwavering commitment to client satisfaction has earned an outstanding reputation. They take pride in having never failed to complete a project and never having had a bond claim – a testament to their reliability. The goal is simple: leave every client satisfied, enthusiastic about future collaborations, and confident in recommending Blaine Construction to others.
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BWRx Studio
BWRx Studio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit building the nuclear workforce pipeline starting in high school. Founded by Randy Steele, a licensed SRO with a 45-year nuclear career and current faculty member at Chattanooga State, the organization runs NUCLEUS, an open-entry nuclear education program with no prerequisites, and is developing TRACE, a certificate pathway for tradespeople and career-changers entering nuclear-grade manufacturing. BWRx Studio's mission is to close the nuclear talent gap years before it becomes a hiring crisis, connecting students, educators, and industry across Tennessee's growing nuclear ecosystem.
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Morgan County Economic Development Board
The Morgan County Economic Development Board (MCEDB) is dedicated to fostering a thriving local economy by supporting business expansion, championing local entrepreneurs, and securing key infrastructure investments. Through strategic partnerships and community-driven initiatives, the MCEDB works behind the scenes to create high-quality jobs, boost the tax base, and build a more prosperous future for Morgan County businesses and families.
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TN² Updates & Opportunities
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Engage:
- Oak Ridge High School’s new nuclear and clean energy class is seeking industry support through guest speakers, tours, mentorships, and internships. Contact Kathy Foust.
- Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) K-2 Nuclear Energy Classroom Visits is seeking industry volunteers in Oak Ridge and Memphis. Contact Stephanie Zeiger.
- Roane State Community College needs adjunct professors to administer labs for the Nuclear Technician Program in the fall. Contact Joe Stainback.
Now Hiring:
- LIS Technologies - click here to view job listings
- Type One Energy - click here to view job listings
- Kyoto Fusioneering America's - click here to view job listings
Find TN²
- On the TN² LinkedIn page: Follow, tag, like, comment & repost
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"Fear is stupid. So are regrets."
- Marilyn Monroe, American Actress, Model, and Singer
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