Emmett, group leader of the Nuclear Code Development Group in the Computational Physics and Engineering Division (CPED), received the award that recognizes outstanding service to ANS when the organization held its international meeting the latter part of 1996 in Washington, D.C.
Emmett has been an active participant in the ANS Radiation Protection and Shielding Division by holding several positions and serving on its executive, membership and nominating committees. She also served on its technical program committee and has filled the seat of division treasurer, vice chair and chair.
Emmett, who began her career at ORNL in 1960, specializes in the development and application of Monte Carlo radiation transport computer codes. The Monte Carlo method involves a statistical sampling process that tracks neutrons and gamma rays through complex geometric systems as with a reactor core in order to estimate some quantity of interest such as dose at a detector location within the system.
She currently is configuration control manager of a computer code system commonly known as SCALE (Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation), a collection of computer codes used for nuclear safety analyses and evaluation of radiation protection safety factors. In addition to this responsibility, Emmett is work force diversity representative for CPED.
The American Association of University Women is on Emmett's list of professional organizations as are the Association of Women in Science, the National Management Association and the Electrical Women's Roundtable. She also plays an important role in several community organizations including the Greater Knoxville Math/Science Coalition, which sponsors the Sharing Adventures in Engineering and Science (SHADES) workshops for middle school girls.
She received the 1993 Outstanding Service Award from the ANS Oak Ridge/Knoxville Section and Martin Marietta Energy Systems President's Award for Performance Improvement. She also has been named to Who's Who in Science and Engineering and to the International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women.
Emmett received a bachelor's in mathematics from Tennessee Tech University in 1960 and has pursued a graduate degree from the University of Tennessee.
Emmett and her husband, John W. Wachter, reside in Oak Ridge. She has two sons, Brian and Greg.
ORNL, one of DOE's multiprogram national research and development facilities, is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.