Skip to main content
ORNL retiree Duane Starr and his wife, Nancy, pose with the critical frequencies demo unit Duane designed, built and donated to the laboratory to support nuclear workshops.  Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, Dept. of Energy

For years, Duane Starr led workshops at ORNL to help others from across the U.S. government understand uranium processing technologies. After his retirement, Starr donated a 5-foot-tall working model, built in his garage, that demonstrates vibration harmonics, consistent with operation of a super critical gas centrifuge rotor, a valuable resource to ongoing ORNL-led workshops. 

The Roane State Community College associates are (from left) Jeff Manning, Chris Zerr, Bruce Lester, Joe Pyle, Darrell Roddy and Rusty Dryman.

Bruce Lester has had a lot of jobs: fisherman, horse trainer, “professional stair builder.” He last worked for a real estate company, surveying land using geographic software. “When the bottom fell out of the construction industry and the company downsized, I got laid off,” 

Default image of ORNL entry sign
Blowing bubbles may be fun for kids, but for engineers, bubbles can disrupt fluid flow and damage metal.