PATRAM, Berlin, Germany

September 16th – October 2nd 2004

In the fall of 2004 I traveled to Berlin to present a research paper at the 14th International Symposium on the "Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials" (PATRAM-2004).

The paper, a collaborative effort with co-investigator Zelda Iams and titled:
"Thermal Assault and Polyurethane Foam – Evaluating Protective Mechanisms"
is available here: Thermal Assault-PDF

Six of us set out from Seattle that September: Glenn, Gisela, and Me (with Laveta) on the 16th, followed by Floyd and Zelda on the 18th. At the conclusion of the conference Laveta and I flew on to Italy for an eight day tour (vacation). And yes, we all had our little adventures…

Acceptance letter from PATRAM Paper Review Committee

The Estrel, our hotel (and PATRAM conference center) in Berlin

Laveta drinking *Cola Lite* in the lobby of the Estrel

Laveta, Glenn and Gisela waiting for the S-Bahn at Sonnenallee station

The Siegessäule "Goldese" on *Straße des 17 Juni* in the Tiergarten

Laveta at Den Brandenburger Tor (the Brandenburg Gate)

The Reichstag (The dome is on the roof).

Laveta and Gisela walking along *Unter Den Linden*

*Checkpoint Charley* on *Friedrichstraße*– as viewed from the American Sector

Tuesday mid-morning program in the "Paris" Room"

The presentation: Zelda’s photo (yes- the shiny bald head is mine)

Laveta and Tabby at *Sanssouci Palace*, Potsdam

Ticket to a memorable dinner in the Deutsches Technikmuseum

Dinner at the Museum, Laveta and Zelda- *Reichsbahn* locomotive at right.

Dinner cruse through Berlin on the river Spree

Attending the PATRAM Banquet. Our table is in center right foreground.

Six months later (April 2005) this surprised package arrived from the
Tokyo Institute of Technology’s – Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors.

It seemed that my presentation in Berlin of Thermal Assault and Polyurethane Foam earned a
PATRAM "Distinguished Oral Presentation Award" given by the AOKI Memorial Foundation-
established by the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum.

There were 227 papers presented over the course of the weeklong symposium-
so the award was indeed unexpected. Of course this could be hard on my coworkers-
as I may never be humble again!

For the paper in PDF click (here)

In October of 2007, the PATRAM Symposium in Miami, Florida presented the awards for the
2004 Berlin papers. (These conferences occur every three years.) I had retired in 2006 but
the company was kind enough to pay my way to Miami to be recognized as an award winner at
the banquet. My daughter Sharon went also (for work). Of course I hardly keep Laveta away!