Presented to BRYCE L. RICH at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Health Physics Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 27 - July 1, 1999
Bryce L. Rich

The American Board of Health Physics is proud to present the William A. McAdams Outstanding Service Award to Bryce L. Rich. This award is given annually to a certified health physicist who has made significant contributions toward the advancement of professionalism in health physics and to the health physics certification process. The strength of the certification process relies on the professional strengths and leadership of the people who serve on the Academy, Board, and Panels. Bryce has made significant contributions in the service of all three.

Bryce became a certified health physicist in 1961 and soon afterwards became extremely active in the certification process. He was selected to serve on the Panel of Examiners in 1965 and served as Chair of the Panel during the period 1969 through 1973. Those of us who have held a Panel Chair position know that we barely survive the current one-year tenure. We cannot even begin to imagine that someone had the sheer physical stamina to hold this job for three consecutive years, but Bryce did exactly that. One year after leaving the Panel Chair position, Bryce was elected to the American Board of Health Physics. He was elected the Board's Secretary/Treasurer during 1974-1975 and the Board Chairman in 1976. Bryce served as the Board Chair for three consecutive years (1976-1978).

Bryce's commitment to professional certification was not just limited to the ABHP. Because of his tried and proven management of the ABHP certification process, in 1982 Bryce was asked to serve on the Formation Board for the fledgling National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists (NRRPT).

By 1982, the size and maturity of the certification program had prompted the ABHP to encourage greater participation by the growing body of CHPs. A new organization was proposed and its charter was defined and developed over the next three years, to a very large extent through Bryce's leadership and hard work. This organization's charter was to provide CHPs with more of a voice in the selection of Board Members and in the ongoing certification process. In 1986 this new organization, the American Academy of Health Physics, was in its inaugural year and it needed proven leadership and wisdom to ensure a successful premier. Without hesitation, the prevailing leadership of the time turned to the one leader who had given so much of his time, energy, and expertise to the certification process, and who also understood that the certification process serves the CHP, not the process itself. Bryce Rich was that leader; the first (Pro-Tem) President of the American Academy of Health Physics.

At the national level, Bryce is a Charter Member of the Health Physics Society and has held the following national HPS offices: Standards Committee Chairman (1978-82); Board of Directors (1982-1985); President-Elect (1982-83), President (1983-84), and Past-President (1 984 - 85); Awards Committee Chairman (1985-86); President Emeritus Committee Chairman (1989-90); HPS Fellow (1986); and HPS Chapter President for Eastern Idaho (1960) and Northern California (1972).

Bryce's accomplishments in so many areas of health physics are equally impressive and worthy of mention. His career spans more than 45 years of professional experience in such diverse areas of practice as enriched fuel processing, safety management, high-level waste management, R&D reactor operations, analytical processing and analysis, fuel storage, defense programs, and decontamination/decommissioning.

In 1953, Bryce graduated from Idaho State University with a double major of physics and mathematics. In 1954 he completed a one-year AEC fellowship in Radiation Safety at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the tutelage of Karl Morgan, Elda Anderson, and Myron Fair. From 1954-1959 he worked at Idaho Falls National Laboratory Chemical Processing Plant as a health physics supervisor. From 1959-1963 he was the Chief of Health Physics at the INEL Engineering Test Reactor.

In 1963, he moved on to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Camp Mercury, Nevada Test Site, where he was the Health & Safety Group Leader. In this capacity, he provided significant analytical improvements in the detection of weapon test releases and in the site's sampling and analysis capabilities during the very crucial time when weapons testing went underground. In 1966 he transferred to Livermore, California, as Health Physics Group Support Leader where he supervised areas of radiation safety, industrial hygiene, high explosive and fire safety, that supported priority national initiatives such as Weapons Testing, Tritium Processing, and Natural Gas Stimulation in the West. In 1973, while still employed by LLNL, Bryce was transferred to Washington, DC, for one year as Technical Coordinator for a group of 20 prominent senior scientists on loan to the NRC to process the overwhelming licensing work load created by the “booming” commercial power reactor industry.

Late in 1973, he returned to Idaho Falls National Laboratory in a contractor position as Health Physics Supervisor where he became a widely-recognized expert in beta dosimetry, chairing an international symposium in beta dosimetry, and providing expert technical support to HQ DOE, NRC, EPRI, ASTM, and numerous other national and international agencies, expert panels, and consensus committees. In support of the NRC, he served on various expert groups during the aftermath of the Three Mile Island accident. From 1980 to 1992, Bryce was Manager and Technical Director for radiological support for EG&G Idaho, INEL where he frequently interfaced with DOE, NRC, OECD, NCRP, ASTM, and ANSI. In the mid 1980's, he chaired the working group that developed the Uranium Manual of Good Practices.

In 1992, Bryce became DOE'S Radiological Safety Director and Principle Scientist for Radiation Safety for INEL, Mound Facility, Rocky Flats, and NTS. Today, Bryce is a widely-respected and highly-sought radiation safety consultant to government and government contractor programs throughout the DOE complex.

Bryce's leadership and professionalism in the early years of the ABHP and AAHP contributed immensely to the continued growth and national recognition of the CHP credentials and the practice of health physics. Today, we honor and recognize his many singularly distinctive accomplishments and contributions. I take great pride and privilege in presenting the 1999 William A. McAdams Outstanding Service Award to Bryce L. Rich.

Edward F. Maher, Vice Chair ABHP