President's Message

AAHP Carolyn MacKenzie

I want to encourage everyone to become a CHP but especially I reach out to other women as the field of Radiation Safety has always been male dominated. Well things are changing slowing and you can see this from my recent analysis of the number of women that are current CHP's - about 15% .   You can also see that as a CHP, you qualify for the best of the radiation protection positions available and consistently will demand the highest of salaries.  Take a look at the presentation from a recent HPS meeting and see my suggested strategies for passing the exam.

 "The Benefits of Being a CHP" given by President MacKenzie at the 67th Health Physics Meeting.  

I am humbled to be serving as your president in 2023!  I especially appreciate having spent the last year as president-elect under the guidance of Gus Potter so I could learn the job.  We have an esteemed membership and together we will continue to build the AAHP and ABHP to be all it can be.

A little about me---I have been board certified since 1988 and have worked in a variety of industries. As an RSO at the University of California, Davis and Berkeley campuses and their systemwide office; at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in a variety of duties from training, NIF and international nuclear security; the IAEA leading orphan source recovery missions based out of Vienna; and currently as a consultant to NNSA in control of orphan sources and alternative technologies.  I am now consulting less than 25% time, so I am enjoying emeritus status and the opportunity to volunteer and travel more.

I am excited about our plans for a revised website that will better serve our membership.  You can look forward this next year to the rollout of the website and enhanced features.  We are also looking forward to awarding our first Distinguished memberships and meeting in Maryland this net summer.  I am especially interested in encouraging people early in their health physics careers to become board certified.  I think we all need to reach out to our colleagues and encourage them to excel in their profession by becoming board certified.