Kathy McCormick

I was a member of both SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma, although I joined SPS after I graduated to keep contact with the physics community.

I am a physical scientist who has worked for the government since 2010. Prior to this, I was a physicist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where I worked on security and safety research programs. I’m a radiation detection and nuclear physics subject matter expert , where I am the lead scientist on a radiation monitor portal, which was a program to inspect cargo and conveyances entering the US for smuggled nuclear and radiological material. I also am heavily involved in the organization’s non-intrusive inspection operations, which are programs to inspect entering cargo and conveyances with x-ray and gamma-ray scanners so that they do not have to be physically inspected.

I was a member and then chair of the APS Committee on Careers in 2014-2016, and I really enjoyed speaking to students about careers in the government and national labs, and helping them realize some of the APS resources available to help them in their job search. I have recently transferred from Washington, DC to the Cincinnati, OH area and would like to keep active in student engagement.

SPS Alumni Information

Kathy McCormick is available for student engagement in the following categories: mentoring, in-person speaker. Send a request using this form .

Alum Location: Greater Cincinnati, Kentucky
Education Level: PhD
Disciplines: nuclear

Job Sector: government
Recent position: Physical Scientist, US Government - Radiation Detection
Job Description: Collect data at remote job site locationsPerform data analysisWrite reports and recommend a course of action based on the dataAnalyze regulations, such as NRC and DOT regulations, and make recommendations on how to perform work activities based on these regulationsAnalyze data to compare instrument performance Make recommendations for instrument settings and operation to achieve optimal performanceAssess capability of radiation detection and non-intrusive inspection instruments to meet performance standards and to function in the work environment