March 24, 2011
CUA Experts Can Discuss Anxiety and Nuclear Waste Disposal
Professors at The Catholic University of America are available to speak to the media on two topics related to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan: a) survivor anxiety and trauma and b) safe disposal of nuclear waste.
- SURVIVORS AND TRAUMA: Eileen Dombo , assistant professor at the National Catholic School of Social Service, has more than 15 years experience in trauma treatment and services. She has provided numerous trainings to prepare clinical social workers for individual, couples, and group treatment of survivors of sexual trauma. In addition, she has worked with many organizations to address issues of burn-out and vicarious trauma - the result of empathizing with traumatized clients - in social workers. Dombo's research interests are in testing clinical models of practice; exploring effective therapeutic intervention techniques for social workers in trauma treatment; and exploring the links between trauma work and vicarious trauma. She is the former clinical director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center in Washington, D.C. She is licensed as an independent clinical social worker in Washington, D.C. Contact Dombo at 202-423-9509 or dombo@cua.edu .
- FEAR AND ANXIETY IN TIMES OF CRISIS: Cathleen Gray , associate professor at the National Catholic School of Social Service, can discuss fear and anxiety stemming from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the threat of a nuclear meltdown. She also can address ways for people to cope with their anxiety. Gray has a private practice focusing on family and women's issues and frequently has commented on mental-health issues in times of crisis for the media. She was named among the top therapists in Washington in 2009 by Washingtonian Magazine and received the lifetime achievement award from the Washington chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Contact Gray at 202-537-5922 or cathiewg@aol.com .
- NUCLEAR WASTE AND SAFE DISPOSAL: Ian Pegg , director of CUA's Vitreous State Laboratory and professor of physics, can discuss the vitrification of nuclear waste (turning it into glass to stabilize it for safe disposal) and nuclear environmental protection. Once waste is made into glass, it remains radioactive, but cannot seep into the environment. Vitreous State Laboratory, which Pegg directs, is currently working at one of the nation's two largest sites of high-level nuclear waste, along the Savannah River in South Carolina, to stabilize the waste for disposal. Some of this waste dates back to the Manhattan Project. The laboratory is also working at the larger Hanford site along the Columbia River in Washington state. Contact Pegg at 202-319-6700 or pegg@cua.edu .
To search for other CUA faculty who serve as experts for the media, visit the online Faculty Experts Guide at http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/experts/ or contact the Office of Public Affairs for more assistance at 202-319-5600.
