Radiation Safety Facts and Staff Listing:

The use of radiation is one of the most regulated processes in the United States.  The Radiation Safety Staff is responsible for promptly addressing and enforcing all state and federal radiation regulations, as well as generating all the documentation for radiation compliance.  Members of the staff serve on 12 committees and respond to more than 20 yearly state and federal inspections to ensure that UT Southwestern and its affiliated hospitals and clinics are in compliance with pertinent regulations.  The Radiation Safety Program is responsible for servicing over 15,000 personal dosimeters for the faculty, staff, and students that deal with radiation in their daily work.  Radiation Safety also provides support for radioactive material emergencies to the North Texas region.  The Radiation Safety Program is divided into two sections, according to its use in the medical field or research setting. 

Radiation-Producing Machines

The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and associated staff of this division are responsible for the registration of all radiation-producing machines on campus. The staff regularly audits each machine for their respective registrations. They are also responsible for keeping the clinical staff informed of all safety procedures and protocols. 

- Responsible for more than 257 radiation-producing machines worth over $100 million. 

- Liaison for Subcommittee of Human Use of Radiation (SHUR) reviewing radiation use in research protocols. 

- Maintain over 1,600 research study files. 

Radioactive Materials (RAM)

The RSO and associated staff of Radioactive Materials are responsible for every amount of matter containing radiation on campus. The staff of 10 performs regularly scheduled lab audits and keeps the lab workers informed of radiation safety. They are also part of the inspection support for the university, which makes the staff the liaison between the university and the state. Additional responsibilities include monitoring every radioactive package delivered to any lab on campus, as well as those being sent from campus. This also includes minimizing the amount of extremely expensive radioactive waste that the university must pay to dispose of. 

- University’s Broad license is the 2nd largest of 12 in the state of Texas. 

- The RAM License covers 281 research sublicenses in 793 authorized labs and has 16 medical departmental sublicenses. 

- Over 50,000 RAM packages have been processed in the past ten years. 

- Over 1,500 lab audits are done by the radiation safety staff each year, with more labs added each year. 

Locations of Radioactive Waste Rooms

G1.200   THE LIQUID, SOLID, SCINTILLATION VIALS C-14,

                AND TRITIUM WASTE ARE ALL PROCESSED IN

                THIS LOCATION. RADATION WASTE (EMPTY)

                BOXES ARE ALSO KEPT IN THIS ROOM.

NB1.302  RADATION AND ANIMAL WASTE IS ALSO  

                PROCESSED IN THIS ROOM. RADIATION WASTE

                (EMPTY) BOXES ARE LOCATED IN THIS ROOM.

J3.1JJ     RAD. WASTE ROOM

J8.1JJ     RAD. WASTE ROOM

L4.500    RAD. WASTE ROOM

L5.6JJ     RAD. WASTE ROOM

NB1.302  ANIMAL FREEZERS, BOXES, TRITIUM AND

                SCINTILLATION VIAL DRUMS.  

THERE'S ALSO A WASTE ROOM LOCATED IN NB4.104.

BUT IT DOESN'T BELONG TO EH&S - RAD. SAFETY.

STAFF

John White, B.S.
Assistant Director, R.S.O. for Radioactive Materials
John.White@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-8340
(214) 645-8320 fax

Sylvia Revell
Assistant Director, R.S.O. for Rad. Producing Equipment
Sylvia.Revell@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-8330
(214) 645-8320 fax

Samantha Sorrells, B.S.R.S., R.T.(R)(M)
Radiation Safety Specialist IV
Samantha.Sorrells@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-8338
(214) 645-8320 fax

Adis Umpierre, M.P.H.
Radiation Safety Specialist II
Adis.Umpierre@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-8335
(214) 645-8320 fax

Matthew Amen
Radiation Safety Specialist II
Matt.Amen@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 648-7300
(214) 648-7301 fax

Jimmy Cawthon, M.B.A.
Radiation Safety Specialist I
Jimmy.Cawthon@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 648-7350
(214) 648-7301 fax

Pam Vargas
Radiation Dosimetry, Safety Specialist I
Pamela.Vargas@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 645-8336
(214) 645-8320 fax

John Ambrose
Radiation Safety Specialist I
John.Ambrose@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 648-7366
(214) 648-7301 fax

Robert Wilson, Jr.
Radioactive Materials Package, Safety Technician II
Robert.Wilson@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 648-9942
(214) 648-9003 fax

Reggie Giddens
Radioactive Waste, Safety Technician II
Reginald.Giddens@UTSouthwestern.edu
(214) 648-9056
(214) 648-9003 fax