Karole Herzog, an NIU senior, is participating this fall in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Science and Engineering Research Semester program in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Herzog is assigned to the Engineering, Physics and Mathematics division at ORNL. Here, she conducts research involving the design and analysis of computational experiments.

ORNL is managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. for the Department of Energy. The Oak Ridge lab is one of five similar facilities run by Martin Marietta.

The program started in the fall 1987 to strengthen laboratory and academic research and training. It enables college students to perform ongoing scientific research and to learn operation of sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment.

At ORNL, students receive hands-on experience. They are supervised by industry specialists which Martin Marietta calls “mentors.” The students are assigned to a single mentor so instruction is done on an individual basis. Their laboratory experience is supplemented by seminars, workshops and coursework.

The 18-week program gives students the opportunity to do research in energy-related areas of science. Areas could include biomedical, enviromental, physical sciences, nuclear and engineering technologies, applied mathematics and energy systems.

Herzog is personally instructed by staff scientist M.D. Morris while at ORNL. Herzog is a mathematics and statistics major at NIU.

She is a native of Minneapolis, Minn. and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon J. Kopacek.

Herzog is one of 39 students involved in the program. Participants in the program come from all over the United States.