The Ohio River Valley Chapter of the AAPM
Through an AAPM moderated election, and through unanimous ORVC Officer Vote, we are pleased to announce the newly elected Officers to begin in the year 2012. Please offer your congratulations to these individuals and support in representing you in this AAPM region.
President-Elect 2012
Chris E. Allgower, Ph.D., DABR
Indiana University Health Proton Radiotherapy Center
Education:
B.S., Utah State University (Math/Physics, 1987)
M.S., Ph.D., Arizona State University (Experimental Nuclear Physics, 1997)
A.B.R. board certification in therapeutic medical physics (2011)
Present position:
Medical Physicist, Indiana Univ. Health Proton Therapy Center (since 2002)
(faculty affiliation in Radiation Oncology Dept., Indiana Univ. School of Medicine)
Memberships in associations, task groups:
AAPM, ASTRO, American Physical Society, American Ass. for the Advancement of Science, AAPM Task Group 185 on proton planning system commissioning.
Career history:
Studied engineering at Colorado State Univ. for two years, transferred to Utah State Univ. to obtain bachelor’s in math/physics. Went briefly to grad. school at Brown Univ., took a year off to work in industry, then resumed studies at Arizona State Univ. in 1989. Obtained Ph.D. doing research in experimental nuclear physics in 1997, then did two postdoctoral fellowships from 1997-2002. From 1989-2002, worked on nuclear/particle physics experiments at Los Alamos Nat. Lab, Argonne Nat. Lab, Brookhaven Nat. Lab, SLAC, Saclay (France), and the Indiana Univ. Cyclotron Facility, resulting in 50+ nuclear physics research publications. In 2002, joined a project at Indiana University to help build the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, since renamed the IU Health Proton Radiotherapy Center. In 2004, it was the third proton therapy center to come online in the United States. Working under A. N. Schreuder and with many others, played roles in design, construction, software development, commissioning, and clinical work. The facility has three treatment rooms, nine physicists, and treats ~300 patients/yr., emphasizing pediatric and adult head/neck/spinal treatments, plus ~30% prostates. Present duties include oversight of image-guided positioning systems, oversight/commissioning of treatment planning systems, general clinical work, and some research. Obtained ABR certification in therapeutic medical physics in 2011. An affiliation with the Radiation Oncology Dept. of the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis stimulates collaborations with students, residents, oncologists, and other physicists.
Secretary/Treasurer 2012
Michael D. Weldon, M.S., DABR
Ohio State University Medical Center
Michael is originally from the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. He received his baccalaureate from the University of Victoria in Physics, and his Masters from the University of Alberta in Medical Physics. In 2008, he completed his residency in therapeutic medical physics at The Ohio State University Medical Center, and continues to work there as a staff medical physicist. He became ABR certified in therapeutic medical physics in 2010. When not in the clinic, he enjoys reading, popular science and culture, and herpetology.
Minsong Cao, Ph.D., DABR
President, AAPM Ohio River Valley Chapter (caominsong@yahoo.com)
New Officers for 2012
11/17/11
