US staff turn project management masters

Employees at the US ITER Project Office in Oak Ridge have successfully completed the Masters of Project Management program offered through Western Carolina University. Wayne Steffey of Project Controls and Janet Bivens, who supports the Business Office, completed the two-year program along with Greg Capps, who recently left the USIPO to join the Physics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Wayne explained that the project management course work has helped the graduates better understand all aspects of the project management lifecycle. "The courses were beneficial in expanding our knowledge regarding our individual disciplines," he said. "They also provided us with a total picture of the project processes. Many areas of the course study are applicable to ITER, and we look forward to utilizing our past experience and new learning towards the successful completion of the international project."

Dan Ciarlette, who serves as CODAC and Computing Group Leader for the USIPO, is also studying project management and recently received an Advanced Graduate Certificate in the field from Pennsylvania State University.