Mr. Paul Bacca
Long-time ANS Member and former Robotics and Remote Systems Division Chair, Mr. Paul Bacca, was presented the Ray Goertz Award for 2004 at the recent 10th International Topical Conference on Robotics and Remote Systems for Hazardous Environments. The Ray Goertz Award was established in 1985 to recognize and honor ANS Robotics and Remote Systems Division members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of remote technology. It honors the late Raymond C. Goertz for his lifetime contribution to the advancement of remote handling systems and for his development of the master / slave manipulator. This award is presented only every two years, is the highest honor presented by the division and includes a $2,500 monetary award.
Mr. Bacca, has been a member of RRSD for nearly 40 years, essentially from its beginning, and has served in nearly all RRSD elected offices including chairing the division in the mid 70’s. He also was confirmed as an ANS Fellow in 1988, and has served on the Board of Directors of the ANS Idaho Section. He actually worked with Ray Goertz in the 60’s at Argonne National Laboratory where Mr. Bacca was an engineer with the Fuel Cycle Facility and on the receiving end of remotely-operated equipment systems developed by Ray Goertz’s team. Mr. Bacca was an invaluable participant in the successful operation of the world’s first totally remote hot cell facility.
Mr. Bacca also spent many years designing, operating and managing hot-cell facilities in the U.S. nuclear Navy and fast reactor programs. He served 5 years at the INEEL Naval Reactor Facility as a charter member of the Expended Core Facility in the development of Navy nuclear reactors and fuels. He managed and operated for 15 years the world’s foremost hot cell facilities, the Hot Fuel Examination Facility at ANL-West. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 technical papers in the field or related fields. He authored a chapter in the book “The EBR-II Fuel Cycle Story.”
While these few examples do not do justice to his long and distinguished career, they none-the-less illustrate his key role, significant contributions, and active leadership within the remote systems field, within the Robotics and Remote Systems Division, and within the American Nuclear Society.
Congratulations to Mr. Paul Bacca.
