Murray State helps improve Portsmouth, Paducah education outreach
By Zachary Boyarski & Melissa Green | Jun 2, 2026
MURRAY, Ky. — Murray State University is collaborating with Ohio University (OU) to build STEM interest in local high school students and inspire them to pursue careers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Portsmouth and Paducah sites.
Murray State University and Ohio University lead the development and publication of the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office (PPPO) Student Summary of the Annual Site Environmental Report (ASER), commonly referred to as the Student ASER.
“The Student ASER provides an opportunity to involve local students in STEM-based activities and interact with local universities,” acting PPPO Manager Erik Olds said. “It is just one of several PPPO educational outreach programs to boost STEM education and prepare a pipeline of talent to fill the jobs of tomorrow.”
The ASER is an environmental report that details monitoring results on and around PPPO’s cleanup sites. To help students better understand the ASER content, the universities connect them with subject matter experts, field trips and months of learning about the site’s history and deactivation and demolition work. At the program’s end, students develop a visual and condensed, non-technical summary of the ASER that is published and presented at a public expo near their respective sites.
In Ohio, Portsmouth West High School and Pike County Career Technology Center students met biweekly throughout the school year to create the Portsmouth Student ASER with guidance from OU’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs personnel.
“The cross-institutional exchange of ideas sparked fantastic creativity for both our programs,” said Stephanie Howe, OU’s director of Energy Programs PORTSfuture, a program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management that advocates for the efficient and economical restoration of the Portsmouth Site.
Howe continued, “Our conversations with MSU resulted in a refresh of the Portsmouth Student ASER program that has been ongoing for 15 years. Learning about MSU’s innovative launch strategies, their ongoing incorporation of MSU faculty and the type of content MSU includes in their final student summary document was truly enlightening.”
Similarly in Kentucky, students from McCracken County High School (MCHS) visited the Paducah Site and worked with Murray State personnel to produce the Paducah Student ASER.
“This was our second year working with DOE on the Student ASER,” Murray State University DOE Project Director Alex Sherwood said. “Stephanie Howe and the OU team provided a big boost to establish the Paducah Student ASER by understanding their past successes. Because of this, we added substantial information to our Student ASER playbook and MCHS students were offered new and unique opportunities for educational growth as part of their research.”
The ASER is key to PPPO’s effort to inform the public about environmental conditions at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites through a detailed overview of environmental activities each year. Portsmouth Annual Site Environmental Reports can be viewed at bit.ly/4tYHqJt. Paducah Annual Site Environmental Reports can be viewed at bit.ly/49owWvJ. Past Student ASER reports can be viewed on the PORTSfuture website and Murray State University DOE grant website at bit.ly/43AVvlG.