Three School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Radiologic Sciences students placed second at the annual Royal Domingo Student Essay Competition on Feb. 3-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The seniors, Ashley Broad, Tavia Saenz and Daniel Johnson competed with over 30 other submissions with their essay, “Protection Quality of Composite Lead Equivalents.”
The aim of the students’ study was to evaluate the effectiveness of new lightweight composite materials against traditional lead radiation protective shielding. The effectiveness of the shields was assessed from an x-ray beam at two different peak kilovoltages. Peak kilovoltage is the maximum voltage applied across an x-ray tube. Their results indicated a significant difference between protection capabilities of the shielding materials tested. The standard lead shield provided 24 percent less protection suggesting that one of the most common types of shields used in local hospitals is not offering the highest level of radiation protection available.
The seniors’ essay was one of nine groups of students from Boise State who submitted essays for the competition under the guidance of Erica Wight, clinical assistant professor for the School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Radiologic Sciences.
This is not the first time Boise State students have fared well at the Royal Domingo Student Essay Competition. In 2014, three separate groups of Boise State students swept the top three placement levels with their essays.
The Royal Domingo Student Essay Competition was sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Educators in Radiologic Technology, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to improving the quality of education among collegiate radiologic technology programs.