Ella Stewart


My Recent Work

EM Update •

Oak Ridge Begins Installing Tanks for Mercury Treatment Facility

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) and contractor UCOR took another step forward in the construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.Workers finished installing the first of three large sludge-settling tanks, each of which will be 38 feet tall and 15 feet wide, and have a capacity of 36,000 gallons. With many of the recent tasks for the construction project happening below ground, this latest aboveground completion p...
EM Update •

Oak Ridge Team Member Wins Award for Contributions Across EM Complex

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Joshua Vajda, an employee of Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) contractor UCOR, recently earned a top honor from the American Nuclear Society for contributions that benefit U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) sites nationwide.The American Nuclear Society Special Award recognizes an individual for contributions in research or developing understanding in an important area. This year the organization focused on accomplishments advan...
Ablaze magazine •

Spring break – Knoxville style

Things to do, see, and eat in Knoxville over break.

TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat - you name it and there’s a surplus of spring break content filling our timelines. It seems like everyone is going on a trip this year whether it’s to Panama City, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or even Cabo.

In reality, many of us aren’t going anywhere and will be staying in Knoxville for the week. FOMO is real but don’t let it get you too down. There are all kinds of things to keep you busy here in town even on a tight
Ablaze magazine •

The women of UT Facilities Services

Sheehan’s dream is to see more women apply for trades. With good organizational skills and attention to detail, she strongly believes that having more women in the trades would be extremely beneficial to the industry.

The relationships she’s built with so many Facilities Services people all around campus is the highlight of her job.

“I think that the people at Facilities Services are some of the best, hard-working, and [most] genuine people I have ever met in my life and I’m so happy to be her
Medium •

Lack of Healthcare in Rural Tennessee Communities: The Impact

Imagine, you are from a small underdeveloped town in Tennessee with a low-level job that does not provide health insurance. You’ve been having chest pains and other ailments but because you’re uninsured and the hospital is too far you do not do anything about it.

That is the reality for a large percentage of the Tennessee population who are forced to suffer through or succumb to their health problems due to the extreme lack of quality medical care.

Tennessee is known for its mountains and stun
Ablaze magazine •

The Year of Kelsea Ballerini. Up Next: ‘The Homecoming Show’

Ballerini returns to her hometown of Knoxville to perform her first headlining arena performance. She discusses her one-night-only show, music, life and more.

It’s been over four and a half years since Kelsea Ballerini last played a show in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. She returns on Thursday, November 2, to perform at a sold-out Thompson Boling Arena in her first headlining arena performance, “The Homecoming Show”. Ballerini spent time on a phone call this week with Ablaze to discuss
Ablaze magazine •

Ella’s Declassified School Survival Guide

Rocky Top can be intimidating at first but there are ways to make transportation, friendships and campus life a little simpler.

We’re about a month into the fall semester and hopefully, things have calmed down a bit by now. If you’re still feeling uneasy or a little overwhelmed since getting to campus, I have a few tips and tricks that might just make things a little smoother.

First of all, you need to get the Tennessee app, it has so much good information all in one place. The most useful fea
Ablaze magazine •

The Pride of the Southland is “family”

The Pride of the Southland Band is one of the most well-known and renowned bands in the entire country. Since its founding in 1869, the band has played an important role in continuing the Volunteer spirit.

Beginning in the 1940s as men went off to war, women received the opportunity to play in the band for the first time.

According to Dr. Stewart, the head band director, he estimates roughly 45% of the current band is female.

“We have had a total of four female drum majors over the years, and
Ablaze magazine •

Commission for Women at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

In 1804 five women were admitted into Blount College, which would later become the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1879. With the admittance of these few women, the school became one of the first co-ed colleges in the country.

However, it wasn’t until 1893 that the university began regularly admitting women. Since then generations of women have been working to improve the environment, resources and legacy for all UTK women.

The Commission for Women (“CFW”) was founded in November of 1972