From September 22 to October 4, 2026, four graduate students from the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Hirosaki University, accompanied by Assistant Professor Donovan Anderson of the Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, visited Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, as part of an international education and exchange program.
During the training program, the students attended lectures and hands-on sessions covering a wide range of radiation science fields, including health physics, radiochemistry, radiation biology, and radiation measurement. In the radiochemistry laboratory, they gained practical skills by performing separation techniques such as ion exchange and precipitation using radioactive materials.
The students also toured CSU’s research facilities and radiation-related units within the university’s veterinary teaching hospital, deepening their understanding of the diverse applications of radiation science. In addition, they conducted environmental radiation measurements in Rocky Mountain National Park, investigating how differences in elevation and geological features influence natural radiation dose rates.
Throughout the program, the students engaged actively with CSU faculty and students, and exchanged views with Kathleen Fairfax, Vice Provost for International Affairs, and staff members from the international programs office. These interactions provided valuable opportunities to experience the educational and research environment of a U.S. university firsthand.
This visit offered the participating students an important opportunity to strengthen their expertise and practical skills in radiation science while broadening their international perspectives. It also contributed meaningfully to further advancing educational and research collaboration between Hirosaki University and Colorado State University.

Radiochemistry laboratory training session①	Radiochemistry laboratory training session②
Commemorative photo with Vice Provost Kathleen Fairfax (center), international program staff (far right), and Assistant Professor Donovan Anderson (far left)
Environmental radiation measurement activities in Colorado	Note: Radiation levels were measured using a Ludlum Model 19 NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter and are presented in µR/h (microroentgens per hour). For approximate conversion to air kerma rate, 1 µR/h ≈ 0.01 µGy/h.