Scott Householder is the Chief Safety Officer of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. He leads the multidisciplinary safety team that is responsible for not only the research and manufacturing labs at LLE, but also the MTW, NSF-OPAL, FLUX, OMEGA EP, and OMEGA 60 Laser Systems.
Mr. Householder started his career at the University of Rochester in 1999 keeping Strong Hospital safe from the Y2K bug. During this time in the Clinical Engineering Department, he specialized in the service of ventilators and pacemakers. In the fall of 2000, Mr. Householder joined the LLE family where he worked on the Power Conditioning System of OMEGA 60; this is the 24-MJ capacitor storage system that is the engine of high-energy laser amplification. In addition to the support of Omega shot operations, in his 22+ years at LLE, he has worked with the laser amplifiers, OAPI controls, laser facility interlocks, grounding, and shielding for both OMEGA and OMEGA EP; engineering support for the Cryo & Tritium Facility, MIFEDS (the magneto-inertial fusion electrical system), and the Hardware Timing System; created the LaCave escort training program; authored LLE’s Instruction 6300 Lockout/Tagout policy; and served as the Shot Director for OMEGA EP Shot Director and LLE’s Electrical Safety Officer.
In 2011, Mr. Householder was offered a position as the Associate Laser Facility Manager and Shot Director of the OMEGA EP Laser System. In this role, he worked with Principal Investigators, engineers, and technicians to ensure their experimental programs were successful. He coordinated the installation and testing of a multitude of new equipment and diagnostics to enhance the OMEGA EP Laser System. In 2017, Mr. Householder was offered the position of LLE Electrical Safety Officer. In his first year, he completely overhauled the LLE Lockout Tagout Policy and electrical safety training.
Mr. Householder graduated from Bryant and Stratton College in 1999. He holds two degrees; one in Radio Frequency Electronics and one in Network Management. Mr. Householder was an active member of Mensa from 2002–2004. He has received The Quantum Award for Excellence in Mathematics, Student Association Leadership Award, Electronic Achievement Award in Electronics Technologies, and graduated Valedictorian of his class.
