Battelle’s Sydney Corkran Receives Dr. Billy Richardson Award for Young Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Researchers

COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 22, 2021)—Battelle Research Scientist and Microbiologist Sydney Corkran is the 2020 recipient of the Dr. Billy Richardson Young NBC Researcher Award.

The award, given by the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Industry Group, was established to honor Richardson by recognizing exceptional young leaders with dedication to activities involving education and commitment to NBC defense. Corkran will accept her award during a September dinner ceremony in Arlington, Virginia. 

The award is named for Richardson, who for 25 years was instrumental in the development of modern chemical and biological defense programs and was a key architect of the concept and plan for the Army’s chemical and biological defense laboratories.  

Corkran joined Battelle in 2016 as a research associate. Since then, she has contributed to and led a variety of programs in chemical and biological research and was promoted to the position of research scientist. She has served as the principal biological and chemical instructor since 2016 for the Chemical/Biological Warfare Agent Dissemination Awareness Course, a 40-hour course provided to National Guard Civil Support Teams in St. Roberts Missouri, delivered 12 times annually. It focuses on CWA/BWA History, Labware, Biological Warfare Agents, Chemical Warfare Agents, Clandestine Drug Labs, and Homemade Explosives. She now trains and leads a team of three biological and chemical instructors for the program.

Most recently, Corkran served as an Operations Officer and Regional Lead for Battelle’s Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS)™, a program that decontaminated N95 masks nationwide to protect frontline healthcare workers in the pandemic and during PPE shortages. She was responsible for the CCDS Site Lead training program, integrated operations and quality reporting process, authored and approved standard operating procedures, established and chaired the program’s Change Control Board. As a regional lead she mentored and instructed 47 CCDS site leads on technical requirements, site management, stakeholder and customer interactions. Prior to her current position, Corkran established the first and second deployed CCDS sites, and managed the second site in Tacoma, Washington.

“Sydney continuously utilizes her experiences in the U.S. Army Reserves to find practical solutions for the domestic preparedness of both military and civilian populations in response to chemical and biological threats,” said Rick Hecker, a division manager in Battelle’s National Security business. “I am thrilled to see her accomplishments honored in this way.”

Corkran holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences and a Master of Science in Food Science with a concentration in Microbiology from Auburn University. She is currently on track to receive a Master’s degree in June in Science and Technology Intelligence, with a concentration in Chemical and Biological WMD Technology, from the National Intelligence University.

Corkran has served in the U.S. Army Reserves since 2013 in a variety of roles including platoon leader, executive officer and intelligence officer.

About Battelle

Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle makes the world better by commercializing technology, giving back to our communities, and supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.