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Program Overview

Date: July 13–17, 2026

Location: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA

Certificate of Specialization eligibility:

Overcome Air- and Gas-Filtration Challenges

This five-day, on-campus program prepares you to test and certify HEPA filtration and gas-adsorption systems for nuclear and non-nuclear facilities. You’ll use in-place filter testing equipment and methods common across the DOE complex and nuclear industry, guided by experts active in research, standards development, and field practice. 

You will review current NRC and DOE requirements for nuclear air and gas cleaning, sharpen your understanding of filtration and gas-adsorption theory, and get hands-on experience with key test methods and instruments. You’ll leave ready to troubleshoot complex air- and gas-filtration challenges and connected to a network of specialists working in critical environments. 

This dynamic curriculum is designed to allow participants to practice the knowledge and skills they need to implement, enhance, or certify nuclear air-filtration systems. In addition to presenting theory and frameworks, the program requires that participants apply theories in interactive laboratory exercises, including HEPA filter testing standards, and discuss issues during breakout groups with peers.

Program Details

  • Test and certify HEPA-filtration and gas-adsorption systems for nuclear and non-nuclear applications 
  • Verify and troubleshoot airflow in ventilation and air-cleaning systems using different tools, with attention to proper calibration and interpretation of measurements 
  • Understand and apply key NRC and DOE regulations—along with ASME AG-1, ANSI/ASME N509, N510, N511, and DOE Nuclear Air Cleaning Handbook guidance—to the design, qualification, and in-place testing of nuclear air- and gas-cleaning systems 
  • Operate and maintain aerosol generators and photometers for in-place leak testing, understanding how aerosol properties affect detection and loading 
  • Apply N510/N511 methods to fixed and portable HEPA systems, including adsorber units, with proper aerosol mixing and sampling locations 
  • Discuss how U.S. standards and regulations have become the international standard of excellence, as well as the relationship between the U.S. standards and the safety guides of the International Atomic Energy Agency
  • Learn from top Harvard faculty and the industry’s leading practitioners in air-filtration and nuclear air cleaning 
  • Build the skills needed to implement, enhance, and certify nuclear air-filtration and gas-adsorption systems under current NRC, DOE, and ASME requirements 
  • Practice airflow measurement and in-place leak testing with pitot traverses, anemometers, aerosol generators, photometers, and portable HEPA units 
  • Learn how to select and integrate filters, adsorbers, prefilters, and moisture separators into multi-stage air-cleaning systems for power, research, and high-containment facilities 
  • Explore nuclear and non-nuclear topics related to biotechnology, clean room, health care, military, and commercial utility settings  
  • Draw on the DOE Nuclear Air Cleaning Handbook, ASME AG-1, and current HEPA aging research taught by leaders in codes, standards, and nuclear air-cleaning research 
  • Network and develop long-lasting relationships with peers responsible for critical air- and gas-cleaning systems in nuclear, laboratory, health care, and industrial settings

Guided Laboratory Sessions

You will participate in hands-on laboratory sessions focused on air filter filtration test. The faculty will guide you through the experiments in real time, providing you with unparalleled access to their expertise. Through these lab sessions, you will have the opportunity to apply the theories learned in class, gain experience operating a variety of testing equipment, and discuss the practical challenges and remedies in working with nuclear-filtration systems.

Program Logistics

All Times are Eastern Time (ET).

Monday, July 13, 2026
7:30–8:00 am Check-In and Continental Breakfast
8:00–8:15 am Classroom Technology Orientation
8:15–8:45 am Welcome and Introduction
8:45–10:30 am History of Nuclear Air Cleaning
10:30–10:45 am Refreshment Break
10:45 am–12:15 pm Ventilation Systems: Operation and Testing
12:15–1:00 pm Lunch
1:00–2:30 pm Nuclear Air- and Gas-Cleaning Codes and Standards: N-509, N-510, and ASME AG-1
2:30–2:45 pm Refreshment Break
2:45–4:15 pm Operation, Calibration, and Maintenance of Polydisperse Aerosol Generators and Light-Scattering Photometers
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
7:30–8:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:00–9:00 am Properties of Aerosols and Filtration Theory
9:00–10:00 am Construction and Qualification of ASME AG-1 Section FC HEPA Filters and Media
10:00–10:15 am Refreshment Break
10:15–11:45 am Air-Velocity and Air-Volume Measuring Instruments
11:45 am–12:00 pm Discussion of Ventilation Laboratory Exercises
12:00–12:45 pm Lunch
12:45–4:00 pm In-House Labs
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
7:30–8:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:00–9:00 am Clean Room Technology
9:00–10:00 am HVAC Systems: From Design to Commissioning
10:00–10:15 am Refreshment Break
10:15–11:15 am Performance of Prefilters, Mist Eliminators and Industrial Air Cleaning Systems
11:30 am–12:15 pm Lunch
Thursday, July 16, 2026
7:30–8:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:00–9:30 am Applying N-510 Testing Techniques to Portable HEPA Filtration Systems
9:30–11:30 am Gas Adsorption and Adsorbers
11:30 am–12:30 pm Lunch
12:30–4:15 pm In-House Labs
Friday, July 17, 2026
7:30–8:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:00–9:30 am Air Cleaning Research Review
9:30–9:45 am Refreshment Break
9:45 am–12:00 pm Nuclear Air and Gas Cleaning Regulatory Requirements and Lessons Learned
12:00–12:30 pm Closing & Boxed Lunch

This agenda is subject to change.

Current faculty, subject to change

Daniel O. Beaudoin

Deputy Director of Operations
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Ronald R. Bellamy

Instructor
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Mark A. Bennett

Associate Industrial Hygienist
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Dara M. Feddersen

Global Product Stewardship Manager
Hollingsworth & Vose Company

Jaime Gibson

Research Program Manager
Mississippi State University Institute for Clean Energy Technology

John M. Price

Instructor
Executive and Continuing Professional Education
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
Northeastern University

Arthur Dale Soma

Product Manager
Containment Systems
Camfil

Andrew Stillo Jr.

Research and Development Manager
Camfil

Aaron Warner

Project Engineer
Containment
Camfil USA, Inc.

Ken Joseph Warren

Project Manager
Covino Environmental Consultants

July 2026

Brookline Courtyard by Marriott
40 Webster Street
Brookline, MA 02446
TEL: (617) 734-1393 FAX: (617) 734-1392
$289/night + 11.70% tax

Located in Coolidge Corner, Courtyard by Marriott Boston Brookline offers comfort and convenience near Boston’s top destinations. We're just minutes from Boston University, Boston College, Harvard University, and within walking distance to local temples and synagogues. Our prime location places you near the Longwood Medical Area, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Explore nearby attractions like Harvard Stadium and the Museum of Fine Arts. Enjoy modern amenities including free Wi-Fi, rooms with mini-fridges and iHome technology, a 24-hour fitness center, and a heated indoor pool for year-round relaxation. Guests also enjoy on-site dining at The Bistro and our convenient shuttle service to the Longwood Medical Area. Whether visiting for medical, academic, or leisure purposes, our hotel in Brookline, MA is your stylish home base near the heart of Boston is your stylish home base in Brookline.

A limited number of rooms have been reserved at a reduced rate until May 28, 2026. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be advised that hotels in the Boston area can sell out very quickly. We recommend making your hotel reservation as soon as you receive registration and payment confirmation. Please mention group code Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to receive the special rate.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will grant 3.1 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this program, equivalent to 31 contact hours of education. Participants can apply these contact hours toward other professional education accrediting organizations.

The American Academy of Health Physics will grant 30.25 Continuing Education Credits for completion of this course.

All credits subject to final agenda.

Take this program to earn a Certificate of Completion, or complete multiple to earn the Environmental Health Certificate of Specialization.  

From Our Alumni

“I would recommend this program to anyone who seeks advancement in their understanding for IPFT, nuclear air and gas treatment, applicable system design, applicable analyses, and more.”

—Andrew Keeling, System Engineer, Mission Support & Test Services

Certificate of Specialization

Earn an Environmental Health Certificate of Specialization

Take this program to earn a Certificate of Completion, or take 3 to earn a Certificate of Specialization. Learn more here. 

Advance Your Career at Harvard with the In-Place Filter Testing Workshop