Release Date: May 15, 2008
Legacy of service is calling card for 52-year employee
Columbus, OH—When Dr. Jules Duga first entered the halls of Battelle, Elvis Presley was releasing his first album, Pakistan officially became a country, and the last of the occupying forces of the French military left Vietnam.
Since then, Duga has become one of the foremost forecasters of research and development spending trends. Still working at Battelle, Duga has been elected to the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. “I’m flattered to be recognized, but really all I did was come to work every day,” said Duga.
“Jules Duga is one of the great ones,” said Battelle President and CEO Carl Kohrt. “They broke the mold when they made Jules, and it will be tough for anyone to measure up to the standards he set and still establishes at Battelle.”
Barbara E. Riley, director of the Ohio Department of Aging, and members of the Ohio General Assembly will induct Duga and 11 other Ohioans during a 2:30-4:30 pm ceremony at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus on May 22.
“Those chosen for the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame embody the productivity and enjoyment that should be a part of every person’s retirement years,” said Riley. “Dr. Duga exemplifies positive aging. He continues to be regarded as an authority in his profession, long past the traditional age of retirement, and has made important contributions to preserve Jewish history.”
Duga has designed programs in technology and economic development for the Ohio Governor’s Office and Department of Economic Development and spent five years working in India on a project for the U.S. Agency for International Development. With his wife, Duga also has cataloged the graves in 30 Jewish cemeteries in central and eastern Ohio, creating a valuable resource for family and community research. He was a charter member of the Brass Band of Columbus and recently retired, having spent 23 years playing the tuba with this award-winning ensemble.
He joins more than 300 people who have been inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame since its inception in 1977. Native-born Ohioans or individuals who have been state residents for at least 10 years are nominated based on service to others and achievements after age 60, as well as for lifetime achievements that represent positive aging.
Battelle is the world’s largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $4 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education.
For more information, contact T.R. Massey, Media Relations Specialist, at 614-424-5544 or masseytr@battelle.org or Katy Delaney, Media Relations Manager, at 410-306-8638 or delaneyk@battelle.org.
