Mural of Shepard

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In late 2020, Shepard was contacted by an NRC official. The official shared that one of the Agency's buildings in Rockville, Maryland was being renovated. The renovation was going to incorporate some of the Agency's early Black employees, and Shepard was asked if he would send over a copy of his Curriculum Vitae (CV). The CV was sent to the NRC in December 2020. Other than the CV request, Shepard was not contacted again until January 2022 when he was invited to NRC Headquarters located at One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland to view a Mural of himself. There were Murals of others who started with the NRC in the early years. Shepard's Mural is located on one side of the entryway to the newly renovated cafeteria. The selection committee noted that Shepard was included in the renovation project based on his work inside and outside of the Agency. Having resigned from NRC in 1990, which in 2022 was 32 years ago, this was an honor Shepard did not see coming. He was doubly surprised when he noticed that the Mural incorporated his life's motto, "It's more productive to focus on your capabilities than on your limitations."

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Background on Shepard's Work Inside & Outside NRC: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was established on October 11, 1974, and began operations on January 19, 1975. In September 1975, Robert Louis Shepard, PhD joined the newly formed NRC as the Agency's first Black PhD scientist in the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety & Safeguards (NMSS). To establish himself in the new NRC, in 1976 Shepard published an independent, definitive paper on bias corrections focused on how to help reduce error and promote uniform measrement practices in the fabrication and handling of nuclear materials. Response to the paper was positive. In 1977, he was promoted to the Office of Nuclear Research (ONR) as Program Manager of the safeguards research program. While in ONR, Shepard, pushed for increase participation of faculty and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the NRC research program. As a peer reviewer on panels for several federal agencies, Shepard noticed the absence of HBCU participation and provided definitive data showing the role some HBCUs could play in conducting high-quality research for the federal government.

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In 1984, Shepard successfully secured joint funding from inside the Agency to create NRC's first HBCU research support program. That same year, NRC granted Shepard a leave of absence under the Intergovernmental Personnel Assistant (IPA) Program to become a Visiting Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry at Howard University. Shepard used his IPA assignment to develop a conceptual framework demonstrating how collaborations and partnerships could be used to strengthen the research infrastructure at HBCUs resulting in more research output by these institutions.

In 1988, Shepard's IPA assignment ended and he returned to NRC as Technical Assistant (TA) to the Director of ONR. In 1990, he resigned from NRC to lead the formation of a University, Government, and Federal Laboratory 501(c)(3), non-profit partnership called the Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc. (known as SEA).  SEA members included four HBCUs and a national laboratory. The HBCUs were: Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, AL); Jackson State University (Jackson, MS); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX); and Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA). The national laboratory was Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA) who joined as an associate member, bringing the total founding SEA membership to five. In 2002, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requested to join SEA as an associate member. The request was granted by the SEA Board of Directors, which brought SEA's total membership to six. While the total membership of SEA remained at six, the organization brought together additional HBCUs to engage in various collaborative research partnerships on an as needed basis.

 

As Founding Executive Director/CEO of SEA, Shepard handled all aspects of SEA beginning with negotiating space for the new non-profit in the heart of what is known as "Lobby Row" at 1522 K Street in Northwest Washington, DC. Once established, he oversaw the management operations including facilities, equipment, program development, budgeting, and staffing with the mission to open more doors for research opportunities and expand access for faculty and students at HBCUs. In 2013, after leading SEA for nearly a quarter of a century and the organization exceeding its mission, Shepard and the Board of Directors dissolved SEA. In that same year, Shepard formed The Shepard Institute (TSI), LLC as the vehicle to continue his push for the inclusion of faculty and students from HBCUs in the federal government's research enterprise.

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To add to his Mural honor, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the first Black to become a Commissioner of the NRC, and both the first woman and the first Black to serve as Chairman of the NRC, her Mural is on the other side of the entryway to the cafeteria. Shepard's and Jackson's Murals can be readily seen upon entering and exiting the cafeteria.​

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