January 2019 – July 2022
Quentin Riffard, a project scientist for the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter detection experiment that is now being installed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, shares his experiences in researching dark matter in this Q&A. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/31/dark-matter-day-qa-quentin-riffard/
Each Friday in Elements, meet one of 12 early career scientists who competed in the 2019 SLAM pitch contest. This week, watch and read Patricia Valdespino’s pitch on “Matilde, the Holobiant.” https://slam.lbl.gov/2019-slam/2019-finalists/patricia-valdespino
On Nov. 5, the first 55 employees from the Joint Genome Institute will move into the Integrative Genomics Building (IGB). The rest of the JGI and KBase staff will move in waves, with all moved by the end of the year. Welcome events are planned, including a Lab-wide IGB open house early in 2020. https://stratcomm-elements.lbl.gov/2019/10/23/igb-neighbors-moving-in-beginning-nov-5/
Birgitta Whaley of Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division and co-director of the Berkeley Quantum Information and Computation Center has been appointed to the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), the White House announced yesterday (Oct. 22). https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/10/22/quantum-expert-birgitta-whaley-appointed-to-white-house-science-advisory-council/
The science areas of the Lab are represented in the Emergency Operations Center by Mission Support Officers who provided laboratory and equipment expertise to the Operations team who were re-energizing the Lab after last week’s power shut off. Learn more about the MSO role in an emergency. https://stratcomm-elements.lbl.gov/2019/10/18/psps-unsung-heroes-mission-support-officers/
Every Friday in a feature series in Elements, meet one of the 12 early career Lab scientists who competed in the 2019 SLAM pitch contest. This week, watch and read Michael Gerhardt’s pitch on “A Road to Inexpensive Fuel-Cell Cars.” https://slam.lbl.gov/2019-slam/2019-finalists/michael-gerhardt
As the Lab was brought back to normal operating conditions after the power shutoff, EHS’ Stephanie Collins checked the safety conditions in the laboratories to ensure scientists returned to a safe environment. Stephanie’s priority, as a safety specialist, is to ensure all employees are safe at work. https://stratcomm-elements.lbl.gov/2019/10/16/psps-unsung-hero-stephanie-collins/
DOE’s Office of Science has named Barbara Jacak, director of Berkeley Lab’s Nuclear Science Division, as one of its inaugural a Distinguished Scientist Fellow. The $1 million award will support research collaborations with academic institutions. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/16/berkeley-labs-barbara-jacak-receives-2019-distinguished-scientist-fellow-award/
You may not know his face, but under that hood is Jeffrey Hendrick, one of the Lab’s high-voltage electricians who played an important part in getting the Lab back into operations. Learn more about how Jeffrey’s work, and the work of all the electricians, keep science humming at the Lab. https://stratcomm-elements.lbl.gov/2019/10/15/psps-challenge-unsung-hero-jeffrey-hendrick-facilities/
National lab scientists recently converged in San Ramon to compete in their own version of the TV program “Shark Tank.” Judges for the DOE Accelerator Pitch Fest were looking for the best lab-to-market technologies. Berkeley Lab’s Erika Suzuki and LLNL’s Scott Compel took home the prize. https://www.llnl.gov/news/researchers-jump-doe-shark-tank