Nuclear chemist Darleane C. Hoffman and atmospheric chemist Harold S. Johnston, both researchers at Berkeley Lab and professors at UC Berkeley, are among nine winners of the prestigious National Medal of Science announced April 30 by the White House and the National Science Foundation.
The two chemists will receive the medal later this year during a ceremony at the White House. The Medal of Science, which is awarded by the President, is the United States' equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Hoffman, 70, is a faculty senior scientist in the Nuclear Science Division and a professor in the graduate school at UC Berkeley. She is internationally recognized for her studies of the chemistry of the so-called transuranic elements--chemical elements heavier than uranium that typically decay to lighter elements in seconds to milliseconds. In 1993 she was among the researchers who confirmed the existence of element 106, the heaviest element found so far and recently named seaborgium after long-time colleague and Nobel Prize winner Glenn Seaborg.
Johnston, 76, professor emeritus of chemistry at UC Berkeley and researcher in the Chemical Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab, was among the first to sound the alarm in the 1970s that human activities can harm the Earth's atmosphere. His scientific concerns about the effects of man-made chemicals on the ozone layer, heatedly attacked at the time, have been borne out by the subsequent discovery of ozone holes over the Earth's poles.
The National Medal of Science, established by Congress in 1959 and administered by the National Science Foundation, honors individuals who have made a major impact on the present state of knowledge in the fields of physical, biological, mathematical, engineering or social and behavioral sciences.
"It is important that the nation publicly repay its debt to these outstanding men and women, whose contributions to science have helped to advance human learning, fight disease and provide insight into the central questions of the nature of universe and humanity's place in it," said NSF Director Neal Lane in announcing the winners.
The other recipients of the National Medal of Science are the late Martin Schwarzschild (Princeton University); Nobel Laureate James D. Watson (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory); William K. Estes (Harvard University); Marshall N. Rosenbluth (UC San Diego); Robert A. Weinberg (Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and MIT); George W. Wetherill (Carnegie Institution of Washington); and Shing-Tung Yau (Harvard University).
Before coming to Berkeley, Hoffman spent 31 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she worked on nuclear chemistry and the spontaneous fission of elements such as fermium. There, she established herself as the world authority on spontaneous fission, the sudden decay of heavy nuclei into two "daughter" nuclei.
She also worked on radionuclide migration in the environment, studies relevant to the storage of radioactive waste. She continued her work on transuranics after joining the UC Berkeley faculty in 1984. Through her affiliation at Berkeley Lab she has used the 88-inch cyclotron to create rare heavy elements, often generating only a few atoms per week for study.
From its inception in 1991 until she retired last year, Hoffman directed the Glenn T. Seaborg Institute for Transactinium Science, which is devoted to elements heavier than actinium (element 89). A major emphasis is education and training in heavy element research.
She currently is involved in an international collaboration to study the chemistry of elements 104 (rutherfordium), 105 (hahnium) and 106 (seaborgium), using "atom-at-a-time" techniques that she and her colleagues developed. Her work has helped establish the chemical families to which these short-lived elements belong.
Hoffman was born in Terril, Iowa, and attended Iowa State University, where she received a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1951. She took a job as a chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and in 1953 moved to Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she remained moving to Berkeley in 1984.
She has served on many government advisory boards, including currently the NAS Board on Radioactive Waste Management. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemists and the American Physical Society, and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. She has received the Nuclear Chemistry Award and the Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society, and in 1996 UC Berkeley's highest academic award, the Berkeley Citation.
Johnston's research concerned the chemical reactions that take place in a mixture of gases, and also how light affects these reactions. In particular he looked at oxides of nitrogen--referred to as NOx, the major constituents of smog--as well as ozone, fluorine, chlorine and various highly reactive free radicals.
His work on NOx reactions first led him to question a proposal of the late 1960s that the country build a fleet of supersonic transport planes that would fly in the stratosphere. His calculations in 1971 indicated that NOx spewed into the stratosphere from the airplanes' exhaust could reduce global ozone by 3 to 23 percent. Because this ozone protects us from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays, this could have a deleterious effect on life on the planet.
Following publication of his findings and the associated publicity, Congress set up its first major program of stratospheric research. From this beginning came warnings about other ozone destroyers including chlorofluorocarbons, which have since been banned in the U.S. and many other countries. In 1982 the Federal Aviation Agency awarded Johnston its citation for "Service in Aviation" for his work on high altitude aircraft pollution.
In 1991 Johnston was part of a NASA team that showed that at some altitudes and in some conditions supersonic passenger aircraft could operate with little or no effect on ozone.
Johnston was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1965 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972. He also received the Tyler World Prize for Environmental Achievement in 1983 and the NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society in 1993. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Physical Society.
Johnston came to UC Berkeley in 1957 as a professor of chemistry, and served as dean of the College of Chemistry from 1966 to 1970. He retired in 1991, at which time he received the UC's academic honor, the Berkeley Citation.
Photo: Harold S. Johnston (XBC 9704-01979)
Photo: Darleane C. Hoffman (ZBD 9704-01914)
A major genetic factor contributing to mental retardation in Down syndrome has been identified by researchers in the Life Sciences Division. Working with transgenic mice that carry segments of human chromosome 21 in their DNA, the scientists have linked learning deficits to DYRK, a gene named for the protein it produces. Any deviation from the normal complement of two copies of DYRK appears to impair the ability to learn.
This research was led by Drs. Edward Rubin and Desmond Smith, geneticists at Berkeley Lab's Human Genome Center. They have reported their results in the May issue of Nature Genetics.
"We've demonstrated that DYRK is a gene for which dosage plays an important role in how neuronal pathways are put together," says Rubin, who heads biology research for the Human Genome Center. "Our work suggests that you need exactly two copies of DYRK for normal development."
Down syndrome occurs in about one out of every 800 newborns, with the incidence increasing markedly in the offspring of women over 35. Affecting an estimated one million Americans, it is the leading genetic cause of mental retardation and is associated with a shorter than average life expectancy (55). Other symptoms are heart and intestinal defects, problems with the immune and endocrine systems, and a raft of tissue and skeletal deformities.
Individuals with Down syndrome carry a complete extra copy of chromosome 21 in all of their cells, giving each cell a total of 47 chromosomes rather than the normal 46. For this reason, the condition is also known as "Trisomy 21." There are, however, rare forms of Down syndrome in which only part of chromosome 21 is present in triplicate.
The existence of these rare forms of Down syndrome suggested that the condition may be due to a limited number of genes and led Smith and Rubin to create a special series of transgenic mice containing different adjacent segments of human chromosome 21.
To identify which gene was responsible for mental retardation, Rubin and Smith assessed the learning and memory skills of their genetically altered mice using a standardized test. The mice were placed in a tank filled with opaque water and clocked for how long it took them to find their way to a platform hidden just below the water's surface.
"Our strategy made no prior assumptions about individual genes, but rather, allowed the behavior of the mice to guide us to a crucial gene on chromosome 21," says Rubin. "This approach of using the whole animal is likely to become increasingly important as geneticists attempt to investigate the basis of other complex human conditions, such as hypertension or schizophrenia."
The strain of mouse that performed the most poorly on the test carried a human DYRK gene in addition to a pair of mouse DYRK genes. That the extra copy of DYRK was the culprit, the researchers say, was supported with the discovery that DYRK is almost identical to a fruit fly gene called minibrain. Fruit flies that carry only a single copy of minibrain instead of the normal two copies also display impaired learning--they are unable to find their way to a particular smell.
"Obviously, a large leap of faith must be taken to equate learning in flies to that in humans," says Rubin. "However, the corresponding findings in both flies and mice concerning the effect of an altered copy number of DYRK or minibrain support the idea that altered expression of this gene may be an important contributor to the learning defects in humans with Down syndrome."
In addition to Smith and Rubin, other contributors to this research at the Human Genome Center included Mary Stevens, Sharmila Sudanagunta, Jingly Fung, Heinz-Ulrich Weier, and Jan-Fang Cheng. Also participating were Roderick Bronson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Michael Makhinson, Ayako Watabe, and Thomas O'Dell of UCLA.
Photo: Desmond Smith (left) and Edward Rubin tested the learning skills of mice, including the one in the tub, with segments of human chromosome 21 in their DNA to identify a gene responsible for mental retardation in Down syndrome. (XBD 9704-01883-04) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
Twelve years and countless change orders, redesigns and regulatory revisions later, Berkeley Lab's new, state-of-the-art Hazardous Waste Handling Facility is open for business.
The travails and triumphs of developing the 13,000-square-foot building were recalled at a ceremony authorizing start-up of the facility on Friday, April 18. Transfer of the current waste inventory at Bldg. 75 began April 21, and is now nearly complete.
"This is a beautiful building; it seems a shame to put waste in it," quipped EH&S Deputy Director Jack Bartley, one of the driving forces behind the concept, design and construction since Bldg. 85 was first proposed in 1985. He expressed his pride at the achievement to an audience of about 200, most of whom had contributed time and effort to the project, at the lower facility yard.
Bartley said it was his first experience partnering on a project with the Department of Energy, "and this wouldn't have happened if we hadn't gone into it as partners, with a spirit of cooperation." DOE's Phil Hill acknowledged that all readiness reviews were completed, and he delivered the official letter of authorization to begin operations.
Joe Harkins, the project manager, cited the two most critical challenges that had to be turned into successes--managing change, and adapting to an ever-changing regulatory environment. He said that when the project began as a corporation yard concept in the mid-'80s, the EH&S Division had a total of 10 people. Today, the waste management group alone numbers about 30.
"We had to comply with more regulatory requirements than any major facility at the Lab," Harkins said. "But today we have a facility that will ensure the safety of the people and the environment for many years to come."
Laboratory Deputy Director Klaus Berkner saluted the perseverance of those who saw the project through from the start. And he noted the major lesson learned in the process: "Don't ever give up. There may be lots of obstacles, but if you believe in what you're doing, there will be a payoff."
Robin Wendt, group leader for Waste Management, acknowledged dozens of individuals within Berkeley Lab and DOE who contributed to the building's completion, which he called a "huge milestone" for the Lab. Then he concluded with a pledge: "We'll take good care of this facility. We'll make it work. We'll make it last."
Designed for safety
Given the elaborate safety features and fail-safe mechanisms incorporated in the structure, he can afford to be confident. More spacious than its predecessor, Bldg. 85 is on the hill above the life sciences complex, free of heavy truck traffic from the rest of the Lab. It was designed from the beginning for the safe handling of all types of hazardous, mixed and radioactive waste, and to withstand the most extreme disaster scenarios for fire and earthquake.
Each of the facility's two main floors opens on a yard area, the first level dedicated to radioactive and mixed waste, and the upper level for chemically hazardous waste. The principle of waste segregation and isolation is evident in every design detail. The two yards are paved with concrete, topped with a quarter-inch layer of epoxy sealant that is both durable and weather-resistant. Each yard slopes to an isolated 300-gallon-capacity sump, the yards themselves capable of containing thousands of gallons more.
The yards allow forklift access through rollup doors to staging areas, where materials are segregated for treatment, packaging and storage. A building for storing waste oil and bulk flammable liquids is already in place, equipped with an aqueous film foam fire protection system. Like the high-expansion foam systems installed in the lower and upper levels of the building itself, this system requires relatively small amounts of water, minimizing the problems of cleanup of contaminated water and of fire water runoff into storm sewers.
The fire suppression system is backed up by a dry-pipe sprinkler system.
Drains and sumps on the floors of waste storage and treatment rooms will contain 10 percent of the storage capacity of the entire room and well over 100 percent of its largest container in the event of a spill, and the sumps have no outlet to the outside.
Technology's most advanced air filtration and ventilation systems, monitoring instrumentation, and compaction equipment combine to make this an industry model for waste handling safety. Laboratory employees will get to tour the facility and see its features first-hand upon completion of the move this summer.
Existing facilities closing
Start-up of the new facility also begins the closure of the existing waste handling facility at Bldgs 75 and 75A. These buildings must be closed by the terms of the DTSC permit which first authorized waste operations there. The closure process ensures there is no contamination from hazardous or radioactive wastes and that the facility will not require "post-closure care." Closure will take a full year and will be led by Berkeley Lab's Environmental Restoration staff. As much as possible, anagement Group.
Photos: During an April 21 ceremony, Berkeley Lab Deputy Director Klaus Berkner (left) and Phil Hill, director of the DOE-Oakland Hazardous Waste Management Division, acknowledge the official opening of the Lab's new Hazardous Waste Handling Facility. (XBC 9704-01951) Photos by Roy Kaltschmidt
Cosmology--the study of the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe--increasingly engages the public imagination. Aware of this phenomenon, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum is contemplating adding a new gallery devoted to the field.
Since its opening in 1976, the museum has become a favorite of visitors to the nation's capital. Its most famous exhibits include the original Wright Brothers' airplane, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module from the first manned lunar landing mission, and rocks retrieved from the moon.
Dave DeVorkin, the museum's curator for the history of astronomy, is spearheading the proposal to extend the museum to include the human quest to investigate and understand the cosmos. Berkeley Lab has a significant role in this story, he says.
"I am collecting objects worthy of permanent preservation in the national collection, objects that have played a prominent role in the history of astronomy," he says. "They would be displayed in a proposed new gallery that would explore cosmology back to the beginning of human curiosity."
The working title of the proposed gallery is "Explore the Universe." If constructed, it would open around 2001. Half of the 5,000-square-foot gallery would be devoted to contemporary cosmology.
In recent months, DeVorkin has contacted the Physics Division's George Smoot and the Material Sciences Division's Paul Richards. Both Smoot and Richards led scientific teams that made seminal discoveries about the early universe. Both have provided instruments and apparatus that now have become part of the Smithsonian's permanent national collection of historic objects.
The two scientists have made their mark studying the cosmic microwave background, the remnant radiation from the Big Bang that suffuses space.
Smoot's most significant contribution is well known. On April 23, 1992, at an American Physical Society meeting in Washington, D.C., he announced the discovery of fossil relics from the primeval explosion that began the universe: 15- billion-year-old primordial seeds that grew into the galaxies and superclusters of galaxies evident today.
The discovery was made through the use of extremely sensitive microwave receivers created for NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite. The receivers detected regions of space 100 million light years across and larger with temperature differences of a hundred-thousandth of a degree. As Smoot explained, "These small variations are the imprints of tiny ripples in the fabric of space-time put there by the primeval explosion process. Over billions of years, gravity magnified these ripples into galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the great voids of space."
DeVorkin chose two microwave receivers--known as differential microwave radiometers-- to make a part of the Smithsonian's permanent collection. One was the prototype for COBE. The other, was used to discover that the motion of our own galaxy exceeds one million miles per hour (relative to the distant matter in the Universe).
Paul Richards led a group that, in the 1970s, performed balloon-borne experiments that provided compelling evidence that the cosmic microwave background radiation is a so-called blackbody spectrum.
When something is hot, it emits electromagnetic radiation. For every temperature, there is a unique and corresponding distribution of wavelengths and frequencies known as the blackbody spectrum, even for something as hot as the Big Bang.
"At a time when there was significant uncertainty," Richards says, "our data showed that the early universe was a blackbody. It documented that the universe was not a steady state (in which matter is continuously created and formed into new galaxies.) Instead, this was the strongest possible evidence for the Big Bang origin of the radiation."
Richards recalls that it was Nobel Laureate Charles Townes who first involved him in astrophysics. Townes was always interested in the big questions of the day and was aware that the existing measurements of the spectrum of the background radiation showed large deviations from a blackbody spectrum.
"I was a condensed matter physicist in the Inorganic Materials Research Division at the Lab with an expertise in using infrared spectroscopy to probe the properties of matter," Richards says. "Townes approached me to say that he believed I had the best technology for measuring the temperature of higher frequency cosmic microwave background. He guessed, correctly it turned out, that we already had the building blocks to do this science."
Richards joined with graduate students John Woody and John Mather (later chief scientist for COBE). By 1974, they had built an apparatus consisting of an antenna, spectrometer, and detector, all cooled by liquid helium to a temperature below 3 degrees Kelvin. Beginning in 1973, this balloon-borne apparatus made a number of flights. For the next 15 years the results of these flights provided the best evidence that the background radiation indeed was a blackbody.
DeVorkin says elements of what came to be known as the Woody/Richards experiment now have joined the Smithsonian's permanent collection.
"It's too early to say if we will receive approval from the Smithsonian's director to create the new gallery," DeVorkin says. "If we receive the go-ahead, we must secure funding to build it. However, even if the new gallery is not built, these objects will remain part of the national collection and will be available for exhibit both here and for loan to other museums."
Photo: Paul Richards stands with elements of the Woody/Richards cosmic microwave background instrument package, an historic balloon-borne experiment that now resides in the Smithsonian Museum's permanent national collection. (XBD 9702-00418)
Photo: Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Riverside; right), chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, spent April 3 visiting Berkeley Lab. Among those he met with were Physics Division Director James Siegrist (left), with whom he discussed electronic devices being fabricated for future high-energy physics detectors. (XBC 9704-01952)
The efforts of Berkeley Lab health and safety managers and officials of the Department of Energy and University of California in the recent "Work Smart Standards" program have been acknowledged through citations from Vice President Al Gore and Energy Secretary Federico Peña.
Nine key participants in last year's rigorous six-month review and analysis of work hazards and regulations received so-called "Hammer Awards" authorized by Gore for "contribution to building a government that works better and costs less." Participants received citations and pins at a brief April 15 ceremony convened by Lab Director Charles Shank and DOE-Oakland Manager James Turner.
In addition, the four DOE honorees were given "Secretary's Gold Award" certificates in the name of former DOE Secretary Hazel O'Leary. The award citation paid tribute to the "Work Smart Standards Approach, developed by a crosscutting action team, (which) empowers workers, managers, and stakeholders to collectively establish requirements and measure results specific to a given site or project. This fundamental shift in paradigm allows us to protect the health and safety of our workforce, the public, and the environment in a cost efficient and effective manner. Work Smart Standards are now an integral part of the Department's Integrated Safety Management system."
Berkeley Lab was among the first DOE sites to implement Work Smart Standards, a focused set of safety regulations and laws tailored specifically to the work here. The program replaced the historic "one size fits all" approach to regulation, which required adherence to the same cumbersome collection of rules by all entities regardless of applicability.
Hammer Awards were given to Berkeley Lab's David McGraw and Jack Bartley, EH&S division director and associate director respectively; Ben Feinberg, operations head for the Advanced Light Source and Work Smart Standards project manager; Dave Tudor, hazardous assessment program manager; and Howard Hatayama of the UC Office of the President.
DOE recipients of the Hammer and Gold awards included Dick Nolan and Phil Roebuck of the DOE Site Office at Berkeley Lab, and Turner and Charles Simkins of DOE-Oakland.
At the ceremony, Nolan said the new program "revolutionized the way we look at safety and health." Berkeley Lab Deputy Director Klaus Berkner called it a "heroic effort," and a "great partnering exercise" between DOE and the Laboratory. Turner noted that the project is being used as a model throughout the DOE, "which speaks excellently for the quality of work." Shank said Work Smart Standards "is another indication of the advantages that joint efforts between our Laboratory and DOE can bring."
Photo: DOE-Oakland Manager James Turner and Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank (shaking hands) presented awards to Lab and DOE staff participating in the Work Smart Standards effort. (XBC 9704-01806) Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
Yes, there is such a thing as the science of ice cream making, and hundreds of young people learned all about it during a special day of entertaining and challenging science activities sponsored by Berkeley Lab on Thursday, April 24. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, now in its fourth year, drew more than 370 children to the Hill.
Activities included a high-tech opening ceremony, more than a dozen science workshops, tours of Lab facilities, hands-on projects, and presentations of educational and scientific programs. The children learned about the geology of the Hill, explored the heavens through the Hands On Universe program, and found out about medical imaging, fire fighting basics, transgenic mice, and virtual reality techniques. Some of them went home with self-made souvenirs, such as glass containers they blew themselves during a popular glass blowing workshop.
The young visitors toured the Lab's Fire Department, the Advanced Light Source, and the National Center for Electron Microscopy. The activities were designed to teach children and teenagers about the scientific process, familiarize them with their parents' work, and expose them to new career opportunities.
The event was sponsored by the Lab's Center for Science and Engineering Education and was made possible by the efforts of almost 100 Lab volunteers.
Photo: One energetic participant concentrates on puffing an even, round bubble in a glass tube held by Berkeley Lab glassblower Tom Orr. (XBC 9704-01917)
Photo: Participants in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day work on a liquid nitrogen experiment under careful supervision. (XBC 9704-01918)
Photo: Science or not, ice cream making remains one of the most popular activities of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. (XBC 9704-01916)
Rebuilding the Lab's desktop computing support system won't be as easy as holding down a couple of keys and hitting the restart button. But steps are being taken to reconfigure the way computers, networks and related systems are supported here.
Eric Hibbard of the NERSC Systems Group in Computing Sciences has been named leader of the project to reorganize computer hardware, software and system support. Hibbard's appointment comes on the heels of a report by the LBNL Computing Environment Design Team, charged with finding ways to improve the Laboratory's computing environment.
The team's top recommendation was to put one person in charge of the computing environment and giving them the tools--and authority--to fix things. The "computing environment" includes everything from communications networks to desktop computers, file servers to services supporting every aspect of computing at the Lab.
"I see my role as being the one who looks at the entire information technology infrastructure with an eye toward providing a stable, but up-to-date computing environment," said Hibbard, who joined the Lab in January. "We don't have that now."
Due to fiscal and organizational changes, the current computing support situation is a patchwork system that is hard to use, Hibbard said. The result has been widespread frustration over not knowing what help is available or where to find it.
Bill Kramer, head of high performance computing in Computing Sciences and chairman of the design team, said the group received input from about a third of all Lab employees via surveys, forums, e-mail and meetings around the Lab beginning last November. A common complaint was that computer users don't have a central point-of-contact to turn to for help.
One of Hibbard's first tasks will be to create a centralized help desk by Aug. 1, as a prelude to a full support center, which should be in place by Oct. 1. He will also create a model for full computer service, as well as the financial plan and staffing profile to support it. This will include documenting the computer support requirements of all divisions and departments.
"One thing I've learned is that to solve these kinds of problems, you need to differentiate between needs and wants, and document what is actually required," said Hibbard, who spent 12 years at NASA Ames Research Center, where he had lead roles in efforts to consolidate supercomputing and networking operations.
"The problems won't all be immediately fixed by Oct. 1, but in a few years we hope we can look back and see that we have an excellent computing environment at the Laboratory," Kramer said. "The key to getting there is striking a balance between improved quality of service and the cost of that service."
The Lab is currently home to more than 6,000 computers. That figure includes more than eight entirely different types of systems, including Macintosh, PC, VAX and UNIX workstations, as well as several generations of each of those systems.
Supporting such a diversity of computer platforms takes a lot of resources, Hibbard said. To keep them working, the design team estimated that Laboratory spends at least $25 million annually in direct and indirect support, an amount Kramer says is comparable to that spent by other R&D facilities.
To give Berkeley Lab's computer users the best return on that investment, the committee is recommending parallel approaches: both a Lab-wide computer support strategy, and a program to make improvements at the desktop level.
Central to these improvements, Kramer said, is the adoption of "basic configurations," or Lab-wide guidelines for hardware and software for administrative, computational, experimental and technical functions. This would not only simplify purchases, but would allow the Lab to provide different options for computer support.
Getting systems that work well and can be readily supported will allow users to take full advantage of their desktop systems, Hibbard said. "If researchers don't have to spend a lot of time just fighting to keep their systems on-line, they'll have more time to tap the full potentials of their machines," he said. "Their computers can really become a much more valuable tool for them."
Achieving these goals will require a multi-year strategic plan for the Lab's computing environment, Kramer said. The plan would address computer requirements, as well as the funding to create a support system that complements those systems.
"The current situation can't be fixed by simple or partial measures--it will take significant resources and commitment," he said. "But the result will be increased productivity and better use of our resources."
For more information about the Lab's computing environment, visit the website at: http://www.lbl.gov/Computing-Sciences/LBLCE/
Photo: Eric Hibbard (XBC 9704-01896)
When nuclear chemist Darleane Hoffman got married in the early 1950s, her husband's thesis professor told the budding physicist: "You made a terrible mistake. You shouldn't have married a woman scientist. You should have married someone who can stay home and take care of you."
Much has changed for women of science in the years since--a topic of lively discussion for three of Berkeley Lab's premier women scientists, who came together on April 18 for a noon-time panel discussion in the Bldg. 50 auditorium. The event was sponsored by Women in Science and Engineering and the Work Force Diversity Office.
Hoffman, who is in the Nuclear Sciences Division, was joined on the panel by Life Sciences Division Director Mina Bissell and Engineering Division Director Yaffa Tomkiewicz. The three women described their personal experiences in a field traditionally dominated by men, addressing serious issues about their personal backgrounds, their journeys to success, and the price they sometimes paid.
Geographically, the three started out worlds apart. Hoffman grew up in small- town Iowa in the years before World War II. In college she first studied applied arts, but soon fell in love with chemistry and the wonders of radioactivity. She later became division leader for Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She now heads the Heavy Element Nuclear and Radiochemistry group at Berkeley Lab.
Tomkiewicz was raised in post-war Czechoslovakia and later moved to Israel, where she enrolled in the army before completing her higher education. It was after moving to the United States that she found her true calling and became a leading-edge "technologist," as she likes to call herself.
Bissell grew up in Iran before emigrating to the United States. She earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics from Harvard University, and eventually became one of the nation's top cell biologists.
The women said being raised on three different continents has certainly given them different outlooks on life, and perhaps on science. But they also have much in common.
They all grew up in highly educated families with parents who expected a lot while allowing them the freedom to make their own decisions. They all shared an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm for their professions. And none of them ever considered the possibility that science was not a viable choice for women.
"Why not science?" Bissell asked. "It's every bit as good a profession as any other. It provides countless challenges. And if you're curious, you get to do what you like. You try to solve problems, and somebody pays you to do it."
If anything, the only choice these three women did not seem to have was that not to succeed. Tomkiewicz, for instance, talked about her father, a physician. "My father had great plans for me. I always had to bring back the best report card in my class. And I was not allowed to date because I was supposed to be this super-duper scientist."
That she did, becoming an internationally recognized engineer, whose work in solid state physics culminated in the development of highly acclaimed magnetoresistive heads for computer disk storage.
But for Tomkiewicz, success did not come without a high price: the loss of her marriage. "We started out as equals," she said, "but as life progressed, I was doing better than he was. Some people can accept this better than others." When Tomkiewicz was offered an opportunity to advance her career by moving to the West Coast, the arrangement ended in divorce. "Don't forget that you're human, not a career machine," she told the audience. "You have to lose some. I lost my marriage. There is a price to pay."
This theme was echoed by all three panelists. As women, mothers, and top-notch scientists, they said, compromise and regrets are parts of everyday life.
"If [women] stay home, there are pluses and minuses," Bissell said. "If they work, there are pluses and minuses. The choice simply isn't between staying home and working. The choice is between doing it well and not doing it well."
Another area of general agreement was that the science community is not as closed to women as one might think. Not that they have not run into their share of discrimination.
Hoffman recalled that when she arrived at Los Alamos, the job that was supposed to have been waiting for her had mysteriously vanished. "I called the personnel division," Hoffman said. "They said: `That couldn't be. We don't hire women for that position.'" But she became their first exception to the rule. "Once I was part of the scientific group," she said, "I was treated very well."
The panelists all agreed that things have changed. What still makes it harder for women to succeed, they said, is the fact that women tend to take things more personally than men. They doubt themselves more, take failure more to heart, and often feel they have to be superhuman to make it to the top. But if they persevere, all agreed, the obstacles can be overcome.
"People ask me how I do it all," Bissell said. "The truth remains, I don't do it all very well. Something gives. As director I drop the ball often. At times I don't do as good science as I'd like to. As a mother I have regrets. There are a lot of things I could have done differently. But if I had stayed home, I would have had other regrets. So what do you do? You choose. It's difficult, but that's what life is all about."
Photo: Darleane Hoffman, Yaffa Tomkiewicz and Mina Bissell are three scientists who have found success in a predominantly male environment. (XBC 9704-01498-01) Photo by Joe Moore
The Laboratory now has two telephone prefixes: the existing 486 prefix, and the new 495 prefix. Both are in the 510 area code.
Extensions 4000 through 7999 and 8600 through 8699 will remain in the 486 prefix; extensions 2900 through 2999 are now in the new 495 prefix. All new numbers will be assigned to the 495 prefix.
When calling another extension from your Lab phone, you should still dial the four-digit number. However, callers from outside must dial the seven-digit number on local calls and the 10-digit number when calling long distance.
Are you transitioning to Windows 95 or unsure how to format a document? If so, AIM Computer Training can help. There is still space available in the following classes, which are held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bldg. 51L on the dates noted:
There is also space available in the following half-day classes, held from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. in Bldg. 51L:
To find out more about class availability and to enroll in a class, visit the Employee Development and Training unit's website (http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/EDT/computers/PC_Classes.html). If you have questions about the courses, contact the AIM program manager at 988-0929.
The Lawrence Hall of Science is offering its 22nd year of residential summer camps, featuring hands-on science experiences in the mountains and by the sea, designed specifically for camp locations in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Shasta-Trinity Wilderness. LHS summer camps combine traditional camp fun with information science learning. Daily programs include morning and afternoon science explorations, swimming, arts and crafts, twilight games, and backpacking. Four one-week sessions are offered for ages 8 to 15. All sessions provide a balanced science curriculum, recreation, and free time to make new friends.
Session 1: Native American Investigations (June 16-20) for ages 8-10 is held at Camp Jones Gulch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Pescadero. Campers visit an ancient redwood forest and search sandy beaches for clues left behind by the Costanoan people centuries ago.
Session 2: Sierra Adventures: Ecology and Geology of the High Sierra (July 7-12) for ages 8-10, and Session 3: Outdoor Skills and Low-Impact Backpacking (July 21-28) for ages 10-13, are held at Echo Lake Camp at Echo Summit in the Sierra Nevada. Session 2 campers explore the rocks and lakes that tell the tale of time, collect and identify specimens, observe local wildlife, and get a chance to try rock climbing under expert supervision. Session 3 features low-impact backpacking training, swimming, sports, crafts and stargazing, and a four-day backpacking adventure.
Session 4: Advanced Backpacking: Alpine Lakes to Majestic Peaks (Aug. 9-15) for ages 12-15 is held in the Shasta-Trinity Wilderness, near Weaverville. This camp offers more advanced backpacking skills.
For a free camp brochure and more information, call the Hall at 642-2275.
The Lab's Outdoor Club is sponsoring an all-day salmon fishing trip on Saturday, May 17. The charter boat Huli Cat departs at 6:30 a.m. from Half Moon Bay. The price is $45 per person; a rod and reel can be rented for $6. For more information, call Al Harcourt at X7660.
T full text of each edition of Currents is published on the Lab's home page on the World Wide Web. View it at http://www.lbl.gov/ under "Research News and Publications." To set up your computer to access the World Wide Web, call the Mac and PC Support Group at X6858.
A fungal infection that can weaken and kill Monterey pines and other pines has struck the East Bay. Trees infected with the fungus, known as pine pitch canker, have been identified in many areas of Berkeley and Oakland, including portions of Strawberry Canyon, Tilden Park, and the Laboratory. It is anticipated that most pine groves in the East Bay hills are infected or will be infected over the next decade.
The fungus, native to the southeastern United States, was first identified near San Jose and Santa Cruz, Calif., in 1986. It has since spread to other parts of the state. Typically, 60 to 80 percent of the pine trees in infected groves die within 10 years. The fungus itself appears to kill only about 10 percent of an infected grove; the balance of the trees that die succumb to the effects of an associated beetle infestation. Some trees seem to be naturally resistant to the fungus and associated beetle attacks; however, many of the trees that survive are deformed.
In the past month, pine pitch canker has been identified in three otherwise healthy groves of pines at the Laboratory: the scenic grove below the cafeteria, the grove of large mature trees between Bldg. 51 and the cafeteria parking lot, and the small grove between Bldgs. 51 and 46.
The Lab's revegetation plan originally called for the planting of young trees among the established ones in these areas to sustain the life of the groves. However, Facilities has amended the plan, and will plant species that are not susceptible to the fungus. Facilities is also examining options to slow the progression of pitch canker in the hope that a control method is identified in the near future.
Although researchers at the UC Davis and Riverside campuses have been working to identify a method that can slow or stop the fungus, none has been identified to date. The fungus is very difficult to control as its spore are carried by at least 62 species of bark beetle.
The consensus of panelists at a March state-wide conference on pitch canker was that the best available control technique is to remove infected trees as soon as they are identified and to subject the bark of the infected trees to a sustained temperature of 180 degrees F. This kills the spore-carrying bark beetles before they can infect other trees. However, it is thought that this technique will only slow the spread of the fungus since control of all infected beetles is not possible and the spore population so widespread that re-infestation of an area is inevitable unless an effective control is identified.
Facilities staff anticipate that a number of Monterey pines will be removed from the infected groves over the next few months in an attempt to slow the progression of the fungus at the Laboratory. If
you have any questions regarding the Lab's program, contact Bob Berninzoni at X5576. If you have questions about pines at your home or in your neighborhood, contact Don Owen of the California Department of Forestry at (916) 224-2494.
Photo: This brown and distorted tip of a Monterey pine branch shows the effects of an attack of the pine pitch canker fungus. This tree is on the west side of McMillan Road across from Bldg. 46. (XBC 9703-00841)
General meeting at noon in Bldg. 90-1099.
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Bldg. 54 parking lot.
EMPLOYEE MUSIC CLUB
General meeting at noon in the lower cafeteria.
TOASTMASTERS'
General meeting at 12:10 p.m. in Bldg. 2-100
The LBNL Bowling League end-of- season celebration aboard the Jack London Commodore Dining Cruises yacht departs from Alameda Marina at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Tickets available up to departure time. Call Cynthia Long, League Secretary/ Treasurer, X6672.
"Theoretical Studies of Heterogeneous Catalysis: Zeolites and Metal Oxides" will be presented by John Nicholas of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
"Problems With the Use of Animal Cancer Tests to Estimate Human Risks From Pollutants" will be presented by Lois Gold of the Life Sciences Division at 10:30 a.m. in Bldg. 70A-3377.
Building Energy Seminar
"A Cuban Perspective on Building Design and Energy Efficiency" will be presented by Bruno Henriquez of CubaSolar at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Gas Phase Ion-Molecule Reactions as Models for Ion-Surface Association Reactions" will be presented by Steven L. Bernasek of Princeton University at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Physics Division Research Progress Meeting
"Hera-B: An Experiment to Study CP-Violation in the B-System Using an Internal Target at the Hera Proton Ring" will be presented by Carsten Hast of DESY at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 50B-4205; refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
"The Protein Folding Problem from a Simple Model Perspective" will be presented by Kenneth Dill of UCSF at 4 p.m. in Bldg. 66-316.
"Challenges and Opportunities of Petaflops Computing: A Hybrid Technology Approach" will be presented by Thomas Sterling of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at 11 a.m. in the Bldg. 50 auditorium.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Metal Oxides as Co-Catalysts in the Synthesis of Methanol from Synthesis Gas Over Pd on Ultra-Pure Silica" will be presented by Roel Prins of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland, at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
"Fuel Cells in Buildings: Recent Developments and Future Applications" will be presented by Dan Rastler of EPRI at noon in Bldg. 90-3148.
Surface Science and Catalysis Science Seminar
"Playing with Molecules, One at a Time: Single Molecule Dynamics and Chemistry" will be presented by Wilson Ho of Cornell University at 1:30 p.m. in the Bldg. 66 auditorium.
Items for the calendars may be sent via e-mail to [email protected], faxed to X6641 or mailed to Bldg. 65B. The deadline for the May 16 issue is 5 p.m. Monday, May 12.
'74 PORSCHE, 1.8L gd fun trans., reliable, asking $2500. Jon, 482-5473
'83 CHEVY Celebrity, 132K mi.., new trans., clean, reliable, $1K/b.o. Barbara, 527-5940
'84 BMW 325e, white w/low mi., CD player in dash & 5 CD discchanger in trunk, well maint., moving out of state, must sell by mid-June, $5500. Paul, X4417, 528-7285
'85 HONDA Accord SEII, 4-dr, a/t, sunroof, $3500. 525-0139
'85 TOYOTA Celica GT, 145K mi., 90% restored, 325 mi. on brand new motor, new paint & brake system, carpet, KYB shocks, clutch custom tires & wheels, make offer. Keith, X6359, (209) 764-2503
'85 TOYOTA Corolla, blue, a/t, a/c, hatchbk, 120K mi., $2600. Greg, 848-3291
'85 VOLVO 245 wgn, 151K mi., man. trans., gd. shape, new parts, well maint. (records), $4200. X4081, 525-2524
'86 BUICK 4D SW, EFI, a/t, a/c, c/c, p/s, p/b, rr, am/fm/cass., al-wheels, 90K mi., well maint., very gd cond., $2K/b.o. X6809, 528-1270
'86 BUICK 4D SW, a/t, a/c, cc, p/s, p/b, 90K mi., very gd cond., well maint., must see, $2300/b.o. X6809, 528-1270
'86 OLDSMOBILE Cutlass Ciera, a/t, 78K mi., gd running cond., many new parts, $1350/b.o. Gene, (415) 648-7728
'86 NISSAN Sentra, a/t, a/c, p/s, brown, 2-dr, 115K mi., asking $2100/b.o. Eugene, X4190
'87 FORD Escort, 5-spd, 2-dr, 100K mi., runs great, well maint. (records), $2500. Andres, X6742, 549-1621
'87 FORD Thunderbird turbo, 5-spd, computerized map, loaded, $3500/b.o. Esther, X5306, 843-7678
'89 VW Cabriolet convertible, Wolfsburg Edition, light blue metallic, 5-spd, a/c, alarm system, well maint., new tires & shocks, CD-player, 98K mi., $5900. Thomas, X5363, 883-0219
'90 JEEP Wrangler, 72K mi., soft top, $7K. 654-1596 (eve.)
MOTORCYCLE, '91 Honda NightHawk 250cc, exc. cond., 4K mi., shining red color, Blue book price $1,864, moving sale price $1,464 incl. 2 helmets. Fang, X6525, 527-3670
CAMP TRAILER, '91 Jayco, folding, slps 6, built-in gas/elec. refrig. & 3-burner stove, attach. awning, $3500. Charlie, X4658, 283-6111
TENT TRAILER, '94 Rockwood, lg., slps 7, refrig., stove, forced-air heater, hot water, awning, dbl battery, like new, $3500. 687-3904
UTILITY TRAILER, 4' by 8' w/enclosed box (4' by 6') w/piano hinged lids, new spare tire incl., $170. 938-8020
CHORUS & ORCHESTRA, Verdi's "Requiem", Sat. 5/3, 8 p.m., Sat., 5/10, 8 p.m., Sun., 5/11, 4 p.m., St. Joseph's Church, 1640 Addison St., Berkeley, admission free, donations accepted, families welcome, wheelchair accessible. Patti, X7603
MACINTOSH 68040-based system w/color monitor, Quadra class preferred for running A/UX. Greg, X4757, 528-2044
STORAGE SPACE for approx. 6-8 mo. while we remodel, 1-car garage sz. gd. Jonathan, X4148, 525-5540
CAMERA, Canon AE-I, lenses of Canon zoom FD 35-70mm 1:3.5 and 70-210mm 1:4, Sunpak auto zoom 933 Thyristor elec. flash, some Vivitar filters & Access, all w/bags, looks & works like new, $420. X6809, 528-1270 (eve.)
COLOR TV, 19", 1.5 yr. old, $100 needed until end of May; twin futon + frame, $60; full futon frame, $80; 2 sleeping bags, like new, $15 ea.; hair dryer & iron. X4081, 525-2524
FISH TANK, 10 gal., very gd cond., purchased 2 mo. ago, incl. filter, heater, lights, gravel, accessories, 2 zebras & 1 platty incl., 2 plants, 1 skull fish toy, net, food, etc., asking $45/b.o. Rafi, 664-0366
FLASHLIGHT, Sakar 717AF, TTL for Canon, Pentax, or Minolta autofocus cameras, $25. Andre, X6745
GARAGE CABINETS, 7'hx4'wx12"d, 5 shelves, 3 avail., $20 ea. or $50/3; file cabinet w/ hanging file attach., rollaway, steel, $10. 831-9172
GARAGE SALE, Sat., 5/10, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 1440 Ordway, Berkeley, new Sunbeam mixer, pictures, books, clothes, jewelry, toaster, etc. Lisa, 653-6964
PARKING PLACE for rent, 5 min. walking from UCB, $80 (negot.) Sante, 649-8453
PC COMPUTER, Gateway 2000 486 Computer w/200 MB hard drive, 8 MB RAM, lots of free software, monitor include., $550; leather sofa, gray, $250; contemporary drwrs, 2 styles, $75 ea.; queen sz. bed, Sealy Posturepedic w/contemporary bed frame & custom headboard $400 ($250 without headboard); contemporary book shelves, $50-$75; contemporary light wood grain desk, $150; golf clubs, drivers, Titlelist Pro Trajectory 9.5 degree stiff steel shaft, $55; Taylor Made Burner Plus 9.5 degree graphite shaft, $80; Founders Club Judge 10.5 degree Easton graphite extra stiff, 44.5 inch shaft, $80; Joe Powell Classic Persimmon Driver, $55, 3 woods, Founders Club Judge 14 degree w/Aldila blue graphite shaft, $80, moving out of state. Paul, X4417, 528-7285
PIANO w/bench, exc. cond. Gulbranson, X6878, 528-3408
PUPPIES, St. Bernard, AKC, avail. 5/9, $550 ea. David, 652-3994
SOFA BED, queen sz., $50; futon frame, full sz., $20; desk, $20; chest of drawers, $100; kitchen table w/4 chairs, $60; shelves, $70. Andres, X6742, 549-1621
WASHER & gas dryer, $75 & $60 or $125/pr. Dan, X5901, 680-4594
BERKELEY, Carleton/Grant, nr BART & Berkeley Bowl, 10 min. drive to LBNL, newly renovated 2-bdrm apt, ground flr of 2-story Victorian house, sunny so. exposure, front garden, washer/dryer, custom tile flrs, no smoking , no pets, $1100/mo. incl. part utils. Richard, X6320
BERKELEY, furn. apt, nr gourmet ghetto, 4 blks from UCB & LBNL shuttle, no smokers, pets OK, avail. 4/24-5/15 & 6/1-8/14, $925 & $975/mo. Viki, 549-1876 (after 5 p.m.)
BERKELEY, McGee/Allston, part. furn., 2-bdrm, 1-bth apt, avail. end of May thru Aug., hardwd flrs, stove, refrig., microwave, TV, laundry, water, garbage incl., no smokers, $672/mo. Maria, X4787, 883-0971
NO. BERKELEY, furn. 3-bdrm home, living rm w/Golden Gate view, dining rm, kitchen, study, garden & patio, basement rented to LBNL scientist, for rent in July, owner traveling to Europe, dates still somewhat flex., 10 min. to LBNL by car, nr #7 & #43 bus lines, no pets, $1600/mo. utils. include. 524-6606 (eve.)
NO. BERKELEY, by Indian Rock, furn. 2-bdrm, 2-bth home, avail. 6/14-29, $400. X6318
SO. BERKELEY, 1-bdrm in duplex, hardwood flrs + walls, frpl, spacious, washer + dryer, patio, guest scientist leaving Berkeley in May, all furniture + TV + kitchen supply for sale, $875/mo. Thomas, X5363, 883-0219
EL CERRITO, furn. 3-bdrm, 2-bth house, avail. approx. mid-June to mid-Sept., hot tub, #7 bus to downtown Berkeley, BART 1 mi., $1250/mo. util. incl. except l.d. phone calls. 237-4654
EL CERRITO HILLS, nr Kensington/Berkeley, 3-bdrm, 2-bth home, bay view, piano, 3 decks, sauna, washer/dryer, prefer yr. lease, no smoking, no pets, BART, bus or 10 min. drive to LBNL, $1500/mo. 6005
KENSINGTON, lg. furn. rm, bth, bay view, garden, laundry, nr shops, share home w/woman writer, 10 yr. old daughter & 2 cats (sorry, no more pets), prefer woman, $400/mo., share utils. Arlene, 644-3164
MORAGA, furn. 3-bdrm house, 30 min. scenic drive to LBNL, avail. 5/25-9/1, prefer nonsmoker, visiting scholar & spouse, util. incl. $1300/mo. + dep. X4905, 376-4126
ORINDA, 1-bdrm, 1-bth house w/home ofc., rural setting, sublet 7/14-8/31, $250/wk or $1500 term + dep. David or Zanna, 253-9583
PT. RICHMOND, on the water, 400 sq. ft. studio, sep. entrance, bay, Mt. Tam & Angel Is. & 3-bridge views, avail. 5/5, furn. avail. $500/mo. 236-8293
SAN LEANDRO, Juana Ave. nr Bancroft Ave., 3-bdrm, 2-bth, 1500+ sq. ft. unit in 4-plex., $1050/mo. 530-0522
WALNUT CREEK, 2-bdrm, 1--bth house, wooded setting, hardwd flrs, new appliances, nonsmokers, no pets, avail. 5/15, $1050/mo. 895-3584 (msg.)
WANTED: furn. house for the mo. of July for visiting German Professor, wife & 3 children (4, 6, 10), Berkeley, Oakland, or surrounding areas OK. Jen, X4058
WANTED: 2-bdrm house for long-term rental, have refrig. & washer/dryer, need garage, 2-car preferred, would like frpl, yd, 1.5-2 bth, nr trans., willing to do most repairs, everything except plumbing, in exchange for reduced move-in costs, $800-$1150/mo. Cynthia, X6672, 215-8566
WANTED: 1-bdrm apt/house for Chinese visiting postdoc, nr LBNL or shuttle, May to June. Bahram, [email protected] or Ge, [email protected]
WANTED: rental house, 8/97 to 8/98. http://www-afrd.lbl.gov/afrd-business.html#lichtenthaler
WANTED: House or Apartment under $1000 per month to rent for sabbatical, approx. Aug. '97 to Summer '98, nr UCB/LBNL, don`t smoke, no kids, no pets. Prof. J. Spence, [email protected], (602) 965-6486 (wk), (602) 968-5944 (home)
WANTED: 1-bdrm (or lg. studio) in-law, apt or house in Albany, No. Berkeley or El Cerrito for LBNL employee. Nance, X7328
WANTED: 2-bdrm house/apt in Berkeley/Albany/EC from about 6/1 to 10/1 while we remodel ours, prefer unfurn. Jonathan, X4148, 525-5540
CABO SAN LUCAS, trip for 2, restricted to Sun. departure & Thurs. return, must be completed by 12/18/97, incl. RT airfare from S.F. to Los Cabos, 4 nights accomodations at either Melia properties, hotel tax, RT airport/hotel transfers, $998 retail, $850. Denise, X6274, 939-775
HAWAII, 20 mi. below Hilo on rainy side of Big Island, convenient to Univ. of Hawaii & orchid plantation, 2-bdrm, 2-bth house, nr schools, shopping & rec. center, 1 mi. to ocean bluff, $450/mo., possible lease-option to buy for $60K. X6005
PARIS, France, furn. apts., nr Eiffel Tower (2/1) or in Latin Qtr. (1/1), by wk/mo./yr. 848-1830
Please note also: