Jay Keasling, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy Institute, has agreed to serve as Acting Deputy Laboratory Director for Berkeley Lab, effective immediately. Keasling is one of the top synthetic biologists in the world. A professor of chemical engineering at UC Berkeley, Keasling's work in anti-malarial drugs and his leadership in biofuels research is globally recognized. Keasling is also a strong advocate of safe work practices, and has proven himself to be an exemplary leader at the Laboratory. Go here to view a video message from Berkeley Lab Interim Director Paul Alivisatos on this announcement. 
In The News: A License to Print Gadgets[New Scientist] Wallpaper with changing designs, bulbless lamps that shed light from their shades, mediaeval-looking scrolls that unroll to become flexible full-color displays... These are just a few of the new devices the approaching era of printed electronics could bring. "Printed electronics potentially has tremendous advantages in terms of costs — perhaps up to three orders of magnitude cheaper than silicon," says Berkeley Lab materials scientist Vivek Subramanian. More>
Employee Activity: Hula Hoop Fitness Club Holds First Meeting TuesdayWork gets so busy it sometimes feels like we’re going around in circles. But that motion can also provide a fun and healthy break from the day’s duties. Enter the Lab’s newest Employee Activities Club — the Hoop Troupe. All staff are invited to attend their inaugural meeting on Tuesday, March 31, at noon in the Building 76 multipurpose room. No experience is required and hoops will be provided. For those who admire the physical fitness of Michelle Obama, it’s rumored that this is how stays in shape. More>
Special Event: Science@Theater Talk on Next Generatoin Solar Cells Cyrus Wadia, with Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division, presents the next installment of the “Science at the Theater” series of lectures at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 6, at the Berkeley Repertory Theater. He will discuss the development of photovoltaic technology so inexpensive and easy to install that even the most remote villages of the world could gain access to electricity. Watch a recent KGO-TV story on Wadia’s work.
Wellness: ‘Active for Life’ Program Kicks Off Soon; Info Meeting on April 1The Lab’s Health Care Facilitator, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, invites employees to join this year’s Active For Life, a free, fun-filled team-based, 10-week health and fitness program, starting on April 20. Berkeley Lab has competed against Livermore and Sandia Labs the past two years. This year, we will be competing against six other national labs. To learn more, attend an information meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, in the lower cafeteria area, or call x6997.
Lab staff can take advantage of discounted tickets for upcoming shows at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Sesame Street Live presents “Elmo’s Green Thumb” with shows June 18 through 31, while the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus presents shows August 12 through 16. Enter BERKLAB as the promotional code when ordering.
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