People: New Head of ESnet Named
Steve Cotter, who has 10 years of experience in designing and deploying research and commercial networks at the national and international scale, has been named as the new head of ESnet, the Department of Energy’s high-speed network that is managed by Berkeley Lab. Cotter, who most recently served as Google’s network deployment manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, assumes his new job on August 29. More>
Shuttle Bus: Brown Bag on Shuttle Buses Today
Lab Director Steve Chu, Chief Operations Officer Jim Krupnick and Facilities Division Director Jennifer Ridgeway are holding a brown-bag gathering today to discuss proposed enhancements to the shuttle bus service. The event runs from noon to 1 p.m. in the Building 50 Auditorium.
Special Event: Lab Hosts Conference on Carbonaceous Particles
The 9th International Conference on Carbonaceous Particles in the Atmosphere will take place in the Building 50 Auditorium for three days starting tomorrow. The conference will examine the role aerosol particles play in the atmosphere, and their effects on climate change. Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) researcher Thomas Kirchstetter is one of the two conference co-chairs, and retired EETD scientist Tica Novakov is an honorary chair. Director Steve Chu will provide a short welcome. More than half of the approximately 150 participants are from outside the U.S. More>
In Memoriam: Lab Chemist Neil Bartlett Passes Away
Neil Bartlett, a staff member of the Chemical Sciences Division and a Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley’s Department of Chemistry, passed away on August 5. Bartlett was a distinguished inorganic chemist and an active member of the UC Berkeley faculty from 1969 to 1992. He received many awards, and was internationally known for his seminal demonstration of the synthesis of noble gas compounds. Private services are planned.
In the News: Alivisatos Featured on Minnesota Public Radio
Paul Alivisatos, Deputy Director of Berkeley Lab, is featured in a recent Minnesota Public Radio broadcast that explores the promise of nanotechnology. Alivisatos discusses how nanotechnology may be applied to renewable energy technologies, such as new types of solar panels. Go here to download and listen to the broadcast. Real Player required.
Parking: Two-week Closure of U-5 Lot near Strawberry Gate
The rear portion of the U-5 parking lot (across from Strawberry Gate) will be closed for safety reasons from tomorrow until approximately August 28. Excavation and trench work will be conducted at the PG&E sites on the hill above the parking lot. A fair amount of earth and rocks falling into the U-5 lot is anticipated. Contact Site Access at x4855 with any questions.
Construction Update: Centennial Drive Reduced to One Lane this Week
There will be intermittent lane closures on Centennial Drive this week, just south of Strawberry Gate. The lane closures will enable UC Berkeley to conduct soil testing in support of construction to repair landslides adjacent to Centennial Drive. During this testing, flaggers will direct traffic to share one lane on a section of Centennial Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Construction Update: Temporary Road Closure near Building 6
The road running between Building 6 and Building 37 will be subject to traffic and pedestrian closures starting today and for the next two weeks, due to work that will replace underground piping used for used for cooling equipment in Buildings 6 and 80. Please obey all temporary signs and barricades.