With increased construction around the Lab and the resulting reduction of parking spaces, trying to find a place to park your car has become more challenging. However, don’t be tempted to park illegally because this can cause safety hazards. Take the photo above as an example. The vehicle was parked outside of the painted lines that designate actual spaces and is blocking a crosswalk. Citations can be issued for this type of violation. If you’re driving to the Lab, consider arriving early to ensure access to legal parking spots, or consider using mass transit, commuting alternatives, and the Lab’s shuttle bus service to get to work.
Go to OurSafety for more on the Lab's safety efforts.
People: CRD’s Wang Finalist for Gordon Bell Prize at SC08A team led by Lin-Wang Wang, with Berkeley Lab’s Computational Research Division, is among finalists for a Gordon Bell prize, which is awarded each year at the SC08 supercomputing conference. The prize recognizes “innovation in applying high-performance computing to applications in science” and comes with a $10,000 award. Wang’s group has been recognized for the Linear Scaling Three Dimensional Fragment (LS3DF) method. The computer algorithms in this method use a “divide-and-conquer” technique to efficiently gain insights into how nanostructures function in systems with 10,000 or more atoms. More>
Excess/Salvage: No-Cost Hauling of Old Material Offered; Requests Start Thursday The Lab’s Facilities Division is conducting a fall cleanup at no cost to customers. Requests will be accepted Thursday through Nov. 30 and handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests are expected to be completed by Dec. 5. Material over 500 pounds, hazardous waste, and universal e-waste will not be accepted. To request a pick-up, go here then click “Transportation Move Request.” When filling out the form, check the “Cleanup” box. Include a description of all items and attach the Transportation Authorization Form (which will be e-mailed when the request is submitted) to the items. Contact your Division Safety Liaison for information about hazardous or universal e-waste pick-up.
Benefits: Nine Days Left for Open Enrollment; Stress-Relief WorkshopEmployees are reminded that the Open Enrollment period, a time during which changes can be made to UC health and welfare coverage, ends on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Also, the Lab’s Health Care Facilitator is sponsoring a free workshop on relieving stress on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Bldg. 66-316.
Berkeley Lab physicist Eric Linder will discuss “Dark Energy Rules the Universe (and Why the Dinosaurs Don’t)” during a free lecture in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre next Monday, Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Lab’s Friends of Science organization. The theatre is located at 2025 Addison St., near Shattuck Ave. 
The newest Our University, the UC Office of the President newsletter for faculty and staff, is now available. Highlights include stories on how UC is weathering the economic storm, the Cal Teach Program that prepares furture math and science teachers, and a feature on UC Davis’s Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.