Special Event: Science in the Theater Lecture Tonight
The first in a series of lectures sponsored by Berkeley Lab’s Friends of Science will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Repertory Theater. Tonight’s lecture, by Arun Majumdar, is titled Buildings that Think Green: The Next Generation of Smart Energy Technologies. All lectures are free and open to the public.
People: Mark Levine on Furthering Energy Efficiency in China
Mark Levine heads the Environmental Energy Technologies Division’s China Energy Group, which he created in 1988 to work with Chinese organizations in furthering energy-efficiency policy in China. In recent testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Levine discussed ways China and the United States could work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More>
Benefits Update: 457(b) 2008 Year-End Contributions Deadline
The deadline for employees who want to enroll or make changes to their 457(b) tax-deferred compensation plan contribution is this Friday, September 26, for bi-weekly and monthly-paid employees. The 2008 Maximum Annual Contribution Limit is $15,500. For employees who are age 50 by Dec. 31, the limit is $20,500. Deductions made from your paycheck will lower your taxable earnings reported on your annual W-2 form. Enroll or make changes here, or call Fidelity Retirement Services (866) 682-7787. Please note that employees who want to enroll or make changes to their 403(b) plans have additional time to take action for 2008.
Health Note: Onsite Weight Watchers Program Begins Wednesday
The Lab’s onsite Weight Watchers program will hold a meeting on Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in Bldg. 26. Those who are interested in attending should contact Cathy Wentworth (x5334).
Call for Abstracts: ‘Signal and Imaging Sciences Workshop’ 2008
The Center for Advanced Signal and Imaging Sciences (CASIS) and the Engineering Directorate at LLNL will conduct the 15th annual two-day "Signal and Imaging Sciences Workshop" on November 20-21. Dr. Jose Principe from the University of Florida will be the keynote speaker. Titles and Abstracts are due by October 3. Go here for more information.
In Memoriam: Paola Timiras, Former Lab Researcher and Specialist on Aging, Dies at 85
Famed aging researcher and professor emerita of molecular and cell biology Paola Timiras, who in her mid-80s was still actively pursuing laboratory research and supervising graduate students, passed away on Friday Sept. 12 of heart failure. She was 85. A dynamic force in support of healthy aging, Timiras founded the Center for Research and Education on Aging (CREA) at the University of California, Berkeley when she was 78. At 79, she spearheaded an annual health fair to promote healthy aging, and enrolled in a strength-training class. At 80, she agreed to write a book, in French, on stress and longevity, published in 2004. Her full obituary can be read here.