Gerry Abrams, Physics
Musahid Ahmed, Chemical Sciences
Mark Biggin, Life Sciences (Chair)
Delia Clark, Administrative Services
Rick Diamond, Environmental Energy Technologies
Enrique Henestroza, Accelerator and Fusion Research
Stephen Holbrook, Physical Biosciences
Hoi-Ying Holman, Earth Sciences
Kristen Kadner, Genomics
Gary Krebs, Advanced Light Source
Alex Liddle, Materials Sciences
Juan Meza, Computing Sciences
Peggy Norris, Nuclear Sciences
Rollie Otto, Public Affairs
Amy Pagsolingan, Human Resources
George Reyes, Facilities
Teresa Rossi, Financial Services
Weyland Wong, Engineering
Gary Zeman, Environment, Health and Safety
Lori Fong, Human Resources (staff)
Harry Reed, Workforce Diversity (staff)

New Diversity Council to Focus on Divisional Efforts
(From Currents, January 8, 2003)

Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank has announced the establishment of the Best Practices Diversity Council. A key focus of this new group will be to strengthen Laboratory diversity efforts by taking advantage of accomplishments at the divisional level.

The Best Practices Diversity Council will provide a forum for identifying and sharing programs and practices that have proven their effectiveness in enhancing diversity.

"We intend to leverage the 'best-in-class' activities being undertaken by each division and implement these across the Laboratory," Shank said, and added, "we aspire to be a leader in creating a diverse workplace."

Among the examples of the creative and effective division-based programs that have been established are Computing Sciences' School-to-Career program, which places Peralta College of Alameda students in training positions that have resulted in career placements; the Physical Biosciences' Undergraduate Outreach Internship Program, a mentoring effort focused on underrepresented minorities; and the Earth Sciences language skills training program, designed to nurture a diverse lab culture by enhancing the verbal skills of foreign national technical and scientific staff.

Shank has asked each division director to appoint a representative to the Council, someone who is actively involved in developing the divisional diversity plan. Those plans, which are largely focused on recruitment and retention practices, can be found on the Berkeley Lab web site at http://www.lbl.gov/Workplace/WFDAP/.

"We need to raise our level of performance, and this means moving the process of finding promising ideas into the organization." Harry Reed, the Head of the Laboratory's Workforce Diversity Office, will serve as principal staff to the new
council.

Representatives from the human resources recruitment office, planning and strategic development, government and community relations, and science education will participate in the new council.

Shank commended the work of the LBNL Diversity Committee, which he established in 1991, and singled out for special praise the leadership and dedication of the two co-chairs, Kathie Hardy and Linda Smith.

When Diversity Council membership is complete, a first meeting will be scheduled early in the new year.