September
12, 2003
To the Division Directors and the Operations Staff,
Jim Triplett has informed me of his intention to step down
from the position of Division Director for Engineering. I
have asked Kem Robinson to serve as Interim Division Director
as I begin the process of seeking Jim’s successor. Kem
begins his new responsibilities on September 15.
I am extremely grateful for Jim’s service as Division
Director since 1999. Under his leadership, Engineering has
launched an ambitious modernization of the Laboratory’s
shops, enabling us to move from outdated equipment to precision,
high-speed, state-of-the-art machines. He standardized the
Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools and added Product Data Management
(PDM) systems. He also created the DesignWorks, a new concept
for rapidly developing new project ideas. At the same time,
he has built new relationships with non-traditional Engineering
partners, seeking to address the needs of the broadest community
of Laboratory customers.
Director Shank notes, “I personally have enjoyed working
with Jim, and there have been major successes in Engineering
during his tenure, most notably, the Superbends for the Advanced
Light Source, the Front End System for the Spallation Neutron
Source, and the modernization of our shops. I wish him the
best in his new endeavors.”
In the interim, I am pleased that Kem Robinson has accepted
this important responsibility. Kem has been serving as the
Laboratory Project Management Officer; he has also been the
Deputy for General Sciences Projects and the Principal Division
Deputy of the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division. He
received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in experimental
free-electron laser (FEL) development, and worked on the first
operational storage ring FEL in Orsay, France. Before coming
to LBNL, he was the Vice President of Technology Development
and one of three principal owners of a for-profit R&D
firm. While there he was responsible for the development of
insertion devices used for synchrotron radiation centers and
free-electron lasers as well as for compact mass spectrometer
magnets designed for use by NASA on a Mars rover.
I hope you will join me in thanking Jim for his many contributions
and in welcoming Kem to his new role.
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