Lab, South Dakota Group Map DUSEL’s Future

Berkeley Lab hosted a group of South Dakota officials and congressional staffers Dec. 6 to discuss the next phases of the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL), a multipurpose research facility that is slated to be developed at Homestake, a former gold mine near Lead, SD. The group included members of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and staff members from South Dakota’s Congressional delegation: Senators Tim Johnson (D) and John Thune (R) and Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D). They met with Lab physicist Kevin Lesko, principal investigator of Homestake DUSEL, and several other Lab and UC Berkeley employees. Full story.

Gray

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation recently announced the 2007 winners of its Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction. The award recognizes leading scientists for significant work that advances basic research concepts or clinical application in the fields of breast cancer. This year’s recipients are Berkeley Lab Associate Laboratory Director Joe Gray and Leslie Bernstein of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Go here to read the Komen Foundation press release.

Homespun Electricity,
From the Wind
By Kristina Shevory

Wiser

Ryan Wiser, with Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division, is quoted in a recent New York Times article that explores how suburban homeowners are installing wind turbines to generate electricity. Wiser said the effect of large wind farms on home values has been mixed, and added that there are no studies covering small turbines. When calculating the sale price of a home with a turbine, some brokers value them as they would a swimming pool, adding half of the purchase and installation costs to a home’s price. Full story.

The Site Access Office has launched a new online visitor pass system that must be used by employees starting today. Users can access a step-by-step instruction manual by clicking a link on the log-in page. The new system allows visitors to print their own parking permits and bus passes (formerly processed through a separate system), which allows them through the Lab's gates. The meeting/conference form has also been integrated onto the site. For more information, or to report a problem, contact Maki Tabata (x7572) or Sam Houston (x4855).

Say Goodbye, Thanks
To Fleming Today

A tribute to former Berkeley Lab Deputy Director Graham Fleming will take place today from 3 to 5 p.m. in the cafeteria. Friends and colleagues are invited to stop by to say goodbye and share memories with him as he embarks on a sabbatical leave.