L-r, top, Auer and Jorgens, bottom, Martin, Matis, and Torn

Five Lab Scientists
Get Mentor Awards

The Department of Energy's Office of Science has honored five Berkeley Lab researchers — Manfred Auer and Danielle Jorgens, (Life Sciences), Michael Martin (ALS), Howard Matis (Nuclear Science) and Margaret Torn (Earth Sciences) — as Outstanding Mentors for their work with students, coordinated through the Lab’s Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE) last summer.  "The role of mentors is absolutely essential in preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers," says Susan Brady, head of CSEE.  “We hope more Lab scientists will consider serving as mentors this summer.” Those interested in mentoring can send an e-mail here. 

Chu: Nuke Power
Part Of Energy Equation

Add Nobel Prize winner Steven Chu's name to the ranks of scientists who advocate turning to nuclear power as an alternative energy source. "Nuclear has to be a necessary part of the portfolio," Chu, the director of Berkeley Lab, said during an annual economic summit organized by Stanford University. Chu, who also is professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, said nuclear is the preferred choice to coal, pointing out that coal releases 50 percent more radioactivity than nuclear power plants. "The fear of radiation shouldn't even enter into this,” he said. "Coal is very, very bad." Full story.

Defense Dept. Grant
For Geophysical Imaging

The Defense Department's Environmental Security Technology Certification Program awarded an $89,000 grant to Regenesis, URS Corporation, and Berkeley Lab to evaluate the use of geophysical imaging tools — including seismic, radar, and electrical geophysical imaging — to verify the placement and subsurface distribution of soil amendments. The study will be conducted at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo. Full story.

JPEP-II collider

Taking the Measure
Of Electron Clouds

The Spallation Neutron Source, the Large Hadron Collider, and the proposed International Linear Collider all depend on accelerating positively charged particles like protons, heavy ions, or positrons to high energies and high currents. Clouds of low-energy electrons in the beam pipe, however, can cause severe problems. In the positron ring of the PEP-II collider at SLAC, Kiran Sonnad, Stefano De Santis, and John Byrd of Berkeley Lab’s Accelerator and Fusion Research Division, along with colleagues at CERN and SLAC, have successfully demonstrated a novel technique using microwave signals to directly measure electron cloud density over long lengths of beam pipe. Read their report in the March 7 issue of Physical Review Letters.

L-r, Garza, Medley, Reyes, Vega, Villacres, and Sandoval

UCLA Government Affairs
Staff Visit the Lab

Last Wednesday, Acting Head of Public Affairs Don Medley hosted staff from UCLA’s State Government Affairs Office. The group received an overview of Berkeley Lab, a tour of national user facilities, and learned how the State of California and UC benefit from the federal government investment in Berkeley Lab. The group consisted of Executive Director Ramona Cortes Garza, and staff members Cristina Reyes, Francesca Vega, Geneve Villacres, Erika Sandoval, and Mike Altschule.

The Lab’s Health Care Facilitator would like to invite all employees to attend an “Introduction to StayWell” meeting. StayWell is the health management provider for the new UC Living Well program. Attendees will learn the benefits of participating in StayWell, which include personalized messaging, action plans, and health coaches. The StayWell representative will also discuss the $75 gift certificate staff will receive upon completing a health assessment. The meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in Building 90-3122.