Award Archive
2009 Awards
Jerry Johnson Named One of Top 50 Government CIOs
Jerry Johnson, PNNL Chief Information Officer (CIO), was named one of the Top 50 Government CIOs by Information Week. This is Information Week's first-ever compilation of top CIOs in federal, state and local government.
This is not a recognition that was applied for or for which there was a formal nomination process. Rather it's based on the feedback from the network of government CIO peers that Jerry routinely interacts with. Jerry is the only CIO from a DOE national lab among the Top 50. (Posted 9/1/2009)
Beat Schmid Receives Dual Honor from DOE Office of Science
Beat Schmid recently was honored with two awards by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. These two awards recognize Beat's leadership contributions to the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, a DOE multi-laboratory, interagency program for global climate change research. The awards honored Beat's three-year terms as a member of the ARM Climate Research Facility Science Board and as leader of the ARM Program's Aerosol Working Group.
Dr. Beat Schmid, foreground, points out a feature on a research aircraft used in ARM field
The Science Board is composed of highly respected ARM-supported scientists and the external climate research community. During his term, Schmid reviewed large user facility proposals and made funding recommendations. Dr. Wanda Ferrell, Program Director of the ARM Climate Research Facility, included these words on the plaque: "Your contribution has established a solid foundation for ensuring that the best quality science is conducted at the ACRF."
The Aerosol Working Group comprises national and international climate experts whose research is quantifying the impact of aerosols on clouds that affect the Earth's climate system. Dr. Patricia M. Dehmer, Acting Associate Director of DOE's Office of Science, included these words on the award: "Because of your dynamic leadership, the Working Group has made a significant scientific contribution to the ARM program's aerosol science and climate community at large." Beat received the Working Group award at the annual ARM Science Team Meeting in April. (Posted 4/1/2009)
Kevin Rosso Received Best Paper Award at Geosciences Symposium
Kevin Rosso received the Best Paper from a National Laboratory Award at the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences Geosciences Symposium. The symposium brought together 50+ U.S. experts in geosciences and related fields to discuss ongoing and future research. Every year, the symposium's committee of observers awards two best paper awards: one to a national laboratory researcher and one to a university researcher.
The award-winning paper Rosso presented was on redox transformations of the iron oxide hematite. Rosso showed that under certain conditions interfacial electron transfer can couple to bulk conduction of electrons yielding transformation to unique crystal morphologies. These results with iron oxide are relevant to water quality, corrosion science, soil evolution, and environmental cleanup.
Rosso is active in the scientific community, having authored or co-authored 90+ peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He is a frequent speaker at universities and international symposia. In addition, he is a life fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and a member of the Geochemical Society and the American Chemical Society. The symposium was held March 12-13, 2009, in Annapolis, Maryland. (Posted 3/1/2009)
Donna Magruder and Casey O'Leary Receive DOE Secretarial Honor Award From Secretary Bodman
They were honored for their extraordinary achievement in identifying and neutralizing cyber threats to the DOE. The ceremony recognizes a number of department employees for their outstanding leadership, accomplishments, commitment to excellence and contributions benefiting the organization and our nation. (Posted 1/1/2009)
Tom Cook and Team Awarded the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology's 2008 John A. McCone Award
Tom Cook and a team of others were awarded the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology's 2008 John A. McCone Award. The award honors agency employees who bring science and technology to bear on the nation's most challenging intelligence problems. It is presented to teams or individuals whose dedication and accomplishments exemplify the tradition of the Directorate of Science and Technology – deep technical expertise, disciplined program management, and responsiveness to mission. The award acknowledges the importance of teamwork, creativity, innovation, initiative, risk-taking, persistence and determination. (Posted 1/1/2009)
2008 Awards
Larry Runyon Receives Deputy Director's Award for Individual Excellence from DOE Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Larry Runyon received the Deputy Director's Award for Individual Excellence at the second annual DOE Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence Award Program April 30, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Larry was recognized for his outstanding performance in executing his responsibilities as the Deputy Senior Counterintelligence Officer for the PNNL Counterintelligence Program, and in particular, for his diligence, aggressiveness, thoroughness and overall professionalism demonstrated during his investigation of two high-profile cases of national impact that ultimately became models for the entire DOE counterintelligence community.
Larry's efforts over the last six-plus years investigating the two unique, complex and high-profile CI cases, and his ultimate application of the facts developed in those cases into a successful case study workshop were the basis for the award (Posted 5/1/2008)
2007 Awards
PNNL's Julia Laskin honored with 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
A physical chemist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been recognized with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers - the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers who are beginning their careers.
Julia Laskin was honored for her leadership in the field of gas-phase ion chemistry and mass spectrometry of large complex molecules that is critical for development of new analytical techniques for improved chemical characterization of synthetic and natural polymers, petroleum, biofuels and other complex samples in biology, environmental science, drug discovery and counter-terrorism. Her internationally recognized research in fundamental reaction kinetics and ion surface reactions provides a basis for understanding the mass spectrometry of high molecular weight compounds and preparation of novel biomaterials.
"These awards reflect our belief that the representatives of the new generation of scientists and engineers honored today are meeting demanding scientific and technical challenges with superior leadership, knowledge and insight," Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. "I'm pleased to recognize the extraordinary scientific and technical achievements represented by the awardees' contributions."
Interim Laboratory Director Mike Kluse said he is pleased that for the second year in a row, a PNNL staff member is being honored with this award. "The PECASE awards recognize young scientists at the frontiers of their disciplines," he said. "Julia is a leader whose research contributes to vital DOE missions through significant advancements in biological and environmental science, medical research and counter terrorism."
Laskin is a senior research scientist in the Chemical & Materials Sciences Division of PNNL's Fundamental and Computational Sciences Directorate. She earned a master's degree in physics from the Physico-Mechanical Division of the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute in Russia in 1990, and a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel in 1998. She started at PNNL as a postdoctoral research associate in 2000 and has been a research scientist with the Laboratory since 2003.
Each Presidential award winner received a citation, a plaque and a commitment for continued funding of their work from their agency for five years. Laskin is one of four DOE national laboratory staff members receiving the PECASE award this year. (Posted 11/1/2007)
Cliff Glantz Awarded for Exceptional Service to DOE Emergency Management
Richard Davis (left), Chair of the EMI Special Interest Group Steering Committee, presents Cliff Glantz with an award for exceptional service during the group's annual meeting in May 2007.
On May 9, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researcher Cliff Glantz was presented with a special recognition award at the annual meeting for the Department of Energy's Emergency Management Issues - Special Interest Group. In front of about 250 colleagues, Cliff was given the award for sustained outstanding services to the EMI Special Interest Group, "particularly in his role as chair of the Subcommittee on Consequence Assessment and Protective Action [SCAPA] and for exceptional contribution to the DOE Emergency Management Program in general."
For the past five years, Cliff has chaired the SCAPA, which became a part of the EMI Special Interest Group three years ago; prior to that it was an independent DOE committee. Through its working groups, the SCAPA provides DOE and its contractors with technical information and recommendations for emergency preparedness to assist in safeguarding the health and safety of workers and the public. Cliff became involved in these organizations through his work developing consequence assessment models and participating as a meteorologist and hazards assessment team member in the Hanford Emergency Operations Center.
Cliff is a staff scientist in the Applied Atmospheric Sciences Group of the Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division. His emergency preparedness work is supported by the DOE Office of Emergency Management and Policy (NA-41), the Hanford Emergency Preparedness Program, and the Laboratory's Facilities and Operations Directorate. (Posted 7/1/2007)
PNNL Scientist Honored with National Department of Energy Award
John Zachara, a scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been recognized by DOE with the prestigious E.O. Lawrence Award. The Lawrence Award honors scientists and engineers at mid-career for exceptional contributions in research and development that support DOE and its mission to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States.
Zachara is the sixth PNNL scientist to win the DOE award since its inception in 1959. He will be honored by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman at a ceremony in late March in Washington, D.C. DOE announced the eight winners earlier today.
Lawrence Awards are given in each of the following seven categories: Chemistry; Environmental Science and Technology; Life Sciences (including Medicine); Materials Research; National Security; Nuclear Technology; and Physics. Zachara was honored in the Environmental Science and Technology category. Each Lawrence Award recipient receives a $50,000 honorarium as well as a citation signed by the Secretary of Energy and a gold medal bearing the likeness of Ernest Orlando Lawrence.
Zachara is the senior chief scientist for environmental chemistry in the Chemical and Materials Sciences Division of PNNL's Fundamental Sciences Directorate. His research has focused on chemical interactions of toxic metals and radionuclides with mineral surfaces and microorganisms that control the rate at which these contaminants move through soils, sediments and groundwater. He has published more than 125 scholarly articles on these subjects. Zachara also has been instrumental in bringing teams of top scientists to Hanford to collaborate with PNNL and Hanford scientists to resolve complex issues of subsurface contaminant migration.
Zachara earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Bucknell University in 1973, a master's degree in soil and watershed chemistry from the University of Washington in 1979, and a doctorate in soil chemistry from Washington State University in 1986. He has been at PNNL since 1979. (Posted 2/7/2007)
2006 Awards
Fredrickson Named GTL Chief Scientist
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Laboratory Fellow Jim Fredrickson was appointed Chief Scientist of the U.S. Department of Energy's Genomics: Genomes to Life (GTL) program. This is a new position created by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) at DOE in September 2005. As Chief Scientist, Dr. Fredrickson provides scientific leadership and guidance in coordination with the GTL Program Manager and other BER staff. His responsibilities include representing the GTL program's science at scientific meetings, with contributions to the scientific literature, and in interactions with national associations such as the National Academy of Sciences and the American Society for Microbiology.
Some of Fredrickson's activities and accomplishments in this new role include the following:
- Co-organizer of the DOE Biomass to Biofuels Workshop hosted by BER and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy December 6-9 in Rockville, Maryland. At the workshop, he gave a talk on "GTL Crosscutting Science Applied to Biomass." He is currently contributing to the final workshop report.
- Participant in the National Academies Committee review of the GTL program in September. He presented the program's progress and potential and challenges it faces. He was instrumental in helping BER prepare key material that addressed specific questions by the committee.
- Planning of and participation in the Joint Genomics: GTL Contractor-Grantee Workshop IV and Metabolic Engineering Working Group Interagency Conference on Metabolic Engineering 2006 February 12-15 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Fredrickson works closely with the DOE Program Manager and GTL scientists and is helping define GTL performance metrics, milestones, and expected outcomes. He also assists in preparing updated versions of the GTL Science Plan/Roadmap, which define the scientific direction and goals of the program. (Posted 2/1/2006)
Andy Ward Earns Mickey Leland Mentoring Award
Andy Ward received the Office of Fossil Energy Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Mentor Award. He was recognized for his loyal and dedicated service beyond the call of duty while serving as a mentor to college minority students focused in geology.
As a mentor, Andy established personal relationships with five interns over the summers of 2004 and 2005. He helped them develop long-term management skills, provided opportunities for students to interact with scientists from various backgrounds, and maintained regular interaction and consistent support. (Posted 1/1/2006)
2005 Awards
Yanwen Zhang Receives 2005 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
Yanwen Zhang, a materials physicist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, today received the 2005 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers -- the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. Zhang and 55 other recipients were honored by President Bush earlier today and received their awards from John Marburger, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
To be eligible for the presidential award, Zhang first had to be selected by the Department of Energy for its Early Career Scientist and Engineer Award. As a PECASE recipient, Zhang receives a committment from DOE's Office of Science to continue funding the research for which the award was given for five years.
Zhang's research focuses on interactions of energetic ions with solid materials and how those interactions can be applied to the analysis and study of those materials. Zhang developed a novel way of measuring the energy loss of atomic particles as they pass through materials. Accurate measurements of such energy loss were a long-standing problem until Zhang successfully used high-resolution, time-of-flight spectroscopy to determine energy loss over a continuous range of energies.
Because energy loss of high-energy particles is fundamental to irradiation effects, radiation detection, and electronic device manufacturing, Zhang's discoveries have potential applications in nuclear power, national security, nuclear waste management and energy efficient electronics. Zhang, whose research is supported by DOE's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, is a staff scientist in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a scientific user facility at PNNL.
The presidential award embodies the high priority placed by the government on maintaining the leadership position of the United States in science by producing outstanding scientists and engineers who will broadly advance science and the missions important to participating agencies, such as DOE.
The award also recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership in scholarship, service and education.
With more than 100 publications and several long-term international research collaborations, Zhang is recognized for her contributions in ion-solid interactions, irradiation effects and ion beam techniques. She also is active in several professional societies, has received many international scientific and academic awards and is involved in educational activities and community service.
She routinely hosts visiting scientists at EMSL's ion-beam user facility, lectures on topics related to ion beam physics, mentors post doctoral fellows, graduate students, summer undergraduates and high school interns, serves on Ph.D. committees, assists local middle schools with Chinese translations, and serves as a judge for local science fairs.
Zhang holds two doctorate degrees - one in engineering physics from Lund University in Sweden and another in science from Beijing Normal University in China. (Posted 7/27/2006)
PNNL's Marylynn Placet Shares DOE Hydrogen Program Award for Excellence in R&D
(Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and others). Marianne Mintz and Michael Wang of Argonne National Laboratory; Margaret Mann, Johanna Levene, and Matthew Ringer of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Marylynn Placet of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Mike Rutkowski of Parsons Engineering; Steven Lasher and Kurt Roth of TIAX; Brian James of Directed Technologies, Inc.; Dan Mears of Technology Insights; and Joan Ogden of the University of California, Davis, received the 2005 Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program Award for Excellence in R&D in May. The team of scientists and engineers was recognized for advancing the analysis capabilities of hydrogen production and distribution. Their efforts resulted in an H2A model that provides a clear and transparent methodology, enabling DOE to evaluate various technology options for producing and delivering hydrogen and make decisions in an unbiased manner.
The award was presented at the 2005 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation of the U.S. DOE Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program. The peer-review meeting was held on May 23 - 25, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia. PNNL's role was to assist in the development of the lifecycle costing methodology and develop appropriate financial and feedstock price forecasts for use in the analysis. (Posted 10/1/2005)
PNNL Power Grid Expert Receives BPA Award
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researcher and Laboratory Fellow John Hauer received one of the Bonneville Power Administration's highest honors, the BPA Award for Exceptional Public Service.
Hauer is an internationally recognized expert in power system monitoring, analysis and control. After retiring from BPA in 1994, Hauer joined PNNL and continued his pioneering work in improving power system reliability. Although semi-retired from PNNL, Hauer still is active on BPA and Department of Energy projects.
For example, Hauer has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of technologies to reduce blackouts, such as the one experienced by the eastern United States and Canada in August 2003.
The award is part of BPA's 2005 Administrator's Excellence Awards program. It recognizes "outstanding achievements by employees whose innovation, initiative, superior service or courageous acts have made exceptional contributions to BPA's mission, the electric utility industry or to the local community." The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Energy.
Hauer is a 1961 electrical engineering graduate of Gonzaga University and received a Ph.D. in controls systems from the University of Washington in 1968. He is a licensed professional engineer and a life fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers. (Posted 8/22/2005)
DOE's Distinguished Associate Award Presented to PNNL Researcher
Richard Moss recognized by Secretary of Energy for leadership in global and climate change research.
Richard Moss, director of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Office in Washington D.C., and a staff scientist of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has received the Distinguished Associate Award from the Department of Energy. The award, designated and signed by Spencer Abraham, former Secretary of Energy, recognizes Moss "for his outstanding leadership and individual efforts in global and climate change research and his dedication in helping to integrate ... agency research and develop the Strategic Plan for these combined programs." The award was presented at a ceremony in January by Dr. Raymond Orbach, director of DOE's Office of Science.
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program is the nation's foremost national research program focusing on changes in climate and related environmental systems. The program integrates research from 13 participating federal agencies and departments, and has an annual budget of approximately $1.8 billion.
The Distinguished Associate Award is the highest award for employees of DOE-owned, contractor-operated facilities, such as PNNL. Winners must be nominated by DOE program managers and cannot apply for the honor.
In addition to his role of director of the program office, Moss also holds an appointment as staff scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute which is managed by the University of Maryland - College Park and PNNL. From 1993-1998, he served as director of the Technical Support Unit of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - impacts, adaptation and mitigation working group. He has served as a lead author and general editor of several IPCC assessments, special reports and technical papers.
Moss has also served as program officer at the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme in Stockholm, Sweden, where he co-authored a report on human drivers of land use and land cover change. Moss served on the faculty of Princeton University from 1989 to 1991. He currently chairs the Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis of the IPCC and serves on the editorial board of Climatic Change Magazine. He was named a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program in 2001 and was a member of the editorial board of Annual Review of Energy and the Environment from 1994-1999.
He earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Carleton College in Minnesota in 1977, and master's and doctorate degrees in public and international affairs from Princeton University in 1983 and 1987, respectively.
PNNL (www.pnl.gov) is a DOE Office of Science laboratory that solves complex problems in energy, national security, the environment and life sciences by advancing the understanding of physics, chemistry, biology and computation. PNNL employs 3,900, has a $650 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965. (Posted 1/31/2005)
2004 Awards
PNNL's Diaz Receives National Engineering and Homeland Security Honors
Diaz recognized twice with distinct honors for leadership in developing homeland security technology.
Aaron Diaz, a staff scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been selected to receive two distinct honors for his work in homeland security.
The first is the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC). Diaz is the first PNNL staff member to receive this honor, and joins other 2004 winners from IBM, Hewlett Packard and Argonne National Laboratory. Diaz is being recognized for both his technical accomplishments as well as his extensive contributions of community service in the greater Hispanic community.
The second is the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation's (CCFF) Homeland Security Award. Diaz is being recognized in the field of border/transportation security for his scientific research and engineering development of nondestructive and noninvasive ultrasonic technologies.
At PNNL, Diaz led the development of ultrasonic measurement techniques that have resulted in the invention of the Acoustic Inspection Device, a technology being commercialized for use by border patrol agents around the United States. This technology also won an R&D 100 Award and a Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Technology Transfer in 2003.
Diaz has been an invited speaker at numerous scientific conferences, and has continued that speaking role for minority student audiences ranging from elementary to post-graduate level. He has been active in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the International Society for Optical Engineering and the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. Additionally, he continues to make regular visits to his hometown of Toppenish, Wash., where he encourages high school students to pursue studies in science.
He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1989, and has more than 30 publications and technical reports to his credit.
Diaz will receive the HENAAC award during the 16th Annual HENAAC Conference on Oct. 8, in Pasadena, Calif., at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, a venue that also has hosted the Emmys and the Oscars. He will receive the CCFF Homeland Security Award on Oct. 11 — Columbus Day — at a ceremony held at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.
HENAAC (www.henaac.org) was established in 1989 to highlight the achievements of Hispanics in engineering, science, technology, and math; to motivate and educate more students to pursue careers in these fields; and to increase the role the Hispanic community plays in maintaining America's status as the world's technology leader. Contributing partners to the HENAAC mission include universities, NASA and the National Academy of Engineering.
CCFF (www.columbusfdn.org) was established by Congress in 1992 as an independent federal agency to "encourage and support research, study and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind." Governed by a Presidential appointed Board of Trustees, the Foundation seeks to nurture and recognize pioneering individuals and programs which reflect the visionary spirit and pioneering heritage of Christopher Columbus through competitions. (Posted 9/28/2004)
2002 Awards
Thomas Ackerman Awarded NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal
Thomas Ackerman, Battelle Fellow and Chief Scientist for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, has been awarded the National Aeronautics & Space Administration’s Distinguished Public Service Medal. This is the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a Government employee when the service was performed. The award is granted only to individuals whose distinguished accomplishments contributed substantially to the NASA — mission. Dr. Ackerman has been intimately involved with the NASA earth science activities for many years. In addition, he has served on several NASA review boards and panels over the past 15 years.
Ann Lesperance Awarded Environmental Protection Agency's Bronze Medal
Ann Lesperance, Senior Research Scientist II, Environmental Technology Directorate, has been awarded the Environmental Protection Agencys Bronze Medal. Ms. Lesperance was presented this award by EPA for developing a Statement of Cooperation between EPA and Environment Canada on protecting and managing Puget Sound/Georgia Basin—an international ecosystem shared by both countries. She currently works with the EPA Region X Administrator and the Washington State Director of Ecology on Hanford Cleanup issues. She also advises and mentors business students engaged in international business studies at the University of Washington.
2009 Elected Positions and Offices
Cheryl Cejka Picked to Head DOE Tech Transfer Group
The Department of Energy has named Cheryl Cejka, technology commercialization director at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), executive board chair of the agency's Technology Transfer Working Group.
The group is creating a policy framework to streamline technology transfer activities such as licensing at all DOE national laboratories. Laboratory-developed technologies can be used in commercial products after being licensed to outside businesses. The working group's members are from across the DOE's national laboratories.
Cejka has led PNNL's portfolio development and investment, intellectual property management and technology commercialization activities for eight years. PNNL's annual returns from intellectual assets have increased since then. Cejka also oversaw the creation of many technology licensing arrangements, which resulted in new business ventures based on PNNL technologies. Many of these transactions received national recognition for excellence in technology transfer. (Posted 1/1/2009)
2008 Elected Positions and Offices
Bruce Kay Appointed to DOE Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Dr. Bruce D. Kay recently accepted appointment to the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee. This committee helps solve complex scientific and technical issues for Basic Energy Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. Through BES, researchers expand the scientific foundations for energy technologies and understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of energy use.
As a part of the 25-member committee, composed of experts from academia, national laboratories, and other institutions, Kay will provide recommendations on research and facilities priorities, appropriate balance among scientific disciplines, and collaboration among research institutes and industries. Undersecretary for DOE's Office of Science Dr. Raymond Orbach selected Kay for this assignment.
Kay was chosen for his internationally recognized leadership in the chemical sciences. His research at PNNL examines condensed phase chemical kinetics and molecular dynamics aimed at gaining a detailed physical understanding of the molecular-level interactions responsible for phase transitions and catalytic chemical reactions. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Kay has written more than 120 journal articles and technical reports and given nearly 200 invited lectures at forums around the world (Posted 2/1/2008)
2007 Elected Positions and Offices
Jae Edmonds Appointed Chief Scientist
Jae Edmonds was appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy as Chief Scientist for the Integrated Drivers and Systems Responses (IDSR) program within the Office of Science's Climate Change Research Program. As the Chief Scientist, Edmonds will provide leadership and advice on integrated assessment to the IDSR program.
Through its support and management of scientific research, the IDSR program provides insights into the interaction of multiple facets of climate change that would not be available from disciplinary research alone. The IDSR program also develops tools that enable economic analysis and scenario development, and provides a framework in which greenhouse gas emissions, climate, climate change impacts, and adaptation to climate change can be simultaneously and consistently examined. One of the principle components of the IDSR program's research portfolio is the development and exercise of integrated assessment models. These models are core decision support tools that can assist decision makers in the determination of safe levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. They achieve this by formally representing the various determinants of greenhouse gas emissions, including demographic, economic, energy, and land use decision making, as well as through representations of the atmosphere, climate, oceans, and climate impacts and adaptation in an internally consistent framework.
A senior staff scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Jae is also a Laboratory Fellow and Chief Scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a collaboration between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Maryland. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to the field of integrated assessment of climate change and the examination of interactions between energy, technology, policy and the environment. (Posted 9/1/2007)
Darrell Fisher Named Scientific Director for DOE Isotope Program
Darrell Fisher was named as Scientific Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's Isotope Program. In this role, Darrell will bring together the capabilities, resources and requirements of the medical isotope community and national laboratories to address the nation's near- and long-term isotope needs, including cancer treatments, miniature power systems, and other applications.
Darrell, who will continue with his work leading the Laboratory's Radioisotopes Program, was selected because of his outstanding research and work in the scientific community, including the American Nuclear Society, the Society of Nuclear Medicine, and the Health Physics Society. (Posted 1/17/2007)
2006 Elected Positions and Offices
Al Ankrum to lead consortium of four national labs providing technical assistance to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Al Ankrum was selected as program coordinator for a consortium of four national labs that have joined efforts to provide technical assistance to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for new reactor licensing. The four laboratories are PNNL, Brookhaven, Oak Ridge and Argonne, and they anticipate substantial involvement in reviewing and evaluating the construction/operating license applications for as many as 20 new nuclear power reactors in the United States over the next few years. The estimated level of effort is about $80 million. Nineteen companies have announced they will seek licenses to build new power plants in the United States, with the first applications to be submitted to NRC in late 2007. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman recently announced that DOE would provide $2 billion in federal risk insurance to companies applying to build nuclear power plants, part of a package of government incentives designed to encourage the building of the country's first nuclear reactors since the 1970s. "This is a positive sign for nuclear energy domestically after more than 30 years without construction of a new reactor in this country," says Al, who is PNNL's relationship manager for the NRC. (Posted 10/18/2006)
Ray Wildung Appointed by the Secretary of Energy to the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee
Ray Wildung has been appointed by the Secretary of Energy to the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee. BERAC provides advice to the Director of the Office of Science on the many complex scientific and technical issues that arise in the development and implementation of the biological and environmental research program. Ray, a past recipient of the DOE E.O. Lawrence Award, was nominated to this committee because of his research experience and accomplishments in building a fundamental understanding of the long-term behavior of environmental contaminants from energy development and nuclear-defense activities. Ray will be asked to provide advice based on his expertise in the fields of soil science, microbiology, geochemistry and environmental remediation.
(Posted 4/1/2006)