Other Awards and Honors
2011 Awards
PNNL Announces Laboratory and Battelle Fellows for 2011
Alain Bonneville, Jason Zhang, Steve Ghan, Julia Laskin, Bill Morgan, Joel Pounds, and Ted Bowyer, were selected as 2011 Laboratory Fellows, a senior scientific and/or engineering position within PNNL; and Johannes Lercher was selected as a Battelle Fellow. These Laboratory Fellows and new Battelle Fellow have established national and international reputations with careers of sustained, highest-quality research and development in their respective fields. They were recommended by the Laboratory Fellows Promotion Advisory Committee and Deputy Director of Science and Technology Steven Ashby, and selected by Laboratory Director Mike Kluse. In addition to the qualities of a PNNL Fellow, the Battelle Fellow has a national and international reputation as an innovator and creator in broad scientific or technical areas. Battelle Fellows have made significant contributions that dramatically affect the conduct of their fields and are recognized authorities with far-reaching impact. Battelle Fellows are appointed by the Laboratory Director based on scientific merit and the recommendation of an associate laboratory director.
These newly selected Fellows will be recognized along with winners of the Laboratory Director's Scientific and Engineering Achievement Awards at a ceremony Sept. 1.
Fundamental & Computational Sciences Directorate
Steve Ghan is recognized for his research on cloud-aerosol interactions and the vitally important role they play in global climate change. Steve's work on atmospheric chemistry and physics ranging from molecular processes to the microscale and ultimately global scale has provided valuable insights for determining the critical balance between greenhouse gas warming and radiative cooling of the earth. Steve is one of the Lab's most highly cited scientists with 100 refereed publications to his credit, including a team contribution to the critically acclaimed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports that were cited by the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Julia Laskin is an award-winning scientist whose wide-ranging research interests include physical and analytical chemistry, specifically in mass spectrometry, gas phase ion chemistry, and the physical and chemical interactions of ions with tailored surfaces. Her work utilizing hyperthermal ion modification of surface-implanted molecules and nanodroplet electrospray ionization is paramount for advancing PNNL initiatives in catalysis, materials by design and chemical imaging.
Bill Morgan is an internationally renowned leader in radiation biology. Bill leads the Low Dose Radiation Research Program at PNNL where he concentrates his research on radiation biology with particular emphasis on the long-term biological effects of radiation exposure. Bill is one of the Lab's most highly cited scientists, claiming authorship of 130 high-impact peer-reviewed journals, 53 book chapters, and numerous publications.
Joel Pounds is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of environmental toxicology, particularly the interactions of biological systems and organisms with their environment and the identification of biomarkers for these interactions. His leadership of the serum proteomics project and work with systems toxicology of nanoparticles are recognized as major contributions to current PNNL science themes. Joel is a frequently invited presenter at national and international conferences and is also a dedicated mentor to younger colleagues at the Laboratory.
Energy & Environment Directorate
Alain Bonneville is highly regarded for his expertise in geophysics, specifically on subsurface heat transfer mechanisms, marine heat flow, intraplate volcanism and carbon sequestration science. Alain holds appointments as Professor, Vice Director and Acting President at two distinguished research universities in Paris and French Polynesia, which further attest his international leadership in the field of geophysics. He is currently responsible for the technical leadership of Laboratory-level Initiatives on Carbon Sequestration and Subsurface Science for Geologic Sequestration and Environmental Remediation.
Jason Zhang is regarded for his expertise in experimental and condensed matter physics, particularly in the development of thin-film ionic devices. His emphasis on understanding of fundamental mechanisms underlying Li-ion batteries has rapidly evolved into the Li-air battery concept that is one of the most promising candidates for meeting the high density storage requirements established by the Department of Energy's R&D program for hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Jason's knowledge of applied condensed matter physics is amply demonstrated by his highly cited publications and nineteen patents and patent applications.
National Security Directorate/
Ted Bowyer is an internationally recognized expert in nuclear physics, specifically the detection at extraordinarily remote locations of extremely low level airborne radioactive emissions that are definitive signatures for nuclear explosions. A recent demonstration of his research was the first characterization of nuclear emissions from the Fukushima reactor incident in Japan that was characterized by very low level identification of noble gases at PNNL. Ted serves as a scientific advisor to the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Energy, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Swedish Defense Research Institute and the Korean Institute for Nuclear Safety.
New Hire Battelle Fellow
PNNL also welcomes new staff member and Battelle Fellow Johannes Lercher, FCSD. Lercher, an internationally recognized chemist and catalysis expert, is the new director of the Institute for Integrated Catalysis (IIC). He is currently a chemistry professor at Technische Universität München in Munich, Germany, and the editor of a leading chemistry journal, The Journal of Catalysis. Lercher's appointment to the IIC will give PNNL researchers the opportunity to enhance and expand on international research collaborations and further advance the science and technology of catalysis along with the IIC's reputation as a world-leading catalysis research center. (announced 7/1/2011)