2012
Advancing scientific frontiers. If your work is truly influential, you'll be viewed as an expert in the science world and beyond. One measure of impact is when others seek out your insights.
Our Newsmakers page features experts from PNNL's Fundamental & Computational Sciences Directorate who've been recently quoted, asked to speak to influential organizations, or taken on national or international appointments
Tony Janetos, Weather and Climate Summit
Tony Janetos participated in a climate change panel discussion at the 2012 Glen Gerberg Weather and Climate Summit.
Dr. Anthony C. Janetos, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was a featured speaker at the 2012 Glen Gerberg Weather and Climate Summit in January. The event gathered television weathercasters, meteorologists and leading climate researchers in the U.S. and Canada for education and information exchange. Janetos, Director of the Joint Global Climate Research Institute, was a featured speaker at the summit and also part of a climate change panel discussion with Ms. Eileen Shea of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Dr. John Furlow of the United States Agency for International Development. View presentations and panel discussions on the StormCenter YouTube channel.
January 2012
Chuck Long and John Shilling in Atmospheric Measurement Laboratory News Video
Drs. Chuck Long and John Shilling of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory explained about the complex mixing of chemicals in the atmosphere through a KNDU/KNDO-TV news report that aired on January 24. The report also featured the Atmospheric Measurement Lab's Environmental Chamber where scientists study formation of tiny chemical particles under conditions similar to those found in the atmosphere. This "atmosphere in a box" is a one-of-a-kind testing instrument at PNNL, and is helping researchers advance the science on aerosols, tiny bits of smoke, soot, and chemicals in the air that affect climate change. View the minute-plus video here.
January 2012
2011
Tony Janetos, Nature
Dr. Anthony C. Janetos, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was quoted in an opinion article published in Nature about the necessity to promote the value of science during challenging budget times. Janetos, who directs the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, commented on the difficulties faced by research scientists who pursue participation in public policy discussions.
December 2011
Jie Xiao, Talking Points Memo
Dr. Jie Xiao, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is quoted in "How graphene is helping to build a better electric car battery," which appears in Talking Points Memo, an online news organization that provides breaking news for the politically engaged. Xiao talks about her team's latest research into lithium-air batteries. By using a new form of graphene, the PNNL and Princeton University team achieved the highest energy storage capacity to date: 15,000 milliamp hours per gram.
December 2011
Tristram West, Nature Climate Change
Dr. Tristram O. West, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, wrote an analysis published in the November 2011 issue of Nature Climate Change titled "Mitigation: Monitoring Informs Management." West, a research scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a partnership between PNNL and the University of Maryland, analyzed methods to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from crops.
December 2011
Jerome Fast Receives AGU Editors' Citation
Dr. Jerome Fast, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, received an American Geophysical Union 2010 journals editors' citation for excellence in refereeing. The editors' citation recognizes a special contribution to AGU. Fast, an atmospheric scientist, was commended for consistently providing constructive and thoughtful reviews for the journal JGR-Atmospheres. November 2011
Dan DuBois, Science
Dr. Dan DuBois, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is quoted in Robert F Service's article, "Turning over a New Leaf" in the November 18, 2011 issue of Science Magazine. The article discussed different approaches to artificial photosynthesis and the difficulties in splitting water as effectively as plants do in natural photosynthesis. The article describes the challenge of turning electricity from the sun into fuel in an efficient and cost-competitive manner. November 2011
Jun Liu, Chemical and Engineering News
In the November 21, 2011 issue of Chemical and Engineering News, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Dr. Jun Liu's and Dr. Jiguang Zhang's team were discussed and quoted by Mitch Jacoby in the story, "Graphene Moves toward Applications." The article referenced PNNL's work in the energy storage arena, specifically discussing a procedure to convert graphene sheets into a new material, which is pictured on the cover of the issue. The new material was used to create new electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and lithium-air battery with exceptionally high specific storage capacity. November 2011
Jim Dooley, Elizabeth Malone, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
Jim Dooley, Dr. Elizabeth Malone, and Dr. Judith Bradbury (retired) of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have responded to a rebuttal article concerning their research, to be published in the 2012 Volume 6, Issue 1 of the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. Their original article, "Moving from misinformation derived from public attitude surveys on carbon dioxide capture and storage towards realistic stakeholder involvement," published in the same journal in 2010, was a sharp critique of public surveys both as a tool to gauge public opinion and as a method to inform public policy for carbon capture and storage technologies. Although complimentary of the researchers' rebuttal study, Dooley and Malone maintain that surveys producing pseudo opinions add no value to the literature or to stakeholder involvement efforts. They maintain that dialog about the complex issues involved in CCS is a better strategy for stakeholder involvement and more likely to increase acceptance of new technologies.
Dr. Sotiris Xantheas Work Highlighted in Chemistry World
The work of Dr. Sotiris Xantheas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and team members from Heriot-Watt University, was highlighted in the September 23, 2011, issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemistry World. The article discussed the team's groundbreaking study of the NH4 (ammonium hydroxide) radical to determine its proper place on the electronegativity scale compared to alkali metals. Electron attraction and repulsion determine how atoms and pseudo-atoms, such as the NH4 radical, behave in different environments. This study provides scientists with the information they need to better predict, manipulate and control those behaviors, whether in batteries for solar farms or catalysts for bio-fuel production September 2011
Rahul Zaveri Featured in Experts Video
Dr. Rahul Zaveri of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is featured in a new video on PNNL's YouTube channel. Zaveri, a chemical engineer and research scientist, is one of the PNNL's topic experts in a segment titled "The Evolution of Pollution." In the video, Zaveri explains the effects of air pollution on climate change and the unsolved mysteries of increased atmospheric particles produced from the interaction between urban pollution and naturally-occurring hydrocarbon compounds.
Kevin Rosso and Carolyn Pearce, USA Today
Dr. Carolyn Pearce and Dr. Kevin Rosso, Pacific Northwest National Lab, appeared in photos that accompanied an article in USA Today, November 2011. The article is titled "Economy, lack of engineers could hinder U.S. innovation." In the article, Pearce and Rosso's work analyzing mineral samples from a nuclear reprocessing area is mentioned in the caption.
Morris Bullock in Chemical and Engineering News
R. Morris Bullock of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory discussed research carried out at PNNL in an article in C&E News on reducing the nation's reliance on precious metals and rare earths. Precious metals such as platinum are used as catalysts in fuel cells and other applications, and are vital to the nation's energy infrastructure. High costs and low abundance of precious metals, coupled with geo-political concerns over available supplies, have led to research on abundant, inexpensive metals that can be used instead of precious metals. Alternatives to these and more efficient use of these rare elements were the topics of a two-day National Academy of Sciences workshop. Bullock, Director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, gave an invited talk at the workshop.
Daniel DuBois Quoted in Science and Wired
In October, Daniel DuBois was quoted in Science and Wired about two advances in turning sunlight's energy into chemical fuels. DuBois cautions that issues still remain to be solved, including speed and efficiency. He also notes that the research provides good examples for others striving to end the nation's reliance on fossil fuels.
Jay Grate and Matt O'Hara Quoted in Chemical & Engineering News
The great diversity of elements and complex sample matrix in nuclear waste presents tough challenges to those developing process monitoring methods for waste pretreatment before vitrification, according to Dr. Jay Grate in Chemical & Engineering News. Grate, a materials and analytical chemist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and his colleagues are solving issues around technetium in stored nuclear waste and in groundwater. Technetium is a radioactive element that has high mobility in the environment and a long half-life. The team developed a device designed to quickly pull technetium from nuclear waste process streams, separate it, and rapidly quantify it, providing near-real time analysis results. The article also discusses work by PNNL's Matthew O'Hara and his colleagues. His team is building sensors for autonomous monitoring of radionuclide levels in Hanford Site groundwater plumes. The technology could also aid in groundwater cleanup by monitoring technetium removal in a pump and treat process.
Ram Devanathan in ASCR Discovery
In ASCR Discovery, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Ram Devanathan discusses the need for integrating experimental and computational research to resolve the scientific challenges of energy systems, including battery research. The feature story draws on Devanathan's expertise in materials science and conducting computational simulations at different length and time scales.
Morris Bullock Discusses Catalysis Research with BBC, C&E News
In August, Morris Bullock was interviewed by two prestigious news sources regarding a super-fast catalyst that makes hydrogen. The research, conducted by the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis and directed by Bullock, was recently published in Science and has been garnering media interest. Bullock was interviewed on the BBC's Naked Scientist show. In addition, this research was featured in Chemical & Engineering News, Chemistry World, Green Car Congress, and other publications.
Justin Teeguarden in Forbes, Wall Street Journal
In articles in Forbes and the August 8 Wall Street Journal opinion page, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory toxicologist Dr. Justin Teeguarden was quoted and referenced about the toxicity of bisphenol-A (BPA), an organic compound used in plastics and resins. Teeguarden led a recently published toxicological study BPA that appeared in Toxicological Sciences. The American Council on Science and Health, SmartBrief, and the Plastics News covered the Forbes story.
Chuck Peden quoted in C&E News
In the August 1 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Chuck Peden is quoted in "Single Atoms Mediate Research." The article by Mitch Jacoby discusses a new wet-chemistry method that can be used to prepare catalysts with isolated platinum atoms on a metal oxide. Peden, Associate Director of the Institute for Integrated Catalysis, is quoted as an outside expert.
Chuck Peden Quoted in Innovations
In the current issue of Innovations magazine, Dr. Chuck Peden of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Institute for Integrated Catalysis is quoted extensively in an article titled "Catalysts—Humans and Otherwise." The article discusses catalysis capabilities and expertise at the Department of Energy's EMSL, a national scientific user facility.
Wendy Shaw Featured in DOE Blog
Dr. Wendy Shaw, at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was featured on the Department of Energy's Energy Blog. In the article, titled "10 Questions for Biophysical Chemist," Shaw discusses her catalysis and bio-mineralization research, the value of good communication skills, and why Ayla, in Jean Auel's prehistoric novels, is her favorite fictional scientist. Shaw works in the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center.
Kerstin Kleese van Dam featured in HPC Source Article
PNNL's Kerstin Kleese van Dam was featured in the HPC Source article "Taming Big Data with Remote 3-D Viz." The article highlights PNNL's scientific data management work supporting the Laboratory's Chemical Imaging Initiative. Kleese van Dam manages the Scientific Data Management group in the Computational Sciences & Mathematics Division.
Greg Schenter Featured in DOE Blog
Dr. Greg Schenter, a chemical theorist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was featured on the Department of Energy's Energy Blog. In the article, titled "10 Questions for a Chemical Theorist," Schenter discusses how he came to his profession, his inspirations, his work, and why Doctor Who is his favorite fictional scientist. Schenter works in the Chemical and Materials Sciences Division at PNNL.
Greg Kimmel quoted in Science
Dr. Greg Kimmel, a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory physicist with extensive expertise in water's behavior, is quoted in the April 8 issue of Science. The quote appears in "Ice is predicted to be weirder still," a news focus on theoretical work into the formation of quasicrystalline ice, which lacks the repeatable patterns seen in ordinary crystals. Kimmel's opinions were sought on how to experimentally produce quasicrystalline ice.
Kerstin Kleese van Dam featured in DOE Pulse
A profile of PNNL's Kerstin Kleese van Dam was featured in the March 21 issue of DOE Pulse. In the article "PNNL's Kleese van Dam makes sense of the data landscape" she discusses PNNL's scientific data management research and the Laboratory's new Chemical Imaging Initiative. Kleese van Dam manages the Scientific Data Management group in the Computational Sciences & Mathematics Division.
Bruce Garrett quoted in Chemical & Engineering News
In "Turning the Corner," an article about the job market for chemists in the western United States, Dr. Bruce Garrett, Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Chemical & Materials Sciences Division, is quoted several times. Garrett discusses the need for chemists to take on the challenges to move the nation away from fossil fuels. The article appears in the March 21, 2011, issue of Chemical & Engineering News.
Karin Rodland featured in BioTechniques
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Fellow Dr. Karin Rodland was featured in an article in the February 4 issue of BioTechniques. "Winning a grant in 12 pages or less" gives advice to researchers advice on applying for National Institutes of Health grants. Rodland is PNNL's Department of Health and Human Services Sector Manager.
Bruce Garrett's research highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News
Research by a team of scientists including Dr. Bruce Garrett, a Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow and theoretical chemist, was highlighted in the January 31, 2011, issue of Chemical & Engineering News. The one-paragraph concentrate discusses a study, published in Science, that uses muons to create light and heavy hydrogen mimics, elucidating the kinetic isotope effect.
