Employees should remember that yellow tape marking construction or hazard zones functions as a warning sign — and stay out of the area.

Oct. 11, 2004 -- Some of this week's stories:

2004 Argonne Combined Appeal is under way

The Argonne Combined Appeal (ACA), Argonne-East's annual campaign to benefit healthcare and service agencies, is under way. The theme is "Caring is Sharing."

The campaign, which extends through the entire month of October, gives employees the opportunity to donate a day's pay to one or more of 20 agencies. These agencies include the American Diabetes Association and FISH, a Downers Grove agency providing food and services to area needy. Three umbrella organizations — two United Way groups and Combined Health Charities — permit employees to fund hundreds of programs in Chicagoland.

"`2004 in 2004' is this year's campaign goal," said Carol Quinn (HR), ACA co-chair. "We are hoping that 2,004 employees give to the campaign this year," she said. Last year generous employees donated more than $420,000.

Employees are encouraged to give a day or more of pay to the campaign. Contributions may be given in a lump sum or spread through the year using payroll deduction.

One change this year is the deletion of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society from the list of agencies. "Although this is a valuable and popular agency," ACA co-Chair Cheryl Drugan said, "it did not meet the ACA's criteria for qualification." Agencies must prove that administrative costs do not exceed 25 percent of their income.

"If an Argonne employee or retiree would like a portion of their contribution to go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, they may elect to contribute to Community Health Charities, which will serve as a conduit in distributing the contribution equally to 29 CHC member agencies, including MS," Drugan said.

Employees should have already received an ACA package from their division coordinators. The enclosed form and envelope should be signed and returned to division coordinators as soon as possible, even if the employee is not contributing. All contributions are confidential.

Coordinators will turn in the envelopes to be entered into a drawing.

The drawing encourages employees to pledge early. This year, dinner certificates are the prize for both the employee whose name is pulled and his or her ACA coordinator. Four envelopes were drawn after the Friday, Oct. 8, deadline. The second week three winners will be drawn, the third week two winners and the fourth week one winner.

Winners can choose from restaurants including Rosebud, the Flame, Kerry Piper and Blueberry Hill. Certificates are first-come, first-served.

For more information about the campaign and how to donate.

Employees can enter their own assessment goals

All employees now have data entry access to their own performance appraisals, allowing them to enter draft assessments of their own work during the past year and suggested goals.

That data entry access will be turned off labwide Friday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. Data entry access for Engineering Research was turned off Oct. 8 by request of the associate laboratory director.

After access is turned off, supervisors or appraisers will create the final performance appraisal documents by editing those assessments and goals. Supervisors have ultimate responsibility for completing the performance appraisal. Please note that both supervisors and employees will be able to view the performance appraisals until 5 p.m. Oct. 15.

Employees may also use the online system to submit formal statements of accomplishments during this time. Statements of accomplishments may be completed in any word-processing program and then submitted to the online Performance Appraisal Application. Detailed instructions appear on the Performance Appraisal Web Page.

Here are the next steps in the process:

Supervisors will complete the performance appraisals and submit them to second-level supervisors for approval.

Performance appraisals will be available for viewing when approved by second-level supervisors and released.

For more information, visit the Guide to Performance Appraisals and Human Resources Policy 7300.1.

Gibson to discuss appraisals

"Publish or Perish? There's More to a Performance Appraisal in an R&D Organization" (HR367) will be presented Monday, Oct. 18, by Murray Gibson, associate laboratory director for the Advanced Photon Source and chair of the Performance Evaluation Process Committee.

The brown-bag lunchtime talk will be held from noon-1 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 401, Room A5000.

University searching for Grunder's successor

Hermann Grunder, an internationally renowned physicist who has led Argonne to new levels of excellence in his four years as director, has announced that he will not serve in the next contract cycle that begins in September 2006.

He has agreed to continue to lead Argonne forward as the University of Chicago, which manages the laboratory for the Department of Energy, initiates a search for his successor.

Grunder's announcement followed a Department of Energy on-site review of Argonne that has been described as "exemplary" and "extraordinary."

"Fortunately we will continue to have the benefit of his leadership under the two-year extension of the present contract," said University of Chicago President Don Randel. "This is especially fortunate in light of the highly successful on-site review recently conducted by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. To Dr. Grunder's great credit, the laboratory was uniformly praised for the extraordinary level of scientific excellence that it has achieved, especially in the last two years."

Randel further praised Grunder for his many contributions. "Hermann has been an outstanding director and a trusted friend. He has been a tireless partner and advocate, bringing new energy and vision to the laboratory and to its scientific agenda. He has set the highest standards and he has achieved them."

Thomas Rosenbaum, university vice president for research and for Argonne National Laboratory, said: "Under Hermann's leadership, the university and the laboratory have never been closer. Hermann understands that science today depends on collaboration. He has worked relentlessly to establish joint centers and institutes in astrophysics, biology, computation, and environmental science and nanotechnology."

As a result of Grunder's initiatives, the university and Argonne today share 100 joint appointments.

Argonne program prepares future RIA scientists

By Raquel P. Harper

Fifty-two of the world's leading young physics students were invited to participate in a unique program dedicated to Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) science at Argonne-East Aug. 8-14. The yearly RIA Summer School on Exotic Beam Physics educates future RIA scientists to meet the expected demands of the accelerator facility.

Argonne, one of four institutions hosting the program in rotation, held the third annual program in the series.

"Perhaps the most exciting part about the program was that students were able to experiment with the existing rare isotope technology," said Robert Janssens (PHY), associate director of the Physics Division and scientific director of the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). "We made sure every student was able to try five activities they had never done before. I think this is what makes this program especially desirable to applicants."

Every afternoon of the program was dedicated to practical RIA science. The activities ranged from working with the ATLAS accelerator to conducting measurements with detectors. Each student participated in five (of seven available) activities unavailable to them at their institutions. The mornings consisted of lectures covering background information necessary to the understanding of RIA.

"I found the hands-on sessions really helpful with my understanding of RIA," said Nathan Hoteling, a University of Maryland participant.

Janssens emphasized that "the main goal was to provide the students with a package of information that will help them understand how RIA will work. This way the students are fully briefed and therefore capable of studying some areas further at their home institutions. They have a better understanding of what is to come."

Several of the students from the first program (2002) have already applied what they learned to their studies. "They have written me and told me about their work relating to rare isotopes. It's very exciting," Janssens said.

The facility is one of the Department of Energy's (DOE) top priorities. RIA will be the world's most powerful research facility dedicated to producing and exploring new rare isotopes not found naturally on earth. RIA will enable physicists to explore the nature of nuclei — the clusters of particles that occupy the center of every atom. RIA will produce intense beams of short-lived nuclei 10,000 times more intense than any now available. Physicists will use these beams to study the origin of the elements and test current physics models. RIA also holds promise for important applications to medicine, industry and other applied physics research.

The organizing committee for the RIA Summer School Program, which comprises representatives from four facilities (Argonne's ATLAS, Berkeley's 88-Inch Cyclotron, Oak Ridge's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility and Michigan State's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory), responded to the DOE priority by making sure that future scientists will be fully trained to deal with the demands of RIA.

"We realized that there was just nothing out there to motivate students to get involved in RIA science," Janssens explains, "And so we knew we needed to create a program that would supply our young scholars with the fundamentals."

The program costs approximately $45,000 per year and is funded by DOE, the National Science Foundation and the organizing committee for the RIA Summer School Program. Students are provided with housing, some travel reimbursement and a $100 stipend for meals.

Next year the school will be held at University of California at Berkeley.

More information about the RIA Summer School Program is available online.

Lectures to cover basics of parallel programming

The Laboratory Computing Resource Center will present two lectures on the basic concepts of parallel programming. "Introduction to Parallel Programming I & II" will be presented by application engineers Katherine Riley and Mike Dvorak (both MCS).

"Introduction to Parallel Programming I" will be held Monday, Oct. 18, and "Introduction to Parallel Programming II" will be held Wednesday, Oct. 20. Both two-hour lectures will begin at 10 a.m. in Building 222, Room A216.

While they are targeted towards those new to the world of parallel programming, anyone interested in an overview of some of the concepts of parallel programming is welcome to attend. There will be an emphasis on applications designed for large and small clusters.

No experience is necessary to attend the first lecture, but a prerequisite for this class is obtaining an LCRC/Jazz account. Argonne employees can obtain an account online. Attendance at the first lecture, or equivalent knowledge, is required to attend the second lecture. Lecture notes will be available online a week before the lectures, and the examples used will be available for download.

To reserve a seat, respond to: consult@lcrc.anl.gov.

Management corner

Yellow tape is there to protect Argonne employees

By Adam Cohen, Director, Safety, Environment and Quality Assurance

As construction zones pop up at the Argonne-East site, most recently at the Center For Nanoscale Materials, employees should remember that yellow tape marking construction or hazard zones function as a warning sign — and stay out of the area.

There's a reason more construction workers die on the job than workers in any other field: construction sites are dangerous. Only six percent of Americans work in construction, but nearly 20 percent of American workers who lost their lives in the workplace last year died on construction sites, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Construction sites are full of hazards — trip and fall hazards; unstable ground; heavy equipment moving quickly from place to place in clouds of dust; sharp objects; compressed gases; scaffolding; welding.

Detours around construction zones should be clearly marked, and employee must use them. Saving a few steps by cutting through a construction site isn't worth the risk of injury or death. Ignoring safety markings, including yellow tape, is also grounds for disciplinary action. If you see another employee attempting to enter a construction zone, remind them of the dangers and urge him or her to use the detour.

Argonne-East plans blood drive Oct. 20

Heartland Blood Centers will hold a blood drive Wednesday, Oct. 20, in Argonne-East's Building 617.

Heartland Blood Centers supplies all the blood for this community. Heartland must collect more than 500 pints of blood every day to meet their demand. Blood transfusions are often needed for traumatic accidents and burns, heart surgery, organ transplants and for those needing treatment for leukemia, cancer and other diseases.

The medical director has distributed donation forms and additional information so employees can schedule a convenient time to donate.

Discount for `Copenhagen'

Argonne employees can enjoy Michael Frayn's drama "Copenhagen" Oct. 8- Nov. 14 at Elmhurst College for half price.

The play is based on the uncertainties surrounding the 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. The two men had previously worked together on atomic research, but find themselves on opposing sides of World War II.

Cost for admission is $10 for Argonne employees. The play will run every weekend from Oct. 8 through Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. The play will be held in the Accelerator Art Space at Elmhurst College, located near 253 Walter Street in Elmhurst.

Contact John Gaynor, representative of 1900 Productions, at (708) 205-6245 for more information

EQO Web site makes it easy to find help

EQO (Safety, Environment, and Quality Assurance) has revised its Web site to include a new pictorial organization directory to help employees decide whom to contact.

EQO provides leadership, policies, programs and management systems which enable Argonne to excel in its research mission while achieving excellence in quality assurance, environmental, health and safety compliance. Employees who are starting a new project and could use some help with any of these activities should contact EQO.

Trimming 2004 Argonne phone book saves $30K

The 2004 Argonne Directory has a new, slimmed-down look. The directory is about half the length of last year's — a streamlining that saved more than $30,000 in production costs.

As in the past, the phone book lists all Argonne employees plus residents of the Illinois site employed by The University of Chicago and U.S. Department of Energy. The phone book's size and cost were trimmed by omitting reference information readily available on the Internet or Intranet, retiree information, employee e-mail addresses, and employee home addresses.

Home addresses of individuals who wish to share that information are available at www.inside.anl.gov and in the Outlook e-mail directory. Employees who would like to change the availability of their home addresses can, as always, do so through their division offices.

Employees are encouraged to consult www.anl.gov and www.inside.anl.gov for current e-mail addresses, phone and pager numbers, and office locations. Up-to-date organization charts and "yellow pages" listings are also available on those Web sites. Key reference information for those making long-distance calls can be found at www.area-codes.com and www.worldtimezone.com.

Chess Club seeks team players

The Argonne Chess Club is looking for Argonne, DOE or contractor employees interested in playing for Argonne's team in the Chicago Industrial Chess League. The Argonne Rooks play a 10-match schedule from September through April with home and away games against teams from companies and organizations near Argonne-East. For more information, contact Dave Baurac at ext. 2-5584 or baurac@anl.gov or Bob Hill at ext. 2-4865 or bobhill@anl.gov.

Optimistic thinking phone seminar can reduce stress

A telephone seminar on optimism will be offered Wednesday, Oct. 20, at noon CDT (11 a.m. Mountain time).

Deborah Shapiro, CIGNA Behavioral Health expert, will discuss techniques for identifying and dealing with negative thoughts and suggest strategies for reducing stress and anxiety. She will present the benefits of learning optimism and help participants achieve positive thinking.

Pre-register online; call-in numbers will be provided in a confirmation e-mail message.  Handouts will be available on the registration site.

Recorded playback will be available for five days after the seminar date at (888) 348-4629 (pass code: 353567).

For more information, call the Medical Department at ext. 2-2807.

HR classes

Human Resources has scheduled the following classes:

"Mentoring for Success" (HR369) — Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2-2:30 p.m., Building 202, Room B169. Participants will learn mentoring skills for career advancement. Class is taught by Argonne and University of Chicago experts and is organized by Argonne's Hispanic/Latino Club.

"Grammar Skills for English as a Second Language" (HR368) — Tuesdays and Thursdays from Tuesday, Nov. 9 - Thursday, Jan. 20, Building 201, Room 167C. This class is designed for non-native speakers. Participants will learn grammar rules such as verb tense, form, article use and word choice through grammar exercises and activities. Proofreading and editing will also be addressed.

"Assertive Communication Skills" (HR371) — Wednesday, Nov. 10, 12:30-4:30 p.m., Building 202, Room B169. Designed for administrative professionals, this class will help increase confidence and respect in the workplace.

"Situational Leadership" (HR360) — Wednesday, Nov. 17, 9 am. - 4:30 p.m., Building 201, Room 190. Participants will do a self-assessment, learn different leadership styles and directive behaviors and then apply the concepts to their own work.

"Russian Language" (HR164)—Tuesdays and Thursdays through Thursday, Dec. 16, Building 208, Room E251. beginning class starts at 9:30 a.m., intermediate class starts at 11 a.m. and advanced class starts at 1:30 p.m. Participants will learn conversational, business and technical communication skills.

Enrollment forms are online, or contact a Training Management System representative

CIS classes

Computing classes offered by the Computing and Instrumentation Solutions Division are held in Building 201, Room 167. Unless otherwise noted, classes cost $215 and are limited to eight participants. Complete class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are online; see "On the Web," below. For more information about enrollment procedures, contact Diane Cavazos (CIS) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@anl.gov .

"Beginning Unix" (CIS564) — This class consists of two three-hour sessions for a total of six hours. First session: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. - noon. Second session: Thursday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. - noon. The class is free.

"vi Editor in Unix" (CIS567) — Friday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. - noon. Prerequisite: A general knowledge of Unix, especially file management commands. The class is free.

Get insurance comparisons and quotes

Representative from Metlife Auto and Home will provide employees with insurance quotes and comparisons for "METPAY," an automobile and homeowner's insurance program, on Tuesday, Oct. 12 and Tuesday, Oct. 26.

To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees can also receive a quote over the phone by calling (800) 438-6388.

Questions about Social Security can be answered

A Social Security representative will be available in Argonne-East's Human Resources office in Building 201 Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to noon.

The representative can take applications for replacement Social Security cards, corrected cards due to name change, lost or stolen cards, help with earnings, posting problems and answer general questions about Social Security.

To schedule a meeting, call ext. 2-2989.

Guest House to host wine dinner Oct. 22

Argonne-East's Guest House Restaurant will offer a wine dinner featuring New World vs. Old World wine Friday, Oct. 22.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $68 per person, including wine with each course. Group tables receive discounts.

Call 739-6000 for reservations.