A poster session highlighting Applied Science and Technology and National Security programs (ASTNS) took up much of the ground floor of Building 402 and all of the Advanced Photon Source Gallery April 12. The session gave scientists an opportunity to review more than 200 programs in ASTNS and speak to investigators about potential collaboration. ASTNS Associate Laboratory Director Alan Foley presented opening remarks. Photo by George Joch.

April 25, 2005 -- Some of this week's stories:

South African science park honors Thackeray

By David A. Barry

Visitors to the new Innovation Hub in Pretoria, South Africa, can now drive down a street named after Argonne materials scientist Michael Thackeray (CMT). Thackeray attended the Hub's opening ceremonies April 5 and was one of 11 notable South African scientists and innovators to be honored with his own street names. The Innovation Hub is the first science park in Africa. "It is very much targeted toward the up-and-coming high-tech entrepreneurs in South Africa," Thackeray said.

Thackeray is perhaps best known for his research on electrode materials for lithium batteries; the technology he developed helps power everyday objects like cellular telephones. The materials technology was commercialized while Thackeray worked for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Although he does not have exact figures, he said, "I believe the patent portfolio has generated a very tidy sum." Thackeray was honored alongside his former CSIR colleague, Johan Coetzer, the pioneer of sodium-metal chloride ("Zebra") battery technology.

The list of honorees at the Hub also included four South African Nobel Prize winners — Max Theiler, Sir Aaron Klug, Allan M. Cormack, and Sydney Brenner — and two astronauts: Mark Shuttleworth, the first African to fly in space during a 2002 mission to the International Space Station; and Mike Melvill, who became the first civilian to fly into space during his June 2004 flight aboard SpaceShipOne.

Around $50 million has already been invested in the Innovation Hub, one of 11 big projects in an initiative to invest in the economic infrastructure of the Gauteng province, in which Pretoria, or Tshwane, is located. Thackeray said the province has long been a powerhouse of the science and technology that has come out of the country.

Thackeray was born in Pretoria and graduated from the University of Cape Town. He came to Argonne in 1994. He said his return trip to South Africa was especially heartwarming because the country was making great strides forward, despite its racially divided and volatile past.

Thackeray said, "Through the leadership of previous presidents Nelson Mandela and F.W. DeKlerk, who negotiated a remarkably peaceful transition of political power a decade ago, the people have come together in a really positive way. Science and technology have historically been rooted in the white community of South Africa. Now there's a tremendous impetus to train the next generation of all South Africans."

Thackeray added, "My feeling is that in this whole process, one has to build on the strengths of the past." His words are echoed in the new signposts at the science park, raised both to honor those who have led the way in South African science and technology and to inspire the innovators of the future.

Illinois Rube Goldberg champs to demonstrate machine

The winners of Argonne's Rube Goldberg machine contest for Chicago-area high schools, Morgan Park Academy, will receive their first-place trophy and demonstrate their winning machine at noon Monday, April 25, in the Building 213 Cafeteria. Their machine uses more than 20 steps to remove the batteries from a two-battery flashlight, insert new batteries and turn the flashlight on.

After winning Argonne's contest on Feb. 18, Morgan Park Academy advanced to and won the Illinois State Championship April 9. Morgan Park is one of two teams that will represent Illinois in the second National Championship Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, Friday, April 29, in Milwaukee.

Argonne's Educational Programs and Communications and Public Affairs divisions sponsored the February contest in collaboration with Chicago Children's Museum and the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, held annually at Purdue University, and the Illinois State Championship in collaboration with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Guckenheimer to share results of cafeteria survey

The results of recent surveys of site employees and cafeteria patrons will be presented at an open meeting Friday, April 29, at 11 a.m. in the private dining rooms of the Building 213 Cafeteria.

Guckenheimer Enterprises Inc. will share the results of a site occupant survey on cafeteria food service and the recently conducted cafeteria customer survey. Guckenheimer will outline a plan of action developed in response to the survey results. Comments and suggestions from attendees would be appreciated.

Recycling program saves silver from the dump

Two Argonne librarians recently demonstrated how following the lab's Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization program can protect the environment and reduce waste disposal costs. Sue Pepalis and Carol Lepzelter Berry (both TSD-TIS) were planning to dispose of obsolete microfilm containing silver, a toxic metal, but the microfilm could not be properly thrown away without expensive testing to determine whether it qualified as non-hazardous waste.

Instead, acting on the suggestion of Urs Geiser (MSD), they contacted Gregg Kulma (EQO), Argonne's Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization coordinator, about recycling the silver in the film.

Kulma contacted Argonne's recycling contractor, United Recycling, Inc., to discuss disposal and recycling options and learned that United Recycling had an agreement with a facility that could recover the silver from the old microfilm for a nominal fee. The microfilm has since been sent to United Recycling for processing.

Kulma said the Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization program is successful because of individuals like Pepalis and Lepzelter Berry who practice its core tenets: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Contact Kulma at ext. 2-9147 to dispose of old microfilm or to suggest Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization opportunities.

'Fast Track to Fusion' is topic of colloquium

Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith will discuss "The Fast Track to Fusion Power" at a director's special colloquium Friday, April 29, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Building 362 Auditorium.

Smith is the director of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), Culham Division, and the head of the Euratom/UKAEA Fusion Association.

UKAEA's Culham Division is responsible for the United Kingdom's thermonuclear fusion program, and for operation of the Joint European Torus on behalf of Euratom. Smith leads the UK's contribution to the development of fusion as a viable environmentally benign source of energy.

Special issue is planned

A special issue of Argonne News will be published this week. It will contain the text of Argonne Director Robert Rosner's April 18 address to employees, and photos from the April 15 reception for Argonne Director Emeritus Hermann Grunder.

Party to mark Cinco de Mayo

The Argonne Hispanic-Latino Club will hold a Cinco de Mayo fiesta Thursday, May 5, at the Building 617 Lower Level from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Tickets are $2. Mexican food and drinks will be available for purchase. Employees can participate in a Mexican hat dance and jalapeño eating contest.

For more information, contact Silvia Palomino (PBC) at ext. 2-1905.

Tickets on sale for April 30 Arts at Argonne concert

Tickets for an April 30 Arts at Argonne performance by Roland Glassl and Peter Henderson will be available the week of April 25 in the Building 213 Cafeteria between noon and 1 p.m. Admission is $25.

Glassl and Henderson will perform compositions by Shostakovich and Vieuxtemps at Argonne's Building 402 Conference Center Saturday, April 30, at 8 p.m.

The concert is open to the public. Visitors need photo identification to enter the site and should call to register before the concert. Visitors can register before the event by calling (630) 252-3751 during business hours.

Sponsored by Arts at Argonne, the program is partially supported by the University of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

Immigration information added to HR Web site

The "Visas" section of the Human Resources Web site contains important information for hiring managers and non-U.S.-citizen employees. The site has been updated to include an "Immigration Overview" link to a presentation for division directors and department heads, hosted by HR. The site also includes a "Visa Classifications" chart that presents processing requirements and employment restrictions for those visa classifications applicable to Argonne.

Employees win QASR award for safety efforts

By David A. Barry

Scott Lockwood, Joe Pomykala and Jeff Spangenberger (all ES) received Quality and Safety Recognition (QASR) Awards for applying their training in the detection of suspect or counterfeit items and for their continuing efforts to improve safety at Argonne's large-scale plastics separation pilot plant.

The plant uses mechanical sorting, sink-float separation and other means to separate tons of plastics for recycling.

After Lockwood, Pomykala and Spangenberger attended a site-wide class on detecting suspect or counterfeit materials, they searched through their inventory of hardware and found six valves with "curious labels," Spangenberger said. They reported the valves to their divisional quality assurance representative, and the valves, which turned out to be legitimate, were handled with due caution.

"The main concern with suspect or counterfeit materials is safety," Spangenberger said. "If the valve fails, at best you get some particles in your eyes. At worst you have an air line flailing around that could hit you in the side of the head."

Lockwood, Pomykala and Spangenberger were also cited for their awareness of safety during the construction and operation of the plastics separation plant. After it became apparent that dust would be a problem in the operational pilot plant, they asked Industrial Hygiene to monitor the air and installed seven dust collectors to improve air quality.

The three QASR Awards were presented at the March 22 Management Council Meeting; each awardee received a certificate of recognition and lunch tickets for two at either the Argonne Guest House or the Building 213 Cafeteria. Their names will also be added to the QASR Award Winners' plaque.

The QASR Award recognizes employees' contribution to safety and quality at the laboratory. To nominate an employee, contact Audra Karalius at akaralius@anl.gov.

Researchers to discuss results of LDRD work

A mini-symposium on the results of Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) projects will be held from 2 - 3:45 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, in Building 201 in Conference Room 190A and B. Topics covered will include:

"Characterizing and Unveiling the Mechanism of Protein-Ligand Interactions" by Liaohai Chen (BIO)

"The Biogeochemical Cycle of Nitrogen: Effects on Climate Change" by Paul Doskey (ER)

"Multidimensional Flow and Heat Transport Natural Convection Test Capability" by Mitch Farmer (NE)

"Near-Field Optical Investigations of Nanoscale Photochemistry and Photophysics" by Gary Wiederrecht (CHM)

"Hydrogen and Oxygen Production from Low Temperature Hybrid Cycles" by Michele Lewis (ERA)

"Microfluidic Study of Nanofluids" by Vijaya Tirumala (XFD)

"Life Cycle Analysis for the DANESS System Dynamics" by Luc Van Den Durpel (NE)

Conference to address high-tech carbon materials

A joint conference of the 8th International Applied Diamond Conference and NanoCarbon 2005 will take place at Argonne May 15-19.

The event will bring together more than 200 leading researchers from around the world to discuss the latest advances in the fundamental and applied science of diamond and nanocarbon materials; it will also highlight products being developed by several startup companies in the United States, Japan and Europe.

Registration is required; the early registration deadline is Monday, April 25. Thereafter, a $50 late fee will be charged. Registration will close on Monday, May 2.

Further information and registration for the conference is available online.

'Greatest hits' sought for 60th year

For Argonne's 60th anniversary, which comes up in 2006, the laboratory would like to tap the memories of employees and retirees to help create a list of Argonne's 60 most significant accomplishments.

Employees and retirees are invited to submit lists of one to 10 suggestions, along with names of principle investigators and approximate dates.

Send suggestions to 60forthe60th@anl.gov or to:

60 for the 60th
Communications and Public Affairs
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, IL 60439.

The final list will be used in handout materials and displays during the 60 th anniversary, and will be published in Argonne News .

Rosner to speak at Friday forum

Argonne Director Robert Rosner will share his vision for the laboratory's future at the First Friday Forum meeting Wednesday, May 4, at noon in the Building 203 Auditorium.

The First Friday Forum is an informal gathering of Argonne women usually held on the first Friday of each month. The group explores career and gender issues related to women. Meetings are open to all Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees.

Town Hall transcript online

A transcript of the Town Hall meeting held April 7 is now online, along with transcripts from previous meetings.

The Town Hall meetings, hosted by Chief Operations Officer Adam Cohen, give employees an opportunity to discuss topics of interest in an informal, question-and-answer format.

Meetings will be held regularly; dates, times and locations will be announced in Argonne News and Argonne Today .

Blood drive to be held April 27

LifeSource Blood Centers will conduct a blood drive at Argonne Wednesday, April 27, in Building 617 Lower Level.

The Medical Department will send donation forms so that employees can schedule their appointments.

CIS classes

Computing classes offered by the Computing and Information Systems Division are held in Building 201, Room 167C. Unless otherwise noted, classes cost $225 and are limited to eight participants. Complete class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are online. For more information about enrollment procedures, contact Diane Cavazos (CIS) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@anl.gov.

Classes offered in May will include:

"Intermediate Word 2003" (CIS123) — Monday, May 2, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: Introduction to Word.

"Intermediate Excel 2003" (CIS126) — Tuesday, May 3, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: Introduction to Excel.

"Intermediate Access 2003" (CIS129) — Wednesday, May 4, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: Introduction to Access.

"Introduction to PowerPoint 2003" (CIS131) — Thursday, May 5, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: An understanding of Windows.

"Advanced PowerPoint 2003" (CIS132) — Friday, May 6, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Prerequisite: Introduction and Intermediate PowerPoint.

"Beginning Unix" (CIS564) — Tuesday, May 17, 9 a.m. _ noon is the first session. Thursday, May 19, 9 a.m. _ noon is the second session. There is no cost for this course.

"vi Editor in Unix" (CIS567) — Friday, May 20, 9 a.m. _ noon. There is no cost for this course. Prerequisite: A general knowledge of Unix, especially Unix file management commands.

Retirement vendors on site

The laboratory's retirement vendors will send representatives to Argonne during May. To schedule an appointment, call the number listed.

Fidelity —Tuesday, May 10, and Tuesday, May 24. Call the appointment desk at (800) 642-7131.

TIAA-CREF — Thursday, May 5 and Friday, May 6. Call the appointment desk at (800) 842-2005 or www.tiaa-cref.org/moc.

Prudential — Wednesday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 18. Call Cheryl at the appointment desk at (630) 285-8876.

HR classes

To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. A class enrollment form is also available online. Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information.

"Conducting an Effective Interim Conversation" (HR347) — Wednesday, April 27, 2 _ 4 p.m., Building 201, Conference Room 190. Employees will learn to identify their supervisory responsibilities in the interim development process.

Adam Cohen (OPS) will discuss "The Interim Development Meeting: Making It Work" (HR387) — Wednesday, May 4, noon _ 1 p.m., Building 362, Conference Room F108.

Lee Liming (MCS) will discuss "The Interim Development Meeting: Making It Work" (HR393) — Wednesday, May 11, noon _ 1 p.m., Building 212, Conference Room A157.

"Myers-Briggs: Style and Strengths in the Workplace" (HR258) — Wednesday, May 18, 1 _ 5 p.m., Building 201, Conference Room 190. Employees will learn about their individual style and strengths in the workplace through the most widely used instrument of its type in organizations, the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. Register by Monday, May 9.

Representative from MetLife to visit site

A representative from MetLife Auto & Home will visit Argonne on Tuesday, April 26, to meet with individual employees.

The representative can provide insurance comparisons and quotes for the "METPAY" group automobile and homeowner insurance program. To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees can also receive a quote over the phone by calling 1-800-438-6388.

Student-built cars to race on solar, fuel cells

Employees are invited to cheer on teams of junior high school students as they race their shoebox-sized, home-built cars at the Chicago Regional Fuel Cell and Solar Car Race Competition, to be held Saturday, April 30, at CNH America LLC in Burr Ridge.

Racing begins at 11 a.m. CNH America LLC - Burr Ridge Operations is located at 7 South 600 County Line Road, Burr Ridge.

The competition is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne, CNH, General Motors, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

The results of the fuel cell car competition will help determine the Chicago region's representative to the National Middle School Science Bowl in June. The team with the best overall performance in the academic science bowl event and the fuel cell car competition will advance to the national level.

Questions about Social Security can be answered

A Social Security representative will be available to meet with employees in Argonne-East's Human Resources office in Building 201 Wednesday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to noon.

The representative will be able to help with earnings posting problems and answer general questions about the Social Security program. He can also take applications for lost or stolen Social Security cards, replacement Social Security cards or corrected cards due to name changes.

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