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During the week of Aug. 6, work crews from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District will begin work on a Westgate Road crossing for a new hiking/biking trail in the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve.
The work will consist of excavation and paving operations along a portion of Westgate Road and some traffic interuptions will occur due to construction operations. This work is expected to take several weeks to complete; employees are encouraged to use Northgate Road during this period.
Employees using Westgate Road should obey posted speed limits and pay close attention to construction signs and flaggers' instructions.
International leaders in materials theory will visit Argonne to work with experimental scientists under a new program recently funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science.
The new research organization under this project is Argonne's Materials Theory Institute, part of the Materials Science Division. MSD Senior Scientist George Crabtree described the Institute as "a powerful new concept for doing theory at Argonne and the other national laboratories. It invites theorists from the international community for short stays of two weeks to two months or more to focus on the most exciting current topics in condensed matter research."
Research topics are selected by the institute to coincide with Argonne's key scientific directions, drawing powerful theoretical support from the best scientists in the field to the laboratory's doorstep.
"The flexible institute focus allows us to bring high-level theory collaboration to many of Argonne's programs," Crabtree said.
Recent funding from the Office of Science establishes the institute permanently at Argonne.
The Materials Theory Institute grew out of a long-standing visiting theory program on vortex physics in superconductors, conceived by Valerii Vinokur and Crabtree in MSD and supported by Frank Fradin, associate laboratory director for Physical, Biological and Computing Sciences.
That program started modestly with two or three visitors per year, but quickly proved its value and became a continuing activity with important supplemental funding from the Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity and from MSD Division Director Murray Gibson.
The focus for the new program will expand from vortex physics to include nanoscience, a developing strategic initiative for the laboratory.
The Materials Theory Institute has been remarkably successful in its initial year, Crabtree said. Already, experimental programs in nanomagnetism, colossal magnetoresistance, granular materials and superconductivity have received leading theorists.
A cooperative program has been established with Alexander Andreev, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the inventor of Andreev reflections for describing superconducting interfaces.
In Oct.-Dec. 2001, the institute will host Argonne's first extended workshop on nanoscale superconductivity and magnetism, a two-month investigation of the science and technology of next-generation nanomaterials. Approximately 40 leading theorists are expected for this workshop.
Ali Erdemir (ET) has been elected a fellow of ASM International, the world's largest society for materials science and engineering.
The society awards fellowships to members who make distinguished contributions to the fields of materials science and engineering. Erdemir's fellowship recognizes his "sustained pioneering contributions to surface engineering and tribology of solid lubricants and thin films."
Erdemir, who has been a member of ASM International since 1983, will be honored at the ASM International meeting Nov. 5-8 in Indianapolis. The society has 40,000 members in 100 countries.
Erdemir is a staff scientist in the Energy Technology Division's Tribology Section. He currently conducts research in the synthesis, characterization and industrial implementation of nearly frictionless coatings.
In 1997, Erdemir developed a new, ultra-hard carbon film that showed extremely low wear rates and friction coefficients of 0.001 or less when tested in a dry nitrogen or argon atmosphere. The friction coefficient of the "Near- Frictionless Carbon" film is perhaps the lowest reported to date for a solid material, and its wear resistance is the highest.
Ray Semko of the National Security Agency will present "2001 -- A DICE Odyssey" at a special laboratory colloquium open to all employees Thursday, Aug. 9.
The colloquium will begin at 10 a.m. in Building 402, the Advanced Photon Source Conference Center. It is presented by Argonne's Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Semko is a member of the Interagency OPSEC Support Staff. The organization's main mission is to provide technical guidance and assistance to government agencies that will lead to self-sufficient operations security (OPSEC) programs.
He is also known as "The DICE Man," for Defensive Information to Counter Espionage. He has more than 30 years of military and government OPSEC, cyber security and counterintelligence experience.
Semko's presentation will focus on countering the threat of espionage through OPSEC and personal responsibility. He explains who the players are, their targets, their methods and how employees can protect the information they handle.
He will provide the most current unclassified threat information and will remind employees of their individual security responsibilities -- every federal and contractor employee is required to protect critical, proprietary, and classified information -- and the need to report strange, curious or suspicious activities.
For more information, call Jill Morgenthaler at ext. 2-2725.
Joy Loverde, author of "The Complete Elder Care Planner" will present the last of three lectures at Argonne-East Wednesday, Aug. 15.
The one-hour talk will begin at noon in the Building 203 Auditorium.
The lecture will focus on "Managing the Emotional Roller Coaster of Caring for Elderly Loved Ones." Loverde will discuss the emotional difficulties and rewards that caregivers encounter in their caregiving role.
Argonne and the University of Chicago will conduct quarterly Chicago Technology Forums starting in October. Each forum will showcase promising high-tech research at local universities and research centers and help spark collaborations with the business community.
Through the forum, the university seeks to promote local economic growth by leveraging research on technological development to improve commercialization in the Chicago business community.
"The university and Argonne are committed to generating new ideas," said University President Don Randel. "We are also committed to engaging with business, investment and civic leaders who can translate new ideas into new businesses."
Forum hosts will include Argonne Director Hermann Grunder; Edward Snyder, dean of the university's Graduate School of Business; and Robert Zimmer, the university's vice president for research and for Argonne.
The invitation-only Technology Forum will meet every October, January, April and June at the University of Chicago. Details of the first meeting will be announced at a later date.
Presentations will include reports about laboratory advances and technological change; presentations from local start-ups; and new research results on entrepreneurship, business and venture investing.
A representative from MetLife will be available at Argonne-East Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Tuesday, Aug. 28, to meet with individual employees and provide insurance comparisons and quotes for the "METPAY" group automobile and homeowners insurance program.
To schedule an appointment, call Craig Riddick at (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Employees should fax their auto policy renewal statements to (630) 810-1628 before their appointments.
Human Resources has scheduled the following classes in August 2001:
"High Risk Property Management" (HR246)
-- This class is for employees who acquire, manage
or dispose of Argonne property. The class stresses
awareness of "high risk" property items and whom
employees should contact if they have concerns. Friday, Aug.
17, 8:30 a.m. - noon in Building 212, Room A157.
"Time Management" (HR486) -- This class
helps participants assess their time-management
habits and examine issues of choice and control.
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 1-5 p.m., Building 201, Room 190.
"Brown Bag Lunch Seminar: Improving Work Relationships" (HR238)
-- This class focuses on positive work
relationships, people skills and peer relationships. Thursday,
Aug. 23, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Building 201, Room 238.
"Dealing With Conflict in the Workplace" (HR253)
-- This interactive course helps employees
explore, develop and practice conflict management
techniques. Wednesday, Aug. 29, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. in
Building 201, Room 190.
"CPS Review: Office Technology" (HR330) --
This class is a survey of technological advances in
word and data processing and database management. Wednesdays and
Fridays, Aug. 29 - Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Building
201 Room 238.
To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative.
For more information on these classes, call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410, or visit the Human Resources Web site or the Argonnet.