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Bill Vroman has been appointed director of the Reactor Program Services Division. He succeeds Mike Derbidge, who has been named the laboratory's acting chief operations officer.
Vroman has served as associate director of RPS for the past seven years and has more than 30 years of experience at Argonne.
RPS provides critical support functions for the research and development programs at Argonne-West, including Human Resources; Information Services (computing and telephone services); Visual Media Services; Procurement/Receiving; Radiation, Fire and Safety; Safeguards, Materials Services and Inspection; and the Security Force.
Previously, Vroman was operations manager of Argonne-West's Analytical Laboratory. He has served in several other posts at the laboratory, including manager of the site's Nondestructive Laboratory and chemist in the Analytical Laboratory.
Vroman is a member of the Eastern Idaho Section of the American Nuclear Society. He is active in several community groups and regularly volunteers for outdoor activities involving school children and disabled adults.
A team from the American Physical Society's Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) will visit eight divisions at Argonne-East Jan 3-4, 2002 to assess the climate for women physicists. Argonne employees, both women and men, are being asked to participate in a survey that will help the team prepare for their visit.
At the request of Argonne Associate Laboratory Directors Frank Fradin and Murray Gibson, all four of the Advanced Photon Source divisions and four divisions (IPNS, HEP, PHY and MSD) from Physical, Biological, and Computing Sciences will be included.
The team has visited two dozen physics departments and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, but Argonne will be the team's first U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory. It will be chaired by MIT Professor Mildred Dresselhaus, former director of the DOE Office of Science.
The team will identify practices and approaches that create or undermine a favorable climate for women and men in physics. In addition, they will provide feedback and suggestions. Team members will meet with management and employees, both male and female.
Their report to the American Physical Society will detail findings from the visit and offer practical suggestions.
Survey
To provide baseline information for the site visit team, the American Physical Society will send an electronic survey to employees in the selected divisions. The e-mail survey will take 10-15 minutes and should be completed as promptly as possible.
"The survey results will provide important background information for the work of the site review team and should help them more accurately assess the research climate here," Fradin said. "Participation by both men and women is extremely important, and individual privacy will be respected."
Employees who are not in the CSWP site visit program are also encouraged to participate in the e-mail survey and the site visit. To be included, contact Sue Morss ( smorss@anl.gov) or Susan Strasser ( strasser@aps. anl.gov), who are coordinating Argonne's site visit.
"For Argonne, this site visit focused on physics is also a pilot," said Gibson. "We expect that the assessment of the climate for physics will produce suggestions applicable in chemistry, engineering and other fields. In addition, we can consider whether to invite similar site visits focused on other technical discipline areas."
More information about the CSWP site visit program is online.
The Midwest section of the Federal Laboratory Consortium honored several contributions Argonne has made to private sector technology.
Argonne researchers received three first prizes and four honorable mentions in the 2001 competition. Awards were made in seven categories at a ceremony held at Argonne.
First prize in the category of "sensors and photonics" went to a laser weld monitor developed by engineer Keng Leong (formerly of ES) and adapted for market by Spawr Industries. The device provides a cost-effective means of detecting bad welds. The award was presented to Walter and Frances Spawr of Spawr Industries.
First prize in "energy and
environment" went to "MaD" (Maps and Data) software, developed to help Chicago-area students share
their studies of local soil samples with visitors to the Museum of Science and Industry as part of
the "Tales from the Underground" exhibit. The award was presented to Robert Johnson (EA) and
Douglas Hudson (ECT). Their work also received honorable mention in the Outreach and Education
category.
First prize in "health and medicine"
went to radioactive "seeds" for prostate cancer treatment. These implants are about the size of a
grain of rice and contain radioactive iodine. The award was presented to Luis Nunez (CMT) and
Michael Drobnik of the SourceTech Medical company. Their work also received honorable mention in
the "manufacturing and materials" category.
An honorable mention for "sensors and
photonics" went to an "SoS" (Speed of Sound) leak detector. The device has been used successfully
to test U.S. Navy aircraft for fuel leaks. The award was presented to Shuh-Haw Sheen, Hual-Te
Chien, Paul Raptis and William Lawrence (all ET) and Constance Philips of the National Center for
Manufacturing Sciences.
An honorable mention in "sensors and
photonics" went to a sensor for measuring temperatures in hostile environments. The device measures
temperatures accurately to within 2-3 percent at temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees C. The award
was presented to Nachappa Gopalsami, Hual-Te Chien and William Lawrence (all ET), and Brian Merkle
and Joshua Borton of the Superior Graphite company.
The Argonne Choral Group, which has performed old and new holiday favorites at Argonne-East since 1980, begins rehearsals Tuesday, Nov. 6. New voices are welcome to join.
Ten rehearsals are planned before the group performs Thursday, Dec. 13.
For information, call Harry Bell (PFS) ext. 2-9625 or Pat Garner (RAE) at ext. 2-4872.
Argonne's annual open enrollment period will be held Nov. 5- 21. During this time, employees can change their medical plans and enroll in or change flexible spending accounts.
All open enrollment changes will take place online. Computers will be available in Building 201 for those who do not have regular access to the Internet. Computers will be available Wednesday, Nov. 14, through Wednesday, Nov. 21.
UNICARE HMO will be eliminated as a provider in 2002. Employees enrolled in UNICARE will have to enroll in a new medical plan during open enrollment.
More information on open enrollment will be sent to all employees Monday, Nov. 5. Contact HR at ext. 2-2991 for more information.
Argonne-West biweekly employees must complete -- and supervisors must approve -- Collection and Online Management of Electronic Time (COMET) timecards by 4:30 p.m. each Friday to ensure that paychecks are delivered on time.
Employees who need to change their timecards due to unexpected circumstances must notify their supervisors, who can re-approve the time record. Shelley Wray (RPS-HR) should be contacted at ext. 3-7323 to review the change.
"It is very important that no changes occur after 4:30 p.m. on Monday," Wray said. "Changes will un-approve the time record and could result in delaying an individual's paycheck."
An interactive health evaluation will be offered in Argonne-West's Building 752 lobby Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Health Promotion Program will conduct five-minute body-fat measurements. No appointment is necessary.
Health evaluations will be offered throughout the year in Idaho Falls and at the INEEL site. Evaluations will include strength testing, back flexibility, nutritional analysis and health risk calculators.
For more information, call (208) 526-6929.
A special information session for prospective University of Chicago students and their parents affiliated with Argonne will be held Monday, Nov. 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th St., Chicago, at the corner of 59th Street and University Avenue.
Students and their families attending the open house can meet current students, tour the campus, speak with faculty and coaches and eat in a dining hall. Students may also visit classes.
For more information, call Sally Ganga, associate director of admissions, at (773) 702-8661, or see the university's web site ("On the Web," page 2).
Argonne will honor U.S. veterans at a ceremony beginning at noon Thursday, Nov. 8, in Argonne-East's Advanced Photon Source Conference Center, Building 402.
The presentation will be broadcast live to the Building 203 Auditorium.
Retired Brigadier General David L. Grange will speak on "America's Freedom Fighters." Also appearing will be the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America and the Color Guard of the Army Reserves 416th Engineer Command.
A visiting international student was found dead in his room in the Argonne-East lodging area Oct. 20.
Povilas Goberis, 20, was found by a roommate, who notified the Argonne-East Protective Force. The Argonne Fire Department and DuPage County Sheriff's Department responded.
Goberis was visiting the laboratory while participating in nuclear reactor waste management training sponsored by Argonne and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
A preliminary examination at the scene suggested the student died of natural causes.
The number of scam e-mails and letters targeting Argonne employees has been rising in recent weeks.
Security Manager Dave Metta said many of them originate in African countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone. While there are many variations to the scam, there is one common denominator: a request for bank account information.
Metta strongly urged employees not to supply any personal information. "The very best advice I can offer is that you do not reply at all," Metta said. "These countries do not cooperate with international fraud investigations."
Originals should be forwarded to Sylvia Aguilar in Security, who in turn will provide them to the FBI. Contact Aguilar at ext. 2-5734 or saguilar@anl.gov.
Early registration for Joliet Junior College spring classes will be offered at Argonne-East Monday, Nov. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
College representatives will be available at Human Resources, Building 201, Room 1B-04, to register students for spring 2002 classes.
Employees must bring completed and approved Educational Assistance forms (ANL-89) to register.
Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information.
Electronics and Computing Technologies will offer several computer software classes during November.
Detailed class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are available online. For more information about enrollment procedures, contact Diane Cavazos (ECT) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@ anl.gov.
Unless otherwise noted, classes will be held in Argonne-East's Building 221, Room A142, and are limited to 10 participants. Proficiency with the Windows operating system is necessary.
"Intermediate Word 2000 (ECT374)" --
Monday, Nov. 12, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $215.
"Intermediate Excel 2000" (ECT375) --
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $215.
"Intermediate Access 2000 (ECT376)" --
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Class size limited to eight. Cost: $215.
"Front Page 2000" (ECT383) -- This
class is two full days. Nov. 15-16, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and Dec. 13-14, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30
p.m. Class size limited to eight. Cost: $430.
"Beginning Unix (ECT564)" -- This
class comprises two three-hour sessions for a total of six hours. First session: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 9
a.m. - noon. Second session: Thursday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. - noon. Cost: $265.
NEW ARRIVALS
A daughter, Savannah Frances, born July 25 to James Coleman (PFS-MC); a daughter, Kayla, born August 8 to Theresa and John Dench (ASD).
Proud grandparents: a grandson, Andrew Timothy Chaplin, born June 23 to Barbara Meurer (XFD); twin granddaughters, Anyanka Katrina and Andromeda Josephine, born July 15 to Mike Janik (OCF-PRO).
ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to Wayne Michalek (ASD) who received an Associate in Applied Science Degree from the College of DuPage; Alan McArthur (ECT), who was promoted to the rank of major in the Army; and Jill Morgenthaler (OCIO) who has taken command of an Army Reserve brigade.
WEDDING/ENGAGEMENTS
Congratulations to Randy Szumski (ECT) on his recent engagement to Angela Wasson, Matt Luallen (ECT) on his recent engagement to Jill Whitlow and Barbara Growe (ECT) on her May wedding to Vince Calcagno.
FAREWELLS
Good luck to Odell Waters (PFS-CU) who has left the laboratory.
CONDOLENCES
Condolences to Pat Boley (OPA) on the death of her father-in-law, Rich Raffenetti (ECT) on the death of his mother, Jim Withrow (ECT) on the death of his mother, Vic Omiacinski (ECT) on the death of his wife, Steve Naday (ECT) on the death of his mother and Jim Love (ECT) on the death of his father.
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to this issue's contributors: Barbara Calcagno (ECT), Jodi Canaday (ASD), Karen Kroczek (PFS), and Sally Peters (OCF-PRO).