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Five Argonne employees received University of Chicago Distinguished Performance Awards at a ceremony at Argonne-East Thursday, June 13.
The awards recognize outstanding technical or scientific achievements or a distinguished record of achievements. Awardees receive a certificate, a medal and a check for $3,000.
Honorees included:
Lin Xiang-Qun Chen (CHM), for her
successful development of time-resolved x-ray absorption fine structure methods at the APS. Her
work permits nanosecond time scale molecular structure determination of reactive intermediates in
solution phase chemical reactions. Working with molecules in solution avoids pitfalls associated
with time domain x-ray diffraction, including the need for highly ordered single crystals of the
species of interest and degradation of these crystals by the probing x-ray beam. Chen's experiments
opened a new field in the study of photochemical reactions and electron transfer processes. They
can also provide crucial understanding of photonic devices in terms of the molecular structure, and
of biological processes.
Louis Emery (AOD) and Sushil Sharma
(ASD), for their leadership in developing the "top-up" mode of operating the APS. Top-up operation
has been a significant improvement for the thousands of APS users, providing much greater X-ray
brightness and beam stability, more usable beam time each day, and -- most important -- more and
better data. Top-up enables entirely new designs for storage-ring light sources in which very high
brightness is obtained in exchange for what would otherwise be unacceptably short beam lifetimes.
These designs are already being adopted for other synchrotron sources. Their many accomplishments
include definitive contributions in beam optics and in setting up the physical and mechanical
control of the shields and collimators that ensure the safety of top-up operation.
Eddie Gay (CMT) for his path-breaking
work on metal-sulfide battery systems for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems,
and for his technical leadership in frontier electrometallurgical technologies. His work on
improving the throughput of the electrorefiner treatment to recover uranium from fission products
puts his division in a national leadership position, and positions it for continuing leadership in
DOE programs for electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel. Gay's commitment to, and his
sense of responsibility for, the next generation of technical leadership is reflected in his work
with the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and extends the impact of
his work at Argonne far beyond his technical accomplishments.
Chun-Keung Loong (IPNS) for his
leadership in transforming accelerator-based inelastic neutron scattering from a promising
technique into a powerful tool for understanding the microscopic dynamics of materials and
characterizing novel materials for technological applications. He spread the use of neutrons into
totally new fields, resulting in an astonishing stream of publications in an extraordinarily broad
range of sub-disciplines, from the basic physics of strongly interacting fermions to the science of
automotive catalysts. His work demonstrating a conventional mechanism for superconductivity in a
non-cuprate high temperature superconductor is noteworthy because the IPNS was combined with many
other Argonne capabilities, including materials preparation and bulk characterization, and computer
modeling, making it a model of what can be achieved at a national laboratory.
The 2002 Argonne Employee Picnic is less than a month away. Employees and their families are invited to spend the day listening to music, playing games, eating and socializing at Argonne Park, Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year's theme is "Americana," and everyone is encouraged to sport their red, white and blue gear.
Bubba's Dog House will sell hot dogs, hamburgers, cheese burgers, nachos, French fries, chips, candy, water and pop. Argonne will provide cotton candy and snow cones. DJ Spindoctor will be providing the music, and there will be games for children and adults, including bingo, horseshoes, dunk tank, electronic basketball, a climbing wall and many more.
A complete list of the games and volunteer information is online.
Those attending the picnic are encouraged to bring a blanket or some lawn chairs because there are a limited number of picnic tables.
There will be no security restrictions for entering the park because it lies outside of the laboratory gates, but this is still an alcohol-free event.
Volunteers are needed to work the games, parking and ticket distribution at the 2002 Argonne Employee Picnic.
About 50 volunteers are needed to run the games, hand out prizes and get wet in the dunk tank.
Employees can volunteer for an hour or more. In return, volunteers will get a free picnic T-shirt.
The Argonne Club requests that each of its affiliated clubs take responsibility for one game during the picnic.
A Web page has been set up for volunteer signup; the page also lists all the volunteer jobs and the affiliated clubs.
For more information, contact Steve Hanuska at ext. 2-8742 or hanuska@aps.anl.gov.
Argonne Director Hermann Grunder recently presented a $1,000 check to the Ronald McDonald House in Hyde Park on behalf of Argonne employees who provided one or more day's pay to the 2001 Argonne Combined Appeal campaign.
The Hyde Park house serves families of children being treated in the University of Chicago's Children's Hospital.
"The Ronald McDonald House does a marvelous job of helping families in need," Grunder said. The facility helps families overcome the stresses associated with a child's illness by encouraging supportive interaction with other parents in a comfortable, homelike environment.
Ronald McDonald House Manager Mary Agnes Murphy accepted the check on behalf of the organization.
"The 2001 ACA Steering Committee decided to give a very special thank you gift to Fair Share- and Fair Share Plus-givers by contributing the money usually used on their small thank-you gifts to an agency that helps others," explained 2001 ACA Co-Chair Deana Kinzler (TD).
Raffle ticket sales pay for these small thank-you gifts -- usually a cup or calendar -- because all employee contributions go to the ACA agencies.
"We chose the Ronald McDonald House near the University of Chicago because of Argonne's close ties with the university," Kinzler said.
2002 campaign
The 2002 ACA Steering Committee is now preparing for the upcoming campaign. The goal will again be to encourage more employees to contribute at least one day of their pay to the ACA agencies.
Carmen Berry and Connie Markiewicz are co-chairs of the 2002 campaign. Employees interested in participating on the steering committee should contact them for more information -- Berry at cberry@anl.gov; Markiewicz at csm@anl.gov.
-- Evelyn Brown
A mini-symposium on the results of Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) projects will be held Tuesday, June 18, from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. in Building 212, Conference Room A157.
Projects to be highlighted include:
"Investigation of Nonintercepting
Techniques for Electron Beam Characterization for Future Light Sources" by Alex Lumpkin (AOD).
"Bifunctional Catalysts for Catalytic
Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides under Lean-Burn Conditions" by Chris Marshall (CMT).
"Complex Adaptive Systems Electric
Power Simulation" by Charles Macal (DIS).
"Next Generation Energy System
Analysis Tools" by Richard Cirillo (DIS).
"Development of Solventless Extraction
for Treatment of Transuranic Sludge" by Karen Hirsche-Toews (NT).
"Functional Genomics of Endothelial
Cell Tube Formation" by Diane Makowski (BIO).
Central Shops will host an open house for Argonne employees Thursday, June 20, from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Argonne-East's Building 363.
All employees interested in becoming familiar with Central Shops' capabilities or learning about its facilities, equipment and operations are welcome.
Guided and self-guided tours of the Building 363 shop areas will be available. Computer-controlled machine tools and special process equipment will be demonstrated, and visitors can view displays of fabricated and machined components, optics shop components and welding and brazing capabilities. Central Shops employees will be available to answer questions.
Building 363 is behind Building 362. The access road is at the "triangle" where Bluff and Rock Roads merge.
Q: In regards to HR Policy & Procedures #2250.1 & 2250.2, is it possible when two technicians who are brothers and work in the same division -- same section -- same work area, under the same manager, that one of the brothers can be promoted to a supervisory (chief) position over the other?
A: A chief technician does not have hire, fire or disciplinary responsibilities over their technicians; hire/fire/discipline is done by either the section group manager in cooperation with or by the division director. A chief technician does not have a say as to pay because technicians' pay is negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement. A chief technician primarily assigns work, trains employees, makes sure that the work is performed satisfactorily, schedules the work and makes sure that deadlines are met; they approve annual leave and timekeeping records.
So to answer your question, yes, it is possible for the division to promote one brother over the other. The division could still be in compliance with HR Policy #2250 because most of the supervisory responsibilities are performed at a higher managerial level than the chief technician position.
(Editor's note: HR advises that the policy cited in the question says that whenever one relative is selected (original hire, promotion, transfer), to supervise another relative or work side-by-side in same section, then the division director has to provide written documentation to the HR director explaining why there would be no problem with the employees supervised by one over the other or working together. If an issue remains or there is an appeal, then the decision could go up to the chief operations officer or even to the laboratory director.)
"Ask the Directorate" lets employees ask senior Argonne management direct questions about the laboratory's operations, policy, strategy, mission, budget and goals.
Employees should continue to refer job- or workplace-specific questions to their immediate supervisors.
Employees may submit questions to askthedirectorate@ anl.gov or fax them to 2-5274. Only questions that include the name of the questioner and contact information, such as e-mail address, office extension or fax number, will be answered.
A link to the Ask-the-Directorate Web site, which includes an e-mail link for submitting questions, can be found on the Argonnet home page.
All Argonne employees are invited to enter a contest to suggest a slogan for the laboratory. Those who submit the best five suggestions will have lunch with Argonne Director Hermann Grunder and receive a ceramic Argonne coffee mug.
The ideal slogan should summarize in as few words as possible the spirit of Argonne's work in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's national missions.
The final slogan will be chosen by the Directorate and will be available for use, as appropriate, in Argonne publications, presentations and Web sites.
Entries should be submitted to Jessie McHenry (OPA) by fax (ext. 2-5274) or e-mail ( jessiemchenry @anl.gov) before 5 p.m. Friday, June 21. If duplicate suggestions are received, prizes will be awarded to the earliest entry.
The 5 to 9 Grill in Argonne-East's Building 401 has changed its name to the 401 Grill.
The grill's new hours are 4:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. weekdays and 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The grill serves hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, Italian sausage and beef, chili dogs and chili.
Orders can be faxed to ext. 2-6331 for quick pick-up.
Lunchtime barbecues have returned to the Argonne Guest House Restaurant.
Barbecues will be held every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the summer, rain or shine. Entree prices start at $8 and salad bar is included.
Mary Lou Elson (OSS), retired April 30 with 11 years of service.
Sidney G. Holder (PFS-US), retired April 16 with 40 years of service.
Judith A. McCabe (RPS), retired April 19 with 20 years of service.
Lester Shirkey (AOD), retired April 30 with 38 years of service.
Dale Smith (TD), retired April 30 with 36 years of service.
Donald L. Smith (TD), retired April 30 with 32 years of service.
Karen Sullivan (EA), retired April 26 with 10 years of service.
Charles (Dave) Wise (PFS), retired April 30 with 11 years of service.
All computer software classes offered by Electronics and Computing Technologies are now held in Argonne-East's Building 201, Room 167.
Unless otherwise specified, class sizes are limited to eight participants and cost $215.
July classes include:
"Introduction to Access Version 2000"
(ECT371) -- Wednesday, July 3, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Introduction to Word 2000" (ECT369)
-- Monday, July 1, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
"Introduction to Excel 2000" (ECT370)
-- Tuesday, July 2, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Complete class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are available online. For information about enrollment, contact Diane Cavazos (ECT) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos @anl.gov.
Representatives of the lab's retirement vendors will visit Argonne-East in July to meet individually with employees who have questions about their retirement plans or their retirement plan assets.
The schedule is listed below. To arrange an appointment, call the number listed.
Appointments are for one-half hour each.
Fidelity -- Tuesday, July 9 and
Tuesday, July 23. Call (800) 642-7131.
TIAA-CREF -- Thursday, July 11 and
Friday, July 12. Call (800) 842-2005.
Prudential -- Wednesday, July 3 and
Wednesday, July 17. Call (847) 619-3519.
Human Resources has scheduled three new classes for June.
To enroll, contact a Training Management System Representative. For more information, call Betty Iwan at ext. 2-3410 or visit the HR Web site (See "On the Web," page 2.) Classes will be held in Argonne-East's Building 201, Room 190 unless otherwise stated.
"Implementing a Project at Argonne"
(HR239). Wednesday, June 19, 12:30 _ 5 p.m. in Building 401, Room A1100.
"Coaching for Maximum Performance"
(HR634). Thursday, June 20, 1-5 p.m.
"Supervisory Roles and
Responsibilities Overview" (HR600). Tuesday, June 25, 1-5 p.m.
William Schultz, a representative of the Social Security Administration's Joliet office, will visit Argonne-East Wednesday, July 17, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Schultz will be available to:
Enroll employees in Social Security.
Take applications for new Social
Security cards, including original cards for newborns, corrected cards due to marriage or
replacement cards.
Help with earnings posting problems.
Answer general questions about the
Social Security program.
To schedule a meeting, call Fran Perri (HR) at ext. 2-2989.