RESEARCH TEAM -- Illinois State University student Zoë Paukstys works with Haifeng Ding, postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dongqi Li (MSD). Their research involves self-assembled nanomagnets with ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy.

Senate hears Grunder on basic research

Argonne Director Hermann Grunder testified Tuesday before the Senate Subcommittee on Energy on the role of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science in supporting basic research in the physical sciences.

Other witnesses before the committee were Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Office of Science Director Ray Orbach, Nobel Laureate and former Director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Burton Richter, and Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough.

Grunder’s testimony described the cooperation among the three major components of the R&D enterprise — industry, academia and government — and elaborated on the special role of the national laboratories in designing, building and operating user facilities for the benefit of the worldwide R&D community.

The role of the national laboratories, he said, is to expand the reach of universities and together to provide the foundations for future industrial enterprises. For

our system to work, these entities, and the Federal government, must understand their respective roles, have the highest regard for each other, and deliver research results that will drive future security and prosperity.

“Studies by the National Academy of Sciences,” he told the committee, “have shown that more than half of our nation’s economic growth stems from research and development. The nation’s R&D enterprise lays the foundation for the future products and technologies that will keep Americans safe, secure, healthy, prosperous, and intellectually alive. History has proven that the basis for all fruitful R&D is a fundamental understanding of the laws of nature — a field of inquiry where DOE’s Office of Science is a recognized leader.”

He said the physical sciences can be expected to continue to provide for advances in other sciences and medicine, as well as for the creation of new technologies and economic growth.

“But over the last decade,” he said, “Federal funding for the physical sciences has been neglected. Unless this trend is reversed, the research engine that has driven more than half our economic growth for the last 60 years will slow seriously ...”

“The total scientific enterprise,” Grunder said, “needs enough support to attract and retain the ‘best and brightest’ on a continuing basis. The way to do this is to offer them the resources they need to pursue exciting research opportunities. Bright young people are still challenged by careers in science and engineering, provided they have stable support and the opportunity to participate in world-leading research.”

The full text of Grunder’s testimony is online.

Fusion R&D is topic of colloquium

Fusion energy will be the topic of a Director’s Special Colloquium by Charles C. Baker, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Virtual Laboratory for Technology and former director of Argonne’s fusion energy program.

Baker will present “Recent Developments in the U.S. on the Road to Fusion Energy” Monday, Aug. 11, at 3 p.m. in Argonne-East’s Building 402 Conference Center.

Baker will discuss the progress of fusion energy research toward the long-range goal of a practical and economically viable energy system. He will highlight recent progress in both magnetic and inertial fusion concepts, and recent major programmatic developments.

Baker leads all fusion technology activities in the United States and serves as its principal spokesperson.

In addition, he serves as deputy director of the University of California-San Diego Center for Energy Research as well as adjunct professor in the university’s Mechanical and Aerospace Department. He was director of Argonne’s fusion program from 1977-1989.

Nobelist Smalley to speak Aug. 5

Nobel Prize winner Professor Richard Smalley, whose research in chemical physics led to the discovery of a third elemental form of carbon called “fullerenes,” will speak on “Our Energy Challenge” at a Director’s Special Colloquium at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, in Argonne-East’s Advanced Photon Source Conference Center, Building 402.

Bike commuters
cut pollution, boost health

By Rhianna Wisniewski

Argonne employees did their part in helping to improve the environment by participating in the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s annual Bike to Work Week. The event gave individuals the chance to experience a healthy, inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to get to work.

Most employees who participated are those who regularly ride to work, said Larry Johnson (EEST), who helped to coordinate the event. Biking to work helps people to stay in shape and helps to cut down on toxic air emissions released by cars.

Argonne and Lucent, a company in Naperville, held a friendly competition to see which company’s employees could ride the farthest, longest and log the most miles. Although Lucent has won the majority of the categories in recent years, Argonne employees came out on top this year. Between the two companies, there were 50 participants, more than half Argonne employees. With the help of a few employees who literally went the extra mile, Argonne was able to collectively bike more than 1,500 miles and eliminate more than 48 pounds of toxic emissions.

The big stars of the competition were Gregg Kulma (EQO), who biked 151 miles, 34 total trips, and saved 5.94 pounds in

toxic emissions in five days, and Randy Winans (CHM), who biked 125 total miles, 18 total trips and saved 3.74 pounds of toxic emissions in six days.

Kulma, an environmental engineer, explained that his first choice of transportation is biking anyway, and he enjoys both helping himself and the environment. He biked 3,600 miles last year.

“I understand the adverse impact that driving has on our air quality, the depletion of natural resources and the congestion on our roads,” he said. “I’m an advocate of conserving energy and exercise. By biking I can get where I am going, and I get a good workout. I really feel like I’m doing my part on ozone action days during which the lab encourages us to carpool.”

“We are just trying to get people interested,” he said. “People are going to bike to work regardless of whether there are prizes.”

Winans said that he rides an average of 18 miles round trip a day and has been biking to work for the past 32 years.

“Riding to work has the obvious economic, environmental and health benefits,” he said. “However, it is a good way to wake up and start the day. I am energized from the ride in. At the end of the day, it is a good way to unwind from work.”

Other Argonne winners were Dean Pierce (CMT) for taking 18 total trips, Teng Lek Khoo (PHY) for commuting six days and saving 2.77 pounds of toxic emissions, Walt Podolski (CMT) for commuting five days and saving 3.13 pounds of total emissions, Dick Page (RAE) for the longest commute of 14.5 miles, Emil Tripa (MSD) for saving 2.51 total pounds of toxic emissions and Timothy Martin (ER) for saving 2.36 pounds.

Pierce also was the prize winner for being the oldest biker, 73, in the “politically incorrect” category.

Gift certificates for Bike Line in Naperville and Spokes in Wheaton were given as prizes to the top riders in each category.

For information about joining next year’s Bike to Work Week, e-mail Larry Johnson at Johnson@anl.gov.

Students, faculty work
on Argonne’s ‘FaST’ track

The Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) program now in its second year, is a DOE-National Science Foundation (NSF) partnership that allows college students and their professors to work with scientists on cutting-edge research using advanced technologies and instrumentation at Argonne. The goal of the FaST program is to foster collaboration between the faculty and laboratory scientists, and provide hands-on research for students to encourage them to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology.

Harold Myron, director of Argonne’s Division of Educational Programs (DEP), said FaST cultivates a relationship between students and faculty, as well as the school and the laboratory. This benefits the faculty, the students, the school, Argonne and the National Science Foundation.

Linda Phaire-Washington (DEP), senior educational program leader, added, “FaST provides students with an immersion experience that integrates research with education, a priority of NSF’s current strategic plan.”

This summer there are six teams at Argonne. A returning team from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (NCAT) State University, headed by Mary Smith, is again collaborating with Darrell Chandler (ES). They are investigating the application of bead array technology and the Argonne acrylamide biochip for viral and bacterial identification. Undergraduate team members include Daud Cole, Roshanda Ruffin and Olamide Olayiwola.

“Research is a lot different from classroom laboratory work,” Smith said. “Research is a thinking, planning and troubleshooting process. FaST is providing my students with a real-world view of how scientific research is conducted.”

Team 2, from Pace University, headed by Hsui-lin Winkler, is collaborating with Gregor von Laszewski (MCS). This is the second year of Pace University’s collaboration with Laszewski. Undergraduate team members include Oleg Yunakov, Sze Man Chan and Shuaib Chowdry. They are developing a visualization tool kit for the NeesGrid laboratory. The NeesGrid is a distributed computing collaboration and data-handling infrastructure that connects geographically dispersed resources.

Team 3, from Governors State University, is headed by Soon-ok Park and is collaborating with Michael Papka (MCS). Undergraduate team members include John Ayettey and Maurice McDowell. “We are designing software, that represents a hierarchy of interconnected metabolic networks,” Park said. The Oracle bioinformatics databases contain annotated genomic data, metabolic and regulatory networks, enzymes and metabolic pathways.

Team 4 is from the University of Texas, El Paso. Headed by S.K. Varma, the team is collaborating with Ken Natesan (ET). The research involves relating the microstructure at the transmission electron microscope level to oxidation of molybdenum silicides and metal dusting in iron and nickel alloys. Undergraduate team members include Micah Baquera, Robert Franco and Pinu Stout.

Team 5, from Illinois State University, is headed by Khondkar Karim. The team is collaborating with Guokui Liu (CHM) and Dongqi Li (MSD) in nanoscience research. Undergraduate team members include Kent Schonert and Zoë Paukstys.

“FaST provided our students a research experience that may never be possible in a classroom environment,” said Karim.

Team 6, from Florida State University, is headed by Peter Gielisse. They are collaborating with John Carlisle (MSD). Undergraduate team members include Reynaldo Garnica and Geoffrey Ottenberg. The team also works in the area of nanoscience.

FaST Teams are recipients of statewide NSF grants, including the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation or the Computer Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships. “FaST brings together the scientific talent of small, undergraduate U.S. institutions with the research resources of the DOE national laboratory system,” said Phaire-Washington.

Two to speak at
Vietnam Memorial program

An Argonne and a U.S. Department of Energy employee are scheduled to speak at the opening of The Vietnam Wall Experience, a 240-foot traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Saturday, Aug. 9.

Vietnam veteran Robert Wunderlich, manager of DOE’s Argonne Area Office, will be the keynote speaker for the ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. He will speak about his experiences as a rifleman in Vietnam and remember some of his fellow marines.

Jill Morgenthaler, assistant director of the Center for Nanoscale Materials and colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, will also speak at the event and will share her experiences as a daughter of a Vietnam veteran who was in the same regiment as Wunderlich.

The replica will be held at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave. at Bryn Mawr and Western Avenues, Aug. 8-10. The exhibit will be open to the public 24 hours a day and admission is free.

In addition to several speeches, the Aug. 9 evening event will include music and a POW/MIA remembrance service.

For more information, call Rosehill Cemetery at (773) 989-2183.

Wesely fund will benefit students

By Jennifer Wisz

A new fund in remembrance of Marvin L. Wesely (ER) will help students interested in atmospheric science and other sciences attend the annual American Meteorological Society (AMS) conference. The next AMS conference will be held in Seattle in January 2004. 

Wesely died Jan. 20 from a rare type of heart cancer. He started his career at Argonne in June 1973, focusing on atmospheric science. Wesely wrote or helped write more than 150 publications. He was a strong supporter of student participation in research efforts and was a mentor for many undergraduate and graduate students.

“Every year a call goes out for undergraduate students who want to attend the AMS meeting — in particular the symposia or conferences in the areas they are interested in learning more about,” said Jeff Gaffney (ER), a friend and colleague of Wesely’s.

Gaffney said Wesely liked to help students with costs to annual AMS meetings because travel costs can be high.

“We often discussed how it was always difficult to choose from the very qualified and interested students when we only had a small amount of funds available to aid them in their travel costs to the meeting,” Gaffney said. “Last year some funds were cut from AMS, and one of the first things to get cut was the chairman’s funds for aiding student travel.”

Contributions to the Marvin L. Wesely Student Travel Fund can be made to American Meteorological Society, Attn: AMS Development Office, 45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-3693. For more information about the fund, contact Gaffney at gaffney@anl.gov or ext. 2-5178.

Metlife representative
to visit, offer quotes

A representative from MetLife Auto and Home will visit Argonne-East Tuesday, Aug. 5, and Tuesday, Aug. 19, to meet with individual employees for 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 can also receive a quote over the phone by calling 1-800-438-6388.

IPAY users need to re-register

IPAY, the payroll service that provides employees the ability to access their earnings statements and W-2 forms 24 hours per day, seven days a week, has changed. The change allows employees the option of suppressing their paper check vouchers in favor of electronic pay notification only. Employees must re-register for IPAY to receive this option and access to future earnings information.

To re-register, go to http://paystatements.adp. com with a recent check stub. The self-service pass code is ANL-ANLPAY2003ADP. Enter your user ID and password. “Re-register Here” will appear at the top of the page. New IPAY users should enter as a “First Time Visitor.”

Enter the following information from the pay stub:

Company code (PDU, PDZ, NWD, TDG)

File number (badge #)

The last four digits of your Social Security number

Pay date (mm/dd/yyyy)

Voucher or check number

After providing this information, a new user can create a personal user ID and password for logging onto the site to see future pay statements. Pay statements will be available for viewing by 9 a.m. CST on payday. Checks that have been voided by the Payroll Department will not appear in IPAY.

For more information, call the Payroll Department at ext. 2-6916 or ext. 2-7356.

HR CLASSES

To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. For more information, call Betty Iwan at ext. 2-3410 or see the complete course descriptions online.

“Facilitating Effective Meetings” (HR636) — Thursday, Aug. 7, 1-5 p.m., Building 201, Room 190.

“Aligning Goals for Results” (HR293) — Wednesday, Aug. 13, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Building 201, Room 190.

“Mastering Change In The Workplace” (HR297) — Tuesday, Aug. 19, 1-3 p.m. Building 201, Room 190.

“Brown Bag: Indirect Budgets” (HR299) — Thursday, Aug. 21, noon-1 p.m., Building 362, Room F108.

“Leadership and Motivation” (HR641) — Thursday, Aug. 28, 1-5 p.m., Building 201, Room 190.

One-on-one meetings
help retirement plans

Representatives from the laboratory’s retirement vendors will visit Argonne-East during August to meet individually with employees and answer questions about retirement plans and retirement plan assets.

Appointments are for one-half hour, except for Prudential, which offers half-day morning sessions. To schedule, call the number listed.

Fidelity   Tuesday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 26. Call (800) 642-7131.

TIAA-CREF  Monday, Aug. 18, and Tuesday, Aug. 19. Call (800) 842-2005.

Prudential  Wednesday Aug 6, and Wednesday, Aug. 20. Call Cheryl at (847) 619-3519.

Nanoscale product
to be demonstrated

Dip Pen Nanolithography™, an enabling technology for nanoscale research and manufacturing, will be demonstrated Wednesday, Aug. 6, in Argonne-East’s Building 223, Room C030.

Representatives from NanoInk, Inc. will introduce their Nscriptor™ product and demonstrate how to design an experiment to deposit molecules on a surface on the nanoscale. The technology can be used with materials as diverse as biomolecules, metal particles and sol gels. Demonstrations will be held at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

For more information, call Leonidas Ocola (XFD) at ext. 2-6613.

Questions about
Social Security
to be answered

A Social Security representative will be available in Human Resources at Argonne-East Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 8 a.m. to noon.

The representative will be available to:

Enroll employees in Social Security

Take applications for new Social Security cards, whether they are original cards for newborns, corrected cards due to marriage, or replacement cards

Help with earnings posting problems

Answer general questions about Social Security

To schedule a meeting, call Fran Perri (HR) at ext. 2-2989.

Thursday shrimp boils planned

Argonne’s Guest House will hold a lunchtime shrimp boil every Thursday during August from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

All-you-can-eat, peel-and-eat shrimp is $8.95 per person. Other menu items will be available, including a barbeque entrée. A salad bar will be offered for an additional $1.95 with any entrée.