Some of this week's stories

Director to report
`State of the Lab'

Schriesheim will review the laboratory's achievements of the past year, its current situation, and the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

The 1995 Director's Awards, honoring Pacesetter Award winners whose performances or contributions were judged worthy of additional recognition, will be presented at the address.

To ensure that as many employees as possible can hear the report, there will be two sessions: one at 2:30 p.m. for employees whose names begin with the letters A through K, and one at 3:30 p.m. for L through Z. All employees whose work schedules permit are invited to attend.

Continuous shuttle service will be provided from the east area, Building 900, the 800 area, the 400 areas (main entrance of 401 and main entrance of LOM 431), the 300 area and Building 200, 202, 203, 205, 208, 212, 222, and 223. Pickup from Building 900 will be at 1:50 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.

Structural Biology Center
to be commissioned June 12

The Structural Biology Center (SBC) will be a national center for research in the determination of protein structure through macromolecular crystallography. It is managed through Argonne's Center for Mechanistic Biology and Biotechnology (CMB).

Expected to speak at the commissioning will be Argonne Director Alan Schriesheim; Harvey Drucker, associate laboratory director for energy and environmental science and technology; Ari Patrinos, assistant director of DOE's Office of Health and Environmental Research; Paul Sigler, chairman of the SBC principal Users Group; David Moncton, associate laboratory director for the APS; Cherri Langenfeld, Director of U.S. Department of Energy's Chicago Operations Office, and SBC Director Edwin Westbrook.

Inaugural SBC lecture

At 2 p.m., Michael Rossman will present the first Structural Biology Center lecture on "The Need for Synchrotron Radiation in the Structural Analysis of Viruses" in Argonne-East's Building 402 (APS Conference Center Auditorium).

Rossman will discuss the advantages of synchrotron radiation -- like the high-intensity X-ray beams to be provided by the APS -- for determining the structure of viruses and how they interact with their environment.

Organization to focus
community attention
on Argonne research

A-LINC, a not-for-profit organization aimed at promoting Argonne as a resource for local communities and dispelling myths about the laboratory, plans to convert Building 33 into such a center, and is exploring ways to build a new 10,000 square-foot structure next door.

A-LINC, which stands for "Argonne - Looking Inside the National Laboratory Community," aims to connect citizens in surrounding communities with scientists at Argonne and work with the Division of Educational Programs to develop and promote Argonne's educational resources, said architect Ken Peterson (OTD-APS).

The organization plans to raise funds through grants and donations to establish the combined Technology Transfer and Science Education Center. Argonne's center would be used for exhibits, educational tours for students, seminars, teacher workshops, and community science meetings. The exhibit area would present Argonne's work since the 1940s. A special rotating exhibit would change quarterly.

Peterson is developing sketches and a computer model of the center that will be ready for display at Argonne's Open House on Sept. 21.

A-LINC comprises Argonne employees and members of the Argonne Community of Teachers. The group is open to anyone interested in furthering the ties between Argonne and surrounding communities and who wants to get involved with the development of several new projects.

For more information contact Evie Fagan at ext. 2-5578 or evie_fagan@qmgate.anl.gov.

DuPont safety expert
training more supervisors

Kennedy will be teaching "effective safety observation" to a group of about 70 operations managers. His method stresses an interactive approach, in which supervisors discuss the job with the employee. The method is "a great deal more powerful in identifying things that should be done, can be done to make the job more safe," Kennedy said.

Many companies perform safety checks by "inspection," observing employees at work or their equipment and looking for obvious problems.

"It's been our experience that most inspections result in recommendations to make some physical change. Put more guards on machinery, for example. That's generally ineffective because 96 percent of all injuries are the result of people's actions, not conditions," he said.

Employees know the job and can point out improvements that might not be apparent to someone unfamiliar with that particular job or workplace.

"I was talking to some of the people in a maintenance shop last year," Kennedy said. "I asked, `are there any other safety concerns here?' And one person told me, `you ought to be here when it rains, the roof leaks all over the place.' Well, no way would I have known that on a clear day."

In 1994, Kennedy reviewed safety procedures in each associate laboratory director area, interviewed about five percent of the on-site population, and observed employees at work in operational and research areas. He made several recommendations for improving the laboratory's safety performance.

DuPont is one of the safest workplaces in all of industry, with a lost-workday accident rate of .04 injuries per 200,000 hours worked. Argonne's rate has improved from 1.18 in 1994 to .065 in 1995, about the middle of the pack by industry standards and among the best in the DOE laboratory system.

Seminar speaker to discuss
father-son relationships

The seminar will take place in Argonne-East's Building 362 auditorium and will be presented by Jim Wasner, coordinator of research and senior staff therapist at the Family Institute. Wasner also teaches classes in family development and research methodology at Northwestern University and has more than 16 years of experience as a family and marital therapist.

All Argonne and DOE employees and their families are invited to attend.

The next Family Series seminar will be "The Importance of Being 10 and Female: Preparing for Adolescence," on Tuesday, July 9.

Prostate screening offered

The screening includes a physical prostate exam by a urologist, blood test and a 45-minute seminar at 3 p.m., Tuesday, June 11 in the Building 203 Auditorium. Exam and lab results will be distributed at the seminar.

Prostate screening is recommended for men over 50 and over the age of 40 for African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer.

Cost for the screening is $50. It is open to all Argonne and DOE employees and their spouses. For an appointment or more information, call the Medical Department at ext. 2-2813.

Wellness program plans
skin cancer checkup

A seminar on the prevention of skin cancer and related skin problems associated with exposure to the sun will be conducted by Stephanie F. Marschall from 11 a.m. to noon ,Thursday, June 13. The seminar is free and will take place in Argonne-East's Building 203, Room 134.

Marschall is an assistant professor of dermatology at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago and has a private practice in Downers Grove.

Skin cancer screenings will be conducted from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, June 18, at the Medical Department in Argonne-East's Building 201.

Marschall will conduct a visual skin examination to assess any problems or abnormalities of the skin. All participants will receive an individual written report.

Cost of the screening is $45. It is not covered under HMO plans and is covered by CIGNA only if prescribed by a physician. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Medical Department at 2-2813.

-- Pacesetter Awards --

Lab employees welcome
at Fermilab C++ class

Prerequisites are some prior knowledge of C but no prior knowledge of object-oriented concepts. The class will be held at Fermilab's Wilson Hall, seventh-floor training room, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $628.05, payable at the first class with an Argonne check.

To enroll, send name, phone number, division, e-mail address, supervisor's name, phone number and e-mail address by e-mail to valadez@fnal.gov, or call (708) 840-8188.

NEW ARRIVALS

A girl, Kristen Marie, born May 1 to Kathryn and Paul Eichamer (ITD); a boy, Anthony, born May 3 to Anthony Puttkammer (APS); a boy, Adam Codero, born to first-time parents Joe and Vanessa Mendez (CMT); a boy, born March 27 to Marcy and Jeff Lowe (OD); a boy, born May 18 to Debbie and John Whipple (OD). Proud grandparents: a grandson, Joseph Dakota, born April 24 and a granddaughter, Jacquelin Erica, born May 3, both for Diana Grygiel (ESH); a granddaughter, Lacey Kay, born May 21 for first-time grandparents James (PHY) and Mary Kay Specht (ESH).

ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations to RoseMary Barrera (OPA) on receiving her bachelor of arts degree in organizational communication from North Central College. Shinae Chun, wife of K.C. Chun (EAD) has published a book titled "From the Mountains of Masan to the Land of Lincoln." Congratulations to Paul Eichamer (ITD) who earned a master of science degree in operations technology on May 10 from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Congratulations to Pete Wells (ED) who has eanrned a master's degree with honors in engineering.

WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS

Congratulations to Marla Baldwin (OPA) and Mike Harms on their May 26 wedding; to Anita Alamillo (CMT) and Miguel Franchini on their May 11 wedding; to Kurt W. Kramarz (CMT) and Connie L. Newell on their May 25 wedding; to Tammy and Dave Hendrix (ENG) on their April 8 wedding; to Steve Killian (OD) and Holly Danielson on their May 18 wedding; to Dawn Lange (PFS) and Tony Ferrazzi on their April 21 wedding and to Chris Ader (ES) and Bruce Hamilton on their May 19 wedding.

GET WELL WISHES

Wishes for a speedy recovering go to Klayne Coburn (OD) who is recovering from an automobile accident and to Sharon Mecham (OD) who is in the hospital with viral pneumonia.

WELCOME

MSD welcomes Arjan van Dalen, Werner Keune, Igor Aronson, Fabrizio Cleri, Michael Carmody, Hans-Peter Hauck, Tsunehiro Takeuchi, and Maria Iavarone. ES welcomes Edward St. Martin to the Waste Management and Bioengineering Section; PHY welcomes Pamela Arndt, Joseph Berger, Joseph Butscher and Jerome Gura. ED welcomes Jeffrey J. Giglio, Mitchell K. Meyer, Otis Keener Earle and Natalie Latter. RPS welcomes Thomas J. Aicher, Kevin A. Sauders, and Jeffrey L. Ferguson.

CONDOLENCES

Condolences to John DePue (IPD-TCS) on the death of his mother; to Joan Pytlewski (OCF-PRO) on the death of her mother; to Shen-Ling Tsai (OCF-ACT) and Hanchung Tsai (ET) on the death of Shen-Ling's father; to Mary Alice Buckley (IPD-TIS) on the death of her father; to LaJoyce Bullock (OPA) on the death of her grandmother; to Markie Burns (OD) on the death of her grandmother; to Maxine Klossner (ED), Gaye Grant (RPS) and Roy Grant (RPS) on the death of their mother; to Ken Teraguchi (OD) on the death of his mother; to Lolita (ENG) and Colin Groves (RPS) on the death of Colin's father; to Ed Fujita (RA) on the death of his father.

TRANSITIONS

Good luck to Marla Baldwin who is transferring from OPA to HR and to Brian Tiernan who is transferring from PHY to APS.

FAREWELL

Good luck to Shirley Neitzel (EAD); Shulin Wen (MSD); Kerry Klein (DIS); Daniel Blumenthal, John Gehring, Kirt Nakagawa and Kara Perry (all PHY) who have all left the laboratory.

CONTRIBUTORS

Thanks to this issue's contributers: Judy Beumer (MCS); Loretta Cescato (CMT); Pat Frankovich (ET); Gloria Griparis (IPD-TCS); Diana Grygiel (ESH); Connie Hutchens (AW); Eileen Johnson (RA); Sheila Jungman (MSD); Karen Kerwin (ITD); Cathy Nelson (IPD-TIS); Joann Parnell (ES); Eleanor Robson (EAD); Jean Slater (DIS); Barbara Weller (PHY).

Wednesday, June 12

High Energy Physics Division Seminar: "Dark Matter and Neutrinos" by Chung-Pei Ma, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. 11 a.m., Bldg. 362, Conference Room F108.

Energy Systems Division Seminar: "Applying Artificial Intelligence (Useful Al Tools for Non-Al Research)" by Michael Vogt, (ES). Noon, Bldg. 362, Conference Room E356.

Materials Science Division Seminar: "Structure, Transport and Magnetism in the La1-xSrxMnO3 System and Other Related Manganite Oxides" by Dimitri Argyriou, (MSD). 11 a.m., Bldg. 212, Conference Room A157.

Thursday, June 13

Chemistry Division Seminar: "Reactivities of Early Transition Metal Carbides and Oxides" by Kevin Kerns, Chemistry Department, Pennsylvania State University, State College. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J183.

Tuesday, June 18

Theoretical Physics Division Seminar: "Electromagnetic Form Factors in the Explicitly Covariant Light-Front Dynamics" by Vladimir Karmanov, Lebedev Institute, Moscow. 3 p.m., Bldg. 203, Conference Room B221.

Wednesday, June 19

Materials Science Division Seminar: "Grain Boundaries in High Temperature Superconductors: Microstructure-Property Relationships" by Dean Miller, (MSD). 11 a.m., Bldg. 212, Conference Room A157.

High Energy Physics Division Seminar: "Gauge Boson Studies at e⁺e^- Colliders" by Keith Riles, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 11 a.m., Bldg. 362, Conference Room F108.

Thursday, June 20

Joint Chemistry and Materials Science Divisions Seminar: "Fabrication and Characterization of Diamond Negative Electron Affinity Surfaces, Structures, and Devices" by Peter K. Baumann, Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh. 11 a.m., Bldg. 200, Conference Room J183.

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