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New science center to open this fall

A 4,000-sq.-ft. addition to the building, under construction since April, will be finished by the first week of August. Exhibits and displays for the addition are scheduled to be completed by the fall.

The purpose of the new facility is to improve public access to the laboratory and to provide easily understood information about Argonne's and DOE's mission, activities, resources and services.

Phase one of the facility -- the space formerly occupied by the Visitors Reception Center -- contains interactive exhibits highlighting Argonne's history and current science and technology programs. It also includes a DOE Chicago Operations exhibit and a multimedia area that will be used to give tour groups an overview of the lab before site tours. Tour groups will start using this area July 14.

Future phase one exhibits will feature the lab's waste management and site beautification practices.

Phase two, the area now under construction, will include exhibits from each of the ALD areas. It also will include a science education center where school children will be able to access "distance learning" sites on computers and participate in hands-on science demonstrations and experiments. This activity will be coordinated with the Argonne Community of Teachers.

The center will open to the public with a "grand opening" celebration this fall.

Center needs a name

Internal communications survey shows
extensive range of employee opinions

Nearly 63 percent of the survey's respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "In general, communications at Argonne are open and responsive to employee needs and concerns."

For questions like this one, which apply to all employees, the numbers are accurate to within plus or minus three percent of representing employee opinion at the time the survey was taken.

The survey also revealed several areas where there is room for improvement. For example, less than half of the survey's respondents said they receive "enough information" or "the right kind of information" about "Argonne's mission, values and plans" and DOE's "missions, values and strategic goals."

Fewer than seven percent of the respondents said the public information kiosks at Argonne-East are useful sources of information.

As a result, three of the four kiosks will be relocated to Argonne-East's new science and technology information center -- now under construction at Argonne-East's main gate -- where they will be used for videos and interactive computer exhibits aimed at informing the public about Argonne's programs and activities.

The fourth kiosk will remain in the Building 213 cafeteria, an especially high-traffic area.

The information source that ranked highest at providing useful information was "discussions with your supervisor" ; it was rated high or very high by 75 percent of respondents.

"Electronic mail" ranked second; it was rated high or very high by nearly 64 percent of respondents -- about the same portion of laboratory employees who had access to e-mail at the time of the survey.

The survey also found that employees have an overwhelmingly high opinion of Argonne as a research and development organization. More than 93 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Argonne is one of the nation's leading centers for scientific and engineering research."

Nearly 91 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "I view myself as a valuable member of the Argonne team." But when the statement was reversed to read, "Argonne views me as a valuable member of its team," only 66 percent agreed or strongly agreed.

"These numbers generally speak well for employees' opinions about the laboratory," said Dave Baurac (OPA), "but they also reveal some doubt in employee confidence about how the laboratory views them."

Baurac developed and implemented the survey with Charlie Osolin (OPA), Dee Wernette (DIS), Evie Fagan (OPA) and LaJoyce Bullock (now in MCS).

Other survey highlights:

* 69 percent agreed or agreed strongly with the statement, "My last performance evaluation accurately reflected my job performance."

* 66 percent agreed or strongly agreed that "I can identify problems or raise issues of concern to Argonne without fear of reprisal or retribution."

Baurac said the survey showed that, like any large organization, Argonne has its share of dissatisfied employees.

Respondents' written remarks -- which are being kept confidential to protect anonymity -- ranged from broad comments about what a great place the lab is to work to detailed complaints that the laboratory doesn't care about its employees.

"The comments should be taken seriously as expressions of individual issues and concerns," Baurac said. "But they don't necessarily paint an accurate picture of general employee opinion. For that picture, you have to look at the overall percentages."

Many respondents were skeptical about whether the survey would serve any useful purpose, some calling it a "waste of time."

But OPA plans to use the survey results to identify areas where communications at Argonne can be improved, Baurac said. "Once we identify those areas, we'll develop plans to address them, implement the plans, and then do another survey in a year of two to see if our plans have worked."

A copy of the full survey results is on the World Wide Web at http://www.anl.gov/OPA/survey/.

Employees who don't have access to the World Wide Web can get a copy of the results by calling Evie Fagan at ext. 2-5578.

How the poll was conducted

Analysis of the results by Dee Wernette (DIS) shows that the demographic characteristics of employees who responded to the survey are generally representative of the sample population to whom surveys were sent.

As a result, one can say with 95 percent confidence that for questions applicable to all employees, results will differ by no more than plus or minus three percentage points from the results that would have been obtained if all employees had been surveyed.

Annual employee picnic planned for July 12

Argonne, DOE and University of Chicago employees are invited to the annual get-together. Admission is free.

This year's picnic will feature a bungee run, Ferris wheel, big slide, "Red Baron" plane ride, moonwalk, pony ride and a petting zoo. Other attractions will include carnival-style games, hayrack rides, bingo and a country-music band.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

ACA Raffle Tickets

Tickets for the Argonne Combined Appeal's annual raffle will be on sale at the picnic.

This year's prizes include two round-trip airline tickets to a continental U.S. destination; a weekend night stay at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook; a weekend overnight stay for two at the Mariott O'Hare; tickets the Paramount Arts Centre; and gift certificates for local restaurants.

Winners will be drawn in the afternoon.

Deadline is here for all employee survey

The survey will provide feedback to the senior management team on several topics including job satisfaction, communication, laboratory image, etc. An independent company, ISR, will tabulate the data.

Individual responses are confidential. Survey results will only be reported for responses of 20 or more. Demographic data will only be reported lab wide. ISR will destroy the surveys after compilation of the data.

Survey results and subsequent actions plans will be reported to employees through their managers and supervisors.

Retirement vendors to visit Argonne-East

Representatives will answer questions about retirement plans, quarterly statements, investments and asset allocation.

Appointments are required and may be made by calling Christine at 1-800-654-2238, ext. 3228.

Prudential representatives will visit Argonne-East in the afternoon Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, July 30-Aug. 1, for individual employee meetings.

Representatives will answer questions about retirement plans, quarterly statements, investments and asset allocation.

Appointments are required and may be made by calling Ann Fleming at (847) 619-3519.

Retirement plan interest rates announced

Pieper named fellow of
American Physical Society

A member of Argonne's scientific staff since 1972, Pieper is a theoretical nuclear physicist. He was selected as an APS fellow for his "outstanding work in developing computational techniques to address important problems in nuclear physics, particularly to address problems in the many-body theory of nuclei and direct nuclear reactions."

Pieper's current research involves using quantum Monte Carlo calculations -- a statistical technique -- to probe the properties of nuclei. He performs much of his research using Argonne's IBM SP POWERparallel computer system, one of the nation's most powerful computers.

Parallel computers break complex problems into many pieces, then send them to different processors on the same machine to be solved quickly. With up to 40 billion calculations possible per second, the SP permits scientists to perform research that had been too complex to perform previously.

Pieper holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from the University of Rochester, New York, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has authored about 50 scientific publications.

The American Physical Society is an organization of more than 41,000 physicists worldwide dedicated to the advancement and teaching of physics. Each year, no more than one-half of one percent of the current membership of the society is elected to the status of fellow.

Correction

Argonne News regrets the error.

Running Club hosts Director's Fitness Day

It will feature a 3-mile run and 2-mile walk at 11:45 a.m. starting at the Argonne Pool. Refreshments will be served.

Service awards for July include:

40 Years

Alice M. Essling (CMT-AC), Kevin Michael Myles (CMT), David W. Reilly (ESH-HP).

35 Years

Gloria M. Fang (OCF-ACT) and David L. Rink (ET).

30 Years

Marilyn J. Bohnen (ECT-COM), Julius Bryant (EMO-WMO), John G. Jorgensen (ED-MS), Connie S. Markiewicz (TD), Margaret D. Neubauer (HR-MD), McLouis J. Robinet (ESH-HP), Eugene A. Urban (OCF-PIM).

25 Years

Michael R. Baker (OD), Arlen R. Brunsvold (RE), Steven C. Pieper (PHY), Susan L. Sommers (RPS-ACT), Arthur E. Wright (RE).

20 Years

Paula J. Hassert (OCF-PRO), Michael A. Morrissey (RPS-ESH), Adrian M. Tentner (RA).

15 Years

Donald L. Barnett (RE), Robert L. Burnham (RPS-SEC), Dorothy M. Christiansen (RPS-ESH), Michael K. Dearden (RPS-SEC), Rodney W. East (XFD), Lawrence G. Hill (DIS), Wade P. Smout (RPS-SEC), Perry H. Todd (OD), Alan R. White (HEP).

10 Years

Renato Chiarizia (CHM), Roger Dejus (XFD), Robert A. Erck (ET), David J. LePoire (EA), Jeffrey S. Olsen (RPS-CCS), Craig A. Patterson (ESH-FD), William H. Taylor (PFS-CU), Donna K. Tipton (CMT), David Warren (CMT).

5 Years

Thomas Barkalow (ESH), Kurt D. Boerste (ASD), Angela Buckner (EA), James P. Butler (EA), Bruce Epperson (ECT-EE), Ronald J. Erwin (PFS-IN), Horst Friedsam (ASD), Stephan Ginell (CMB), Thomas Gutowski (PFS-IN), Karen Hansen (RPS-RM), Michael G. Hoffberg (XFD), Vladimir Koritarov (DIS), John Logue (PFS-FPE), Rimantas Ray Pencyla (PFS-FPE), Lynn Peterson (ASD), Nancy Sanchez (ESH), Ryan B. Tew (RPS-HR), Robert Wright (ASD), Julianne M. Wulf (XFD), Randall Zabel (ASD).

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