Lookman and Moore named 2009 LANL Fellows Prize recipients

Prizes signify exemplary science research and leadership

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, November 23, 2009—Commendations for exemplary scientific research and leadership have been bestowed upon Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers Turab Lookman and David S. Moore by the Laboratory Fellows organization.

Lookman and Moore are the 2009 recipients of the Laboratory’s Fellows Prizes for research and leadership, respectively. They were selected by a committee of five Laboratory Fellows. The Fellows organization includes some of the Laboratory’s most prominent scientists. A Laboratory Fellow cannot be a recipient of a Fellows Prize.

The Fellows Prize for Outstanding Research in Science or Engineering commends individuals for exemplary research performed at the Laboratory within the past 10 years that has had a significant impact on a scientific discipline or program. The committee selected Lookman for “his wide ranging contributions to the understanding of intrinsic inhomogeneity in functional materials.” Lookman’s work has described for the first time the coupling of elasticity to material functionality such as magnetism and charge polarization. His research provides a potential foundation for new methods of fabricating materials that might be technologically important for new-generation energy research. His work also is important to fundamental materials physics research.

The Fellows Prize for Outstanding Leadership in Science or Engineering commends individuals who stimulate the research interests of talented younger Laboratory staff members and who encourage junior researchers to make the personal sacrifices necessary to become effective leaders. The committee selected Moore for “his inspirational technical leadership in the fields of shock physics and the science of explosives detection.” Moore has worked to develop the next generation of scientists in this field by mentoring students at all levels, from high school to graduate- and post-graduate institutions. Many of these students have become Laboratory staff members. Additionally, according to the prize committee, Moore is a nationally recognized leader in explosives detection and “is an exemplary citizen to the Laboratory, to the international scientific community, and to the nation.”

An awards reception honoring the 2009 Fellows Prize winners will be held at a later date.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory (www.lanl.gov)
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

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2009 Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellows Prize recipients David S. Moore and Turab Lookman