Tuesday, Sept. 15, 1998
Director answers employee questions
Laboratory Director John Browne has completed the first batch of answers to the 150 questions submitted to him before the July 14 town-hall meeting [see the July 15 Daily Newsbulletin]. The answers cover the general areas of Lab mission, UC contract and salary. go to
Four named to head Lab's programs for stewardship and nuclear weapons management
Four directors have been named to head Los Alamos' programs for stewardship and management of the nation's nuclear weapons, said Steve Younger, associate Laboratory director for Nuclear Weapons.
The program directors are Don McCoy, Phil Goldstone, Luis Salazar and Scott Gibbs. They join the two deputies whom Younger named earlier this summer: Jas Mercer-Smith, deputy associate Laboratory director for science; and Carolyn Mangeng, deputy associate Laboratory director for stockpile systems.
In June, Younger announced the organization of the new Nuclear Weapons Program, which combines five technical divisions and stockpile responsibilities formerly held by the Nuclear Weapons Technology (NWT) and Nuclear Materials and Stockpile Management (NMSM) program offices.
The Nuclear Weapons Program administers roughly three-fourths of the Laboratory budget, or almost all the work funded by DOE's Office of Defense Programs. Younger's office also administers five technical divisions, with 2,500 regular employees: Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT); Applied Theoretical and Computational Physics (X); Computing, Information and Communications (CIC); Engineering Sciences and Applications (ESA); and Dynamic Experimentation (DX).
The new directors and program offices are
-- Don McCoy will head Simulation and Computations, with responsibility
for design, codes, computer science, computer hardware and fundamental theory.
McCoy joined Los Alamos in 1980 as a postdoctoral staff member in the Theoretical Division. His experience includes designing and interpreting nuclear test diagnostics and secondary design. He served as program manager for Test Readiness at the Nevada Test Site and for Weapon Assessment and Simulation. He has received a Distinguished Performance Award and five DOE Nuclear Weapons Excellence Awards. He served two tours of duty at DOE Headquarters, one as technical adviser to the director of the Nuclear Testing Division (1992 to 1993) and as member of the science council of the Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs (1994). He holds a doctorate In nuclear engineering from Northwestern University.
-- Phil Goldstone will direct Experimental Programs, with responsibility
for hydrotests, DARHT, subcritical experiments, high-energy-density physics,
Atlas, neutron scattering and fundamental experiments.
Goldstone joined the Laboratory in 1976 as a postdoctoral appointee in the Physics (P) Division. In 1978 he joined the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program and, shortly afterward, the High Energy Density Physics Group. He led the Laser-Matter Interaction and Fusion Physics Group from 1981 to 1989. He joined the weapons program staff in 1989, and from 1992 to 1994 was chief scientist for the Laboratory's ICF and High Energy Density Physics programs. Since then, Goldstone has been special assistant for science and technology in the Nuclear Weapons Program, served briefly as acting deputy program director for Nuclear Weapons Technology, and spent a year as assistant to the deputy director for Science and Technology. He holds a doctorate from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the current board president of the Santa Fe division of the American Heart Association.
-- Luis Salazar will run Stockpile Systems, with responsibility
for safety and reliability assessments, surveillance, W76, W78, W88, W80,
B61, flight tests, life extension and emergency response.
Salazar came to the Laboratory in 1977 after five years as a production engineer at the Rocky Flats Plant. He worked initially as a staff member with oversight for nuclear component manufacturing and assembly. He was project leader for cruise missile projects from 1983 to 1990, and then served as team leader for Production/Stockpile Liaison and for Systems Engineering. From 1992 to 1994, Salazar was program manager for Nuclear Assembly in the DOE's Lead Lab Program to identify future production requirements. Since 1994, he has served as stockpile program manager in the Nuclear Weapons Technology Program, with responsibility for maintenance, surveillance and dismantlement programs. He holds a master of science degree from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
-- Scott Gibbs will lead Materials and Manufacturing, with responsibility
for pit production, nuclear materials, detonators, neutron target tube loading
and work for other agencies.
Gibbs has worked for the past two years as program manager for Stockpile Management Facilities in the NMSM program office, with responsibility for working with the DOE on issues involving the Laboratory's key nuclear facilities: including TA-55, TA-18, the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building and Weapons Engineering Tritium Facility. For three years before that, he served as scientific and technical adviser for NMSM. He began his career at the Laboratory in 1985 as a staff member in Metallurgy Technology (MST-6) and later worked in the Industrial Partnership (IP) Office. He holds a master of science degree in metallurgical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.
--Jim Danneskiold
Workshop scheduled to increase awareness of Native American culture
Better understanding of Native American customs and culture and improving the working relationship with tribal governments is the focus of a half-day training session Thursday in the Jemez and Cochiti rooms of the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center.
The Laboratory's Environmental Restoration (EM/ER) Program Communications and Outreach Team is sponsoring the training session for interested University of California Laboratory employees and subcontract personnel. The free training session begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes about noon. Light refreshments will be served before the training session.
Cochiti Pueblo Governor Joseph Henry Suina will be the keynote speaker, said Kathy Armstrong of EM/ER. Environmental Management (EM) Program Office Director Tom Baca will welcome Suina and make opening remarks.
The training session aims to increase EM/ER personnel and other Lab employees' awareness and understanding of Native American culture, as well as provide insight into the governmental relationships that exist between the Laboratory and nearby pueblos, she said.
Gil Suazo of the Community Involvement and Outreach (CIO) Office will talk about the history of Laboratory tribal relations, while Sheila Brown of Laboratory Counsel (LC) will talk about statutory and regulatory issues related to tribal interactions.
Armstrong said the training will be particularly helpful for focus area leaders, focus area team leaders, human health and ecological risk assessment team members, regulatory compliance team members, analysis and assessment team members and all other EM/ER employees who interact with tribal officials and members or who have the potential to do so.
For more information, call Armstrong at 5-0405 or write to kathya@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
--Steve Sandoval
Financial fair slated for Sept. 23 through
25
Investment basics, retirement planning, asset allocation, University of California savings and investment programs and overviews of savings bonds and the U.S. Social Security system are some of the presentations for employees at the annual Financial Fair Sept. 23 through 25 on the second floor of the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center.
Compensation and Benefits (HR-1) is hosting the financial fair, which is free and open to UC Lab employees, said Rosella Atencio-Gerst of HR-1.
Over the three days, UC employees can attend a seminar, pick up information on investing and make appointments to meet one-on-one with Fidelity Investment representatives. UC employees who want to meet with Fidelity Investment representatives should call 1-800-642-7131.
On Sept. 24, employees can visit vendor booths to meet representatives and pick up information. The booths will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., said Atencio-Gerst.
"The Benefits Office sponsors the Financial Fair in order to help employees in different stages of life plan their financial futures," said Atencio-Gerst.
Representatives of the Benefits Office, the University of California, Calvert Social Investment Funds, Fidelity Investments and the Social Security Administration will give presentations at the fair, she said.
An investment workshop for women highlights the retirement planning needs of women, and explains why it is especially important for women to plan for retirement. In this session, women will learn investment concepts and develop savings strategies to meet their needs, said Atencio-Gerst.
The workshop on investment basics is designed for employees who want a better understanding of where to put their money. Participants will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of investing and will examine how the building blocks of investments and common market indices work.
Employees who want to understand more about the benefits of asset diversification can attend the workshop on asset allocation.
Representatives from Calvert Investments will give a presentation about Calvert's Social Investment Fund.
Representatives from UC will present a seminar about retirement planning with UC-managed funds for employees who want to learn more about those funds.
UC representatives also will talk about UC Savings plans available to employees, including the 403(b) plan, the 401(a) pre-tax and after-tax plans, and other savings options.
There also will be overview sessions designed to provide a better understanding of Social Security and U.S. savings bonds, Atencio-Gerst added.
"Behind Your Numbers" is an advanced seminar designed for plan participants who want to learn more about the economic and market factors that affect their investments. In this workshop, employees' plan investment options will be analyzed in detail.
"Are You Ready to Retire?" is designed for participants nearing retirement who want to understand how to plan for retirement. In this workshop, employees will estimate their potential retirement income and expenses and examine how to bridge any gap between the two.
The schedule of presentations for the Financial Fair can be found at http://www.hr.lanl.gov/html/benefits/financial_fair.html online. Employees also can call 7-1806 or write to benefits@lanl.gov by electronic mail for additional information about the fair.
As an incentive for employees to attend the Financial Fair, HR-1 is giving away four $50 U.S. Savings bonds. To be eligible for the drawing, employees must come to the Benefits Office's booth during the fair on Sep. 24 and fill out an entry ticket. The drawing will take place at 4 p.m. that afternoon. Winners will be notified by the Benefits Office.
Hearing impaired employees who need a sign language interpreter should send an electronic mail message to benefits@lanl.gov at least three days before the presentation indicating which presentation they will attend.
--Steve Sandoval
Nominations sought for Fellows Prize for Outstanding Research in Science or Engineering
Policy: To reward outstanding research performed at the Laboratory that was published within the last 10 years and that has had a significant impact on its discipline or program.
Purpose: To recognize and stimulate high-quality investigations in science or engineering by Laboratory staff members and to encourage publication in appropriate journals, books or reports.
Eligibility: Nominees must be full-time employees of the Laboratory at the time of nomination. All staff members of the Laboratory are eligible, but Fellows and postdoctoral researchers are not eligible. The work may be classified or unclassified.
Prize Nomination: Nominations should be submitted to the coordinator or deputy coordinator of the Los Alamos Fellows, and statements of justification (two pages or less) and letters of support (not exceeding five) from leaders in the field, both internal and external, are desirable. All supporting material -- which should include the publications on which the nomination is based -- should focus strongly on that particular research and the contributions of the investigators. Nomination packages should be simple and brief.
Award Review Procedure: A review committee selected from the Fellows will be appointed by the coordinator of the Los Alamos Fellows. The committee will make the prize selections.
Number of Awards: The number of prizes in any given year will not exceed three.
Amount of Awards: The prize will carry a maximum award of $3,000 for each individual. An appropriate certificate will commemorate the award.
Granting the Prize: The Director will present the prize at a formal colloquium during which the recipients will describe their research.
Nominations should be received on or before Nov. 2 by either J.B. Wilhelmy, coordinator of Laboratory Fellows, CST-11, Mail Stop J514, 5-3188, or by J.C. Solem, deputy coordinator of Laboratory Fellows, T-DO, Mail Stop B210, 7-3856.
Quality child care discussed during workshop last week
Michelle Hickerson, right, holds her daughter Camille while talking with Warren Schmidt last Friday at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building downtown. Schmidt is president of Monday Morning America Inc., a family and child-care business in New Jersey. He facilitated a roundtable discussion with community leaders and others interested in quality child care. Hickerson is an administrative secretary in the Los Alamos County Administrator's Office. The Laboratory's Dependent Care Resource and Referral Program and several organizations sponsored the roundtable discussion and two presentations on family and child care last Friday and Saturday. Photo by Liz Padilla
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