Berkeley Lab 2024 (Virtual) Holiday Gathering

In a fitting tribute to 2024, Lab colleagues joined Lab leadership to celebrate the year’s successes virtually. One of the highlights was the revealing of the new name of the latest construction project: Collaboration Commons. The building, over 46 thousand square feet, will house a cafeteria, coffee bar, some HR services, a medical clinic, and the badging office, along with a second floor with conference rooms. 

The gathering ended with a Lab favorite, festive pets.  Take a look.

Speaker Series: Community Engaged Research

In this deep dive session, attendees will hear from ETA's Tom Kirchstetter and Chelsea Preble about how they have partnered with community-based organizations to better understand air pollution sources and patterns in local communities.  They will also hear from PSA's Kevin Lesko, who will discuss tribal engagement in South Dakota as part of the LZ project. This event is hosted by the Laboratory Directorate, including the Office of the Deputy Lab Director for Research, Government and Community Relations, and the IDEA Office, in partnership with the Energy Technologies Area.

For more information on community engaged science, please visit Berkeley Lab’s website.

Director's Achievement Awards 2024

Berkeley Lab employees were honored on Nov. 8 at the annual Director’s Awards, which recognizes excellence across the Lab. There were three recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award and one honoree for the Stewardship Award, and 86 additional employees were recognized across eight categories. Watch this video replay of the ceremony, which includes the recognition videos for some of the honorees.

Stewardship Town Hall

Chief Culture Officer Aditi Chakravarty and Lab Director Mike Witherell presented results from the Lab’s 2024 Culture Survey in a virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Next steps include collaborating with organizations and groups across the Lab to take action based on key survey insights. Watch the replay to learn more about the results.

AI@LBNL Workshop Day 1

Day 1 of the AI@LBNL Workshop covered the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in research areas like materials science, chemistry, and geoscience. Participants discussed how AI can be applied to scientific user facilities and examined the challenges and possible solutions for implementing AI in these settings.

AI@LBNL Workshop Day 2

Day 2 of the AI@LBNL Workshop focused on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can accelerate scientific advancements. The discussions also highlighted the challenges of managing and curating data to make it AI-ready.

Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense

For this hybrid event, Saul Perlmutter shared perspectives from his latest book, co-authored with leading experts in philosophy and legal psychology. Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense has been hailed for revealing “how you can use the tools of science in everyday life. In a world filled with uncertainty and fractured by polarization, this guide to clear thinking couldn't come at a better time.” Lab director Mike Witherell engaged in a fireside chat with Saul, and took questions from the audience. 

Berkeley Lab Research SLAM

The 2024 Berkeley Lab Research SLAM was held on September 19th. Twelve finalists competed to communicate their scientific research in three minutes. Yumary Vasquez won first place, Gurjyot Sethi took second, and Lisa Schlueter came in third. The People's Choice Award was given to Nicholas Dale. Yumary, Gurjyot, and Lisa will advance to the regional competition on October 3rd.

State of the Lab 2024

Lab Director Mike Witherell, joined by Carol Burns, Deputy Lab Director for Research and Chief Research Officer, and Michael Brandt, Deputy Lab Director for Operations and Chief Operating Officer shared the state of the Lab in a virtual session on Tuesday, Sept. 9. 

The presentation included information about progress in critical research areas, recent accomplishments, awards and honors earned by Lab staff, funding, and present and future construction projects.