See the Berkeley Lab SLAM finalists go head-to-head! A panel of esteemed judges determined the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize winners, and the live audience selected the winner of the People's Choice Award. The top 3 finalists will advance to the regional Bay Area Research SLAM to compete against the finalists from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Sandia National Labs, and SLAC National Lab. 

Mentoring@LBNL is excited to announce the inaugural  "Just in Time, In Person" event: a half-day of conversation, connection, and just-in-time mentoring. The event is designed to help you get the advice you need to help you in your career, whether you're just finding your footing at the lab, navigating a transition, stepping into leadership, or thinking about what's next, there's a conversation for you.

JIT Panelists:

• Ethan Crumlin, Staff Scientist, Deputy Division Director, Chemical Sciences Division

• Laura Boris Crosby, Senior Manager, Construction Procurement Team, OCFO

• Nigel Mouncey, Director, DOE Joint Genome Institute

• Orlando Casiano, Area Deputy for Operations (Interim), Energy Sciences Area 

• Vi Rapp, Staff Scientist, Deputy, Building & Industrial Applications Department 

The Morning Session: Honoring 10 Years of Advancing Science for the Future

During the morning session, the speakers emphasized the scientific advancements achieved over the past ten years under the leadership of Mike Witherell, the Lab Director. They discussed their plans to continue his vision and provided updates on some of the most significant accomplishments of his tenure. These talks included:

• David Schlegel, senior physicist, Physics Division: “What is the World Made Of?”

• David Prendergast, senior staff scientist, Molecular Foundry: “Building New Eyes to Discover New Worlds”

• Debbie Bard, head of NERSC Science Engagement and Workflows Department: “Computing the World of Science”

• Trent Northern, senior scientist, Biosciences: “Harnessing Biology”

• Vassilia Zorba, senior scientist, Energy Technologies: “Powering the World Without Breaking It”

• Margaret Torn, senior scientist and program head, Earth and Environmental Sciences: “The Future of the Planet”

The Afternoon Session: Honoring a Lifetime of Scientific Excellence - Celebrating the Extraordinary Career of Michael S. Witherell

The speakers at the event included a video congratulations from 

• Dario Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the Department of Energy (DOE); 

• Harriet Kung, Deputy Director for Science Programs at the Office of Science, DOE; 

• Marcia McNutt, former president of the National Academy of Sciences; 

• Young Kee Kim, a physics professor at the University of Chicago and Director Emeritus of Fermilab; 

• James Milliken, President of the University of California; 

• June Yu, Vice President for UC National Laboratories; 

• Ram Seshadri, Dean for Research at UC Santa Barbara.

The session concluded with remarks from the honoree, Mike Witherell, directed to his colleagues at the Lab. You can also read his remarks. 

Hear from Tim Latimer, CEO of Fervo Energy, about innovation and transitioning science from the bench to the market. Fervo was a Cyclotron Road company (2018 cohort). In 2023, the advanced geothermal energy startup successfully piloted its technology, supplying carbon-free energy to Google's data centers in Nevada and partnering with Southern California Edison. 

This event is part of the Lab’s Innovation 250 speaker series, celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary.

At her first town hall, recently appointed Lab Director Kathy Yelick highlighted some of the exciting research underway at the Lab and shared her thoughts on the value of the Lab’s stewardship culture and on how our long-standing practice of team science is critical to achieving our mission.

Hear from Nobel Prize winner Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and former Berkeley Lab scientist, about innovation in science. 

This event is part of the Lab’s Innovation 250 summer speaker series, celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary.

New to the Lab or a seasoned commuter? Transportation & Parking hosted a virtual Lunch & Learn where they provided a comprehensive overview of commute options at the Lab, from shuttles and carpooling to biking and more, to help you find the best way to get to and from the Lab. Speakers include John Chernowki, Kelly Perce, Blanca Bocobo, Daniel Rekkers (Ridepanda), Jeremy Zuker (Scoop Commute), and Bradley Dunn (BART).

Recording of Lab Director Mike Witherell's final State of the Lab Town Hall. Topics include the Lab's scientific strategy, the great strengths of its scientific and operational staff, and the Lab's important national user facilities. Director Witherell also speaks to the plan for growing and maintaining the Lab's infrastructure.

There was a Lab-wide virtual town hall at noon on March 19th to outline the Lab’s strategy for responding to the DOE Genesis Mission Request for Applications (RFA)s posted earlier this week. This event outlined the Lab’s strategy and provided guidance intended to maximize the Lab’s overall success. 

A Lunch & Learn session was recently held covering the upcoming Strawberry Gate reopening on March 23, 2026. The topics included updates on expected changes to Lab access, shuttle routes, and enhanced safety measures. Speakers included Quang Tran, Project Manager, Projects and Infrastructure Modernization; Blair Edwards, Department Head of Site Security; John Chernowski, Senior Manager of Transportation & Parking Demand; Kevin Goodwin, Operations Support Team Manager, EHS Division; and Jonathan Cabrera, EHS Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Subject Matter Expert.

This lab-wide town hall featured the latest on the Lab's AI for science strategy, the Genesis Mission, and ways Lab staff can engage. Speakers include Mike Witherell, Jonathan Carter, Jeff Neaton, Stefan Wild, and Chin Guok. This is the first of a series of collaboration events on AI at Berkeley Lab.