Today the laboratory received a phishing email asking recipients to open a pdf attachment to complete an online registration. The cyber team removed the message from mailboxes, but employees are asked to remain alert as other national labs have also recently experienced phishing attempts.
Anyone who receives a suspect email is asked to contact the Cyber Office at ext. 2-3456.
For additional information, see Top 9 tips on how to prevent cyber “break-ins.”
Now is the time to start thinking about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for 2019. Employees can put aside pre-tax dollars up to $2,650 in a healthcare FSA and up to $5,000 in a dependent day care FSA. These accounts can be used to pay unreimbursed expenses for healthcare and dependent care related expenses.
If you contributed to a healthcare or dependent care FSA in 2018, and would like to have these accounts in 2019, you will need to re-enroll. Your healthcare FSA unused balance from $10 up to $500 will automatically carry over to your 2019 FSA balance, and it will not count toward the $2,600 limit.
Signing up for these accounts is easy:
Additional information can be obtained by going to the WageWorks website.
All interested employees are invited to learn best practices and strategies for how to communicate your science to youth and family audiences. This four-part series will cover how to break down your projects into accessible language, how to frame your work as a story, how to adjust to various audiences (urban vs. suburban, middle vs. high school, families vs. students, etc.) and how to personalize for relatability.
Argonne Educational Programs and Outreach receives hundreds of requests each year for employees to speak at school career days, attend local and regional STEMFests, and judge science fairs. Having an impactful experience relies on matching your communication technique to the intended audience.
Attendees must participate in session one before attending the other sessions.
All sessions will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Building 401, Room A1100. Feel free to bring a lunch. Treats will be provided.
Outreach Lead Jessica Dietzel (HRS) and Media Manager Chris Kramer (CPA) will facilitate the workshops.
This first session will go over how to break down your science projects into accessible language and how to avoid the jargon trap. Attendance at session one is a prerequisite for subsequent sessions.
Two dates are offered:
This session will focus on gauging audiences’ background knowledge, checking for understanding and adapting to different audience types. Content from the first session will be reviewed.
This session will focus on ways to turn information into a story and how to make it interesting for youth and family audiences. Content from the second session will be reviewed.
Two dates are offered:
This session will focus on you and how to really dig deep to bring your authentic self into your engagements to make them powerful and memorable. Content from the third session will be reviewed.
The ML/HPC Journal Club will hold its monthly seminar on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, at 1 p.m. in Building 240, Room 1407. Join us for presentations by Argonne Scientists Mathew Cherukara (NST) and Yongchao Yang (CFC).
Assistant Scientist Mathew Cherukara will give a talk titled “Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Real-time Coherent X-ray Diffraction Inversion.”
Structural Mechanical Engineer Yongchao Yang will give a talk titled “Full-field Imaging and Modeling of Structural Dynamics.”
For additional information, contact Noah Paulson (AMD).
All employees are invited to participate in the fifth annual “Give it a Weigh for the Holidays,” a fun wellness program for the holidays that supports healthy living and charitable giving. Sponsored by Health and Employee Wellness (HEW), the program aims to help employees avoid holiday weight gain, while still enjoying this wonderful season.
This year HEW will start the program before the Thanksgiving holiday. Our goal is to raise more than $1,000 for a local charity.
“Give it a Weigh for the Holidays” encourages employees to form teams of two or more people to help encourage each other to maintain their current body weight during the winter holiday season. Each employee donates $10 in cash which will go toward a holiday gift for an Argonne Combined Appeal (ACA) sponsored organization.
Team members weigh-in to record a “starting weight” and after the holiday season, weigh-in again to record an “ending weight.”
The team that has gained the least weight (averaged over the number of team members) wins and gets to choose which ACA-sponsored organization will receive the donation.
Each team selects a team captain who then emails wellness@anl.gov with the name of their team. The team captain collects the $10 from each team member and brings the donation to HEW during the weigh-in process.
All individual weights are kept confidential, however teams who wish to participate, but do not want a weight recorded are encouraged to register. Those teams will not be eligible to win, but can still receive wellness information and donate funds to charity.
Teams are encouraged to support each other in eating well during the season.
Scheduling individual weigh-ins
Participants can call HEW at ext. 2-2813, to schedule a weigh-in at the HEW Medical Clinic in Building 201, 1st Floor. Appointments can be individual or for an entire team.
Weigh-ins must be scheduled between Nov. 14-21, 2018, and weigh-outs between Jan. 7-11, 2019.
Please note: The following wellness information is provided for the use of Argonne employees.
The provision of this information is not intended to create a physician-patient relationship or to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, opinion or treatment.
If you believe you have any health problem, or if you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your personal physician or other healthcare provider.
Fourteen employees have received Director’s Awards, representing the “best of the best” of the year’s Pacesetter Awards.
Pacesetter Awards recognize specific performance efforts or achievements that significantly exceed normal requirements of an employee’s position, project assignment and individual situation. Awards may be given for innovation, discovery, extraordinary effort, program development, safety initiative, peer recognition or a significant cost reduction.
A committee comprising representatives from each directorate chooses those Pacesetter Award recipients whose performance or contribution is judged worthy of additional recognition with a Director’s Award.
“This group has made exceptional contributions to Argonne’s leadership in science and engineering and operational excellence,” said Argonne Director Paul Kearns. “Each of you went above and beyond in helping Argonne fulfill its scientific missions and reinforce our world-class reputation with important stakeholders.”
Award winners included:
Todd Kimmell (EVS), who built greater trust with a key Environmental Science division sponsor, leading to new funding and more opportunities for EVS staff. He also strategically worked to provide potential sponsors with technical support, gaining a credibility that boosts our success in future funding situations.
Natalia Saraeva (NSE), who did an impressive job of summarizing public comments to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Fuel Storage and Transportation Planning Project. This is the most important milestone in the five-year project. She submitted her contributions ahead of deadline, earning important recognition for Argonne. Saraeva was recognized by DOE leadership for a “thoughtful, nuanced, non-defensive and well written” report.
Todd Kimmell (EVS), at left, with Argonne Director Paul Kearns.
Natalia Saraeva, at right, with Argonne Director Paul Kearns.
Alex Mitchell, Dan Harris, Cara Carpenter Hotz, Mark Lopez and Justin Breaux (all CPA). This group managed one of the most successful media and public relations campaigns in lab history, promoting our Oleo Sponge to people around the globe. Their efforts resulted in more than 750 media placements worldwide, reaching more than 100 million people and drawing more than 50 million to view a video about the sponge. Their work also attracted 190 serious inquiries from companies looking to license the oleo sponge technology.
Left to right: Argonne Director Paul Kearns with awardees Cara Carpenter Hotz, Alex Mitchell and Dan Harris (all CPA). Not pictured: Mark Lopez and Justin Breaux.
Harold Gaines (BIO), Eva Stringer (NST), Sharon Gunter (PSC) and Arista Thurman (AES), who led the Argonne African-American Employee Resource Group (AAA-ERG) in championing the ACT-SO high school research program for African American students. This program raises funds for scholarships for economically challenged African-American students. The resource group also hosted events such as the Mantua Cultural Event during Black History Month and the annual Taste of AAA-ERG.
From left to right: Argonne Director Paul Kearns with awardees Arista Thurman (AES), Harold Gaines (BIO), Sharon Gunter (PSC) and Eva Stringer (NST).
Michael Merritt (AES) and Oliver Schmidt (ASD), recognized for jumping in to help during an emergency. In early February, a synchrotron device designed and built at the Advanced Photon Source was on a truck bound for SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California when the truck was in an accident. These employees went to the scene, assessed damage and instructed accident recovery personnel on handling a device with a high magnetic field. They secured it for storage and transportation back to Argonne. Thanks to the efforts of these employees, SLAC received the cleaned and reworked device in late February.
Left to right: Michael Merritt (AES), Argonne Director Paul Kearns and Oliver Schmidt (ASD).
Argonne Director Paul Kearns (left) with Eugene Stewart (NST).
Eugene Stewart (NST), who maximized cost savings and minimized operational downtime spent repairing critical components for a signature transmission electron microscope for the Center for Nanoscale Materials. He saved $20,000 on repairs to three key electrical components damaged due to a power issue and enabled user projects to get underway again quickly.
A new question about Aware, Argonne’s new work planning and control application, will appear each week in Snapshot starting Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018. Answers will be listed on this page.
Aware is a major element of the “Improving How We Work” project dedicated to the development of improved work planning and control — a top priority for the laboratory. See the Improving How We Work webpage on Inside Argonne for details.
Nov. 14, 2018
What does Aware stand for?
Aware is not an acronym. It is the name of the web application that implements Work Planning and Control — as in, “Be aware of the hazards, controls, risk, the work environment, and your co-workers.”
With winter on its way, now is the time for employees to talk to their supervisors about telecommuting options and expectations during severe weather events. Ensuring employee safety is part of the lab’s operational excellence strategy, as well as a core value of the lab.
Employees are trusted to make good decisions about whether they can get to work safely. Notify your supervisor right away if conditions prevent you from coming to work or if you’ll have to wait until conditions improve.
Some employees have the option of telecommuting. Line management is responsible for determining which positions are deemed essential and which are eligible for telecommuting. When the possibility of severe weather is predicted, prepare in advance by having work available to perform at home. Personnel deemed essential should report for their assigned shifts.
Depending on conditions, lab management may recommend or require eligible employees to telecommute to ensure safety and minimize disruption to laboratory work. LMS-PROC-108: Telecommuting explains the distinction between “recommended” and “required” telecommuting as follows:
Argonne may also delay the start of normal operations or suspend laboratory operations if conditions are warranted. A set of FAQs on how the laboratory decides to delay the start of business operations or suspend laboratory operations due to weather conditions is available online.
Changes to Argonne’s operational status will be sent to employees and other site occupants via text, email and phone messages. Make sure your contact information is up to date in Workday. Argonne’s Emergency Information webpage and the Info Line at 630-252-INFO (630-252-4636) are also updated when severe weather affects Argonne operations. These information sources are typically updated by 6 a.m. if needed.
If the laboratory is not conducting business operations for the day, or will delay operations until later in the morning, non-essential employees are highly discouraged from coming to the site. Keeping cars out of the parking lots helps snow removal crews clear them more efficiently. Cars may become stuck or go off the road due to snow and ice, endangering the driver and emergency responders alike.
In response to a recent U.S. Department of Energy review of Argonne’s external engagements, Technology Commercialization and Partnerships (TCP) has:
Please send questions or requests for assistance to mou@anl.gov.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the Conversations with Kearns meetings on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, and Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, have been cancelled.
Please watch Snapshot and Argonne Today for announcements when the next series of meetings is scheduled.
Laboratory Director Paul Kearns hosts “Conversations with Kearns,” an informal gathering held approximately twice a month at locations across the Argonne site. Wide-ranging discussions at these meetings have covered laboratory strategy, safety and many other topics of interest. All are welcome, and no registration is necessary.
Employees may also email questions and comments to Kearns at listen@anl.gov.
Three Argonne researchers will discuss their Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) sponsored work at the LDRD Seminar Series presentation Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. in Building 212, Room A157. All are welcome to attend.
Visit the LDRD website to view upcoming seminars.
Mercouri Kanatzidis
Abstract
Gamma-ray (g-ray) detection and spectroscopy is the quantitative determination of the energy spectra of g-ray sources, and is of critical value in diverse and critically important technological and scientific fields such as the nuclear industry, nuclear medicine, medical imaging, national security for the nonproliferation of nuclear materials, geochemical investigations and astrophysics. However, detectors that can resolve the specific energies of g-rays from specific nuclear sources at room temperature are rather difficult to develop because of a wide array of strict requirements including high stopping g-ray power, extremely low trapping of electrons and holes, long carrier drift lengths and cm-sized single crystal size. To date the available semiconductors for this job are inadequate for various reasons including cost, stability, etc. I will describe a solid state chemistry and materials science approach that has been successful in identifying many new promising materials for hard radiation detection.
Biography
Mercouri Kanatzidis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He is professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering at Northwestern University and senior scientist at Argonne. His research areas include: Inorganic chemistry, solid state and coordination chemistry of chalcogenide compounds. Design of new materials, exploratory synthesis, thermoelectric materials, nanostructured materials, intermetallics, superconductors and nuclear radiation detectors.
He is the recipient of many honors and awards, including: Presidential Young Investigator Award. National Science Foundation, 1989-1994; ACS Inorganic Chemistry Division Award: EXXON Faculty Fellowship in Solid State Chemistry, 1990; Beckman Young Investigator, 1992-1994; Alfred P. Sloan Fellow 1991-1993; Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar 1993-1998; Michigan State University Distinguished Faculty Award 1998; Sigma Xi 2000 Senior Meritorious Faculty Award; University Distinguished Professor MSU 2001; John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellow 2002; Alexander von Humboldt Prize, MRS Fellow 2010; Royal Chemical Society DeGennes Prize 2015; Elected Fellow of the Royal Chemical Society 2015; the ENI Award for the “Renewable Energy prize” category; the ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry 2016; and the American Physical Society 2016 James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials.X
Dillon Fong
Abstract
The aim of this project is to exploit third-generation synchrotron sources like the Advanced Photon Source (APS) to conduct fundamental studies on the dynamics of phase transitions in complex oxide materials — materials known to exhibit a wide variety of phases ranging from superconducting to ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic to multiferroic. In this two-year project, we focus on understanding the dynamics of electrochemically driven phase transitions in the cobaltites, a correlated electron systems with properties that vary from insulating to metallic or antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic, depending on the Co oxidation state. We employ X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to understand the dynamics of the phase transition.
Biography
Dillon Fong is a scientist in the Materials Science division. He has helped to develop several in situ synchrotron tools at the APS, including a combined scattering hard X-ray photoelectron spectrometer and a system for operando studies of catalytic behavior. He is a recipient of the 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and the 2013 Argonne National Laboratory Distinguished Performance Award.
Anand Bhattacharya
Abstract
The complex oxides are known to host a broad range of electronic and magnetic states, which can be tuned by a variety of ways including strain and doping. Their properties are also known to be highly sensitive to the presence of oxygen vacancies, which in some materials can be controlled in a reversible manner. This raises the possibility of using oxygen vacancies to switch electronic and magnetic properties. I will present our work in controlling oxygen vacancy formation in SrFeO3 which is known to be a helical antiferromagnet, and where the resistivity can be changed by several orders of magnitude depending on the level of oxygen vacancies in the system.
Biography
Anand Bhattacharya is a physicist in the Materials Science division. He likes to make and study thin films and heterostructures of materials with interesting electronic and magnetic properties.
Dave Brannigan, DIS Division Director
Dave Brannegan has been appointed director of Argonne’s Decision and Infrastructure Sciences (DIS) division, effective Nov. 16, 2018.
Brannegan has served as interim director of the DIS division since its formation in spring 2018. From 2013 to 2018, he was director of the Risk and Infrastructure Science Center at Argonne, leading strategy, innovation, and impact that grew the center to $50 million annual funding from numerous federal agencies and close to 150 full-time staff members. From 2007 to 2013, Dave held various roles within Argonne’s Infrastructure Assurance Center, including deputy director, core team member, and senior subject-matter expert supporting high-level federal projects, such as National Infrastructure Protection Plan measurement and reporting efforts; National Critical Infrastructure Prioritization Program methodology development; and virtual red team risk assessments of critical infrastructure assets, systems, and nodes.
Dave came to Argonne from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2007. He received a master’s degree in international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross. In 2013, Dave completed the Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Mark A. Williamson, CFCT Division Director
Mark Williamson has been named director of the Chemical and Fuel Cycle Technologies (CFCT) division, effective Nov. 16, 2018.
Mark has served as interim director of the CFCT division since June 2018. During his nearly 20-year career at Argonne in the Chemical Technology, Chemical Science and Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering divisions, he has led a number of efforts to grow Argonne’s work in nuclear fuel reprocessing through collaborations with national and international research organizations, industry, and federal research sponsors. He joined Argonne in 1999 to develop an electrochemical oxide-to-metal conversion process, which enables the transition from the current once-through to a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
Before joining Argonne, Mark was a technical staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where his work focused on understanding the properties of actinide compounds and their behavior in chemical processing systems. He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Kansas, and degrees in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Toledo.
Chip Bell
Argonne is offering customer service workshops for all Operations staff including those in the Infrastructure Services, Office of the Director and Science & Technology Partnerships and Outreach directorates. The workshops are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 28, and Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. Chip Bell, a renowned authority on customer loyalty and the author of several award-winning national and international best-selling books, will present each session.
The morning session, “Building Partnerships with Customers for Frontline Workers” is for frontline workers while the afternoon session “Leading a Customer-Centric Operation” is designed for managers and group leaders.
All Operations staff are encouraged to attend one of the sessions and can register through the Training Management System (TMS):
Distinctive service in the professional world can be vastly different than the approach used by a merchant to win a consumer. Encounters shifts from transaction to relationship. When those you serve feel like valued partners in a power-free relationship, their expectations are typically more realistic, they are more forgiving of mistakes, more ardent advocates and their economic investment in the organization deepens. Research convincingly demonstrates it is the depth of the relationship, not the quality of the product or expertise, which retains the relationship. This powerful and practical keynote is based on Chip Bell’s international best-selling books, “Customers as Partners” and “Dance Lessons: Six Steps to Great Partnerships.”
This customer service workshop is designed for managers and group leaders in the Operations divisions.
Go behind the scenes in those organizations renowned for inventive and imaginative service, and you will find leaders with exceptional practices and special competencies. These courageous leaders understand the culture and leader-follower relationships that are most suited for resourcefulness in delivering value-unique experiences that awe, not just wow. Leadership is an echo that best resonates in a setting of responsible freedom, compelling cause, supportive connections, infectious curiosity and affirming excellence. Based on the best-selling books, “Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service” and “Take Their Breath Away,” this powerful presentation leaves audiences with fresh insights and clear instructions on ways to stimulate, nurture and cultivate innovative service.
Biography
Chip R. Bell is founder and senior partner with The Chip Bell Group. A renowned keynote speaker, his consulting firm focuses on helping organizations create a culture that supports long-term customer loyalty and service innovation. Prior to starting his company in the 1980’s, he was director of Management and Organization Development for NCNB (now Bank of America). Bell holds graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University and the George Washington University. Additionally, he was a highly decorated infantry unit commander in Viet Nam with the elite 82nd Airborne and a guerilla tactics instructor at the Army Infantry School. His books include: “Take Their Breath Away,” “Managing Knock Your Socks off Service,” “Magnetic Service,” “The 9½ Principles of Innovative Service,” “Wired and Dangerous,” “Customers as Partners” and his newest book, “Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles.” His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. Global Gurus ranked him in 2018 the #2 keynote speaker in the world on customer service; #1 in North America. Bell has appeared live on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR Marketplace and his work has been featured in Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Forbes, Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, CEO Magazine and Fast Company.
All employees and their guests are welcome at the Argonne Running Club’s “Giving Tuesday” Run & Walk Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018.
The event begins at noon at the Building 362 Lobby (near the auditorium). Bring a non-perishable food item to donate and to be eligible for the raffle prizes. Food donations will be taken to a local food pantry.
Runners will cover 3.3 miles, and walkers 1.5 miles. Refreshments will be available at the finish.
Contact Lauren Raino (EGS) for more information.
Argonne’s Operations Excellence Council (OEC) provides a senior management forum focused on delivering leading-edge science, and developing a strong commitment to, and culture around, research and operational excellence throughout the laboratory. The council supports timely, transparent and effective decision-making on operational programs. It communicates customer feedback, needs and priorities, and reviews lab performance targets and metrics.
Operations Update
Interim Deputy Laboratory Director for Operations Kim Sawyer pointed out that the Combined Heat and Plant was back up and running on Monday, Nov. 12. She acknowledged the excellent job done throughout the repair process. A training program stemmed from this incident and workers now have additional training and certifications.
The Safety Academy for Excellence (SAFE) Program will continue into the new calendar year with a goal of 100 people completing the class. Efforts are underway to bring additional training sessions to Argonne. The focus is on sending first and second line managers and Principal Investigators that oversee hazardous work.
There will not be an extension for Qualified Electrical Workers (QEWs); those who have not qualified by the end of the calendar year will no longer be able to work. Progress is excellent with approximately 95 percent of QEWs completing classes and nearly 80 percent completing the required competency practical.
OEC Charter
A new charter for the Operations Excellence Council was distributed. Interim Deputy Chief Operations Officer Mike Dunn noted the following additions and suggestions:
Per Kim, preparation is key. Mike encouraged the group to send substitutes if they are unable to attend the meeting. The OEC will be utilized for discussion and decisions. The group approved the new charter by unanimous vote.
ACTION: Form a Risk Subcommittee prior to the next OEC meeting on 11/29/18.
Lab Operations Metrics
Greg Morin, Director, Strategy, Performance and Risk, presented “Key Performance Indicators for Ensuring Success.” His discussion focused on the following key areas:
ACTION: Develop a Dashboard framework to review and react to by the next OEC Meeting on 11/29/18 (Greg and Renee)
High Risk Work
Bob Einspar, Continuous Improvement Manager for Infrastructure Services, demonstrated the laboratory dashboard. This system has helped track risks on the laboratory level. Filters are available to track not only high-risk work, but moderate- and low-risk work as well. A weekly report is sent out on Wednesdays to notify a listing of hazardous work within the next four weeks. Many division directors utilize the dashboard where as others were interested in introducing the dashboard to theirs.
There was also discussion on the reason and value for entering work into the high-risk register. Mike asked that the group continue to have the discussions at the OEC meeting and re-evaluate the effectiveness in a few weeks. There was some agreement that the process does drive conversation of high-risk work within organizations and has triggered additional visibility and reviews.
Roundtable/Future Meeting Topics
PSE Directorate Chief Operations Officer Maria Curry-Nkansah reported that there will be a teleconference December 3 with Dow DuPont. ESQ Interim Senior Director Gail Stine has agreed to sponsor this three-hour call, which will focus on learning best practices on high-impact learning in ways around safety and lab onboarding. Maria expressed how exceptional this opportunity is; more information (attendees, agenda, etc.) will be available soon.
The group briefly discussed changes to the honorarium process due to IRS rules. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Purnell is available to provide an update at a future meeting if there are any remaining questions or concerns.
Future meeting topic requests included risk, workday financial update, business transformation projects.
Linda Gundersen, scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey, visited Argonne in October 2018, to present “Ethics, Integrity, and Diversity in the Research Environment.”
Slides from the presentation are available online. Topics include:
More information on Argonne’s Research Code of Conduct can be found online.
Three Argonne researchers will discuss their Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) sponsored work at the LDRD Seminar Series presentation Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. in Building 212, Room A157. All are welcome to attend.
Visit the LDRD website to view upcoming seminars.
Michael Bishof
Abstract
Laser-trapped, ultracold atoms are used for a myriad of projects spanning basic and applied scientific fields. In the Physics division, we use them to look for physics beyond the standard model, test the fundamental symmetries of nature and understand the properties of unusual nuclei. Often these sensitive experiments require us to transport these atoms over meter-scale distances to isolate them from environmental perturbations. Current techniques to transport atoms over such large distances are cumbersome and inefficient. We have developed a laser-based atom trap using adaptive optics that not only allows us to transport atoms, but also allows us to manipulate the trap in ways that are impossible with traditional optics. Our apparatus will soon be tested using ultracold radium atoms and we expect significant improvements to how efficiently we can transport atoms, resulting in more precise scientific results.
Biography
Michael Bishof is an assistant physicist in the Medium Energy Physics group of the Physics division. He works on improving measurements of the 225Ra electric dipole moment and on building a new atom trap trace analysis (ATTA) instrument for Argonne’s TRACER Center. Previously, he was a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Physics division. Michael earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2014 under the supervision of Prof. Jun Ye. His work focused on using the precision of atomic clock systems to understand atomic interactions, study many body physics, and create quantum-limited sensors. He also contributed to the most accurate and precise clock ever made.
Charles Macal
Abstract
This talk describes an agent-based model that connects simulated gene editing of individual organisms, using techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 and gene drive, on future generations by modeling population dynamics. We have scoured the scientific literature and connected with leading researchers in the field for the most recent data, which is the basis for a finite state machine description of all possible known outcomes in the gene editing (drive) process. We use multiscale stochastic agent-based simulation to predict the gene editing outcomes at the micro-(individual) level to the macro-(population) level. Although the conceptual modeling framework is applicable to all organisms, this talk focuses on insect disease vector applications. The model could have application in predicting the generational impacts of field experiments in which genetically-modified organisms are released into the environment and mingle with wild populations.
Biography
During his more than 30 years at Argonne, Charles (Chick) Macal has conducted and directed multidisciplinary systems projects developing innovative computational simulation models in the areas of national security, energy and infrastructure, the environment, and healthcare, including infectious disease models. His work focuses on modeling large-scale social-technical systems, composed of people and their social environment and their interfaces to the technologies they use.
Adam Szymanski
Abstract
This LDRD was focused on the implementation and demonstration of machine learning algorithms for drone detection using a low-cost sensor network based on the Waggle platform (an Argonne technology). Drone or unmanned aerial system (UAS) detection is a large area of concern for National Security organizations. While a number of systems exist for drone detection, their usage is limited by cost, detection area, sensor type and current regulations. This project attempts to find a solution to some of these limitations through the use of existing urban infrastructure and automated machine learning techniques that can be executed on embedded low-cost platforms. In this presentation I will discuss the machine learning and computer vision methods used as well as the challenges encountered during implementation on this platform.
Biography
Adam Szymanski is a computer scientist in the Strategic Security Sciences division at Argonne. He works on a variety of modeling and simulation (M&S) projects. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in computer science and robotics and is currently pursuing a masters in analytics at the University of Chicago with an emphasis on advanced computational models including computer vision and machine learning algorithms. Szymanski’s current work involves advanced logistics modeling for the U.S. Transportation Command through the Analysis of Mobility Platforms (AMP) project. He is also the lead principal investigator on a program for the Naval Research Laboratory that focuses on electronic warfare M&S. This project includes both EW system modeling as well as detailed Radio Frequency (RF) propagation modeling in complex environments. Before coming to Argonne, Szymanski spent 10 years at the Naval Research Laboratory working in the EW M&S Branch of the Tactical Electronic Warfare division.
Argonne’s mailing address is officially changing from Argonne, Illinois, to Lemont, Illinois, at the request of the United States Post Office area postmaster.
Although the Lemont address was instituted two years ago, the Lemont Post Office continued to honor the Argonne, Illinois address. However, the postmaster has requested that Argonne finish the process of making the Lemont address standard for all correspondence.
The post office will continue to process mail and packages with the Argonne, Illinois address during the transition. While this transition takes place:
Many of the lab’s business systems already reflect the Lemont address and CPA has updated the lab’s websites.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Greg Jonas, Facilities deputy division director at ext. 2-6542.
A retirement celebration for Argonne Distinguished Fellow Michael Thackeray will be held Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Ruffled Feathers Golf Club, 1 Pete Dye Dr., Lemont, Ill.
The cost is $50 and includes a cash bar, appetizers, soup, salad, filet mignon and chicken Tuscany, dessert. A vegetarian option available upon request. RSVP to Brittany Hudson by Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.
