Several Argonne postdoctoral appointees will be honored for their exceptional performance in the areas of Basic Research, Engineering Research and Applied Research.
The 2018 Postdoctoral Performance Award in the Basic Research category will be shared by Avik Halder (MSD) and Qingteng Zhang (XSD). Halder was nominated for his contributions to the field of supported atomically precise metal clusters, with applications to catalysis and energy storage. Zhang was nominated for his research leading to the development of advanced X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy technology.
The 2018 Postdoctoral Performance Award in Applied Research will be shared among Hao-Cheng Yang (NST), Prithwish Kundu (ES), Cang Zhao (XSD) and Robert Jackson (EVS). Yang was nominated for his contributions to materials-for-water research and the use of Janus membranes in water applications. Kundu was nominated for developments in combustion research leading to significant cost reductions and implications for national security efforts. Zhao’s nomination stems from major breakthroughs in the field of additive manufacturing. Jackson was nominated for ingenuity in applying new tools, including high performance computing (HPC) to problems in support of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) missions.
The 2018 Postdoctoral Performance Award in the Engineering Research category will be awarded to Roberto Torelli (ES) and Bo Chen (ES). Torelli’s research in using HPC for two-phase flow modeling has had impacts for both the Advanced Photon Source and collaborators in academia and industry. Chen was nominated for his work in smart grid cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience.
The Postdoctoral Performance Awards were established by the Argonne Leadership Institute to recognize the significant contributions postdoctoral appointees make to Argonne and DOE missions. The three categories for the awards seek to acknowledge the diverse expertise among Argonne’s postdoctoral community. Nominations were reviewed by staff from across the lab using a blind review process in which nominations were scrubbed of identifying information and gender-specific language.
Awardees will be recognized during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week at a reception on Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. in the Building 213 Bistro Open Area. Welcome remarks will begin at 3:15 p.m., followed by the presentation of awards. Light refreshments will be served. All employees are welcome to attend.