Congratulations to Physical Sciences Area staff members who have received 2024 Berkeley Lab Director’s Awards.

The Berkeley Lab Prize – Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon two of the Area’s senior scientists:

• Kevin Lesko, a Senior Physicist in the Physics Division and former spokesperson for LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Dark Matter Experiment, was honored for his “extraordinary contributions to pioneering neutrino and dark-matter experiments and establishing an international underground scientific laboratory for scientific explorations and STEM workforce training.”
• Kai Vetter, former head of the Nuclear Science Division’s (NSD) Applied Nuclear Physics Group, received the award in recognition of his “career-spanning achievements in radiation detection and imaging, his impact on science and society, and his commitment to developing the next generation of scientific leaders.”

The 2024 Director’s Awards for Exceptional Achievement were presented to PSA staff members and teams in several categories.

Ina Reichel, the ATAP Division’s IDEA, Outreach & Education Coordinator, received a 2024 IDEA Community Award “for collaborative, consensus-driven leadership and a combination of a scientific approach and tireless effort in driving positive change to make Berkeley Lab a more attractive and equitable workplace, as well as for extensive and selfless work in STEM outreach.”

A 2024 IDEA Community Award was also bestowed upon the NSD IDEA Council (2022) members Mark Bandstra (Research Scientist in the Applied Nuclear Physics Group), Heather Crawford (Senior Scientist in the Nuclear Structure research group), Tom Gallant (Division Deputy for Operations), and Ernst Sichtermann (Senior Scientist in the Relativistic Nuclear Collisions Program), who were honored “for championing the reduction of the stigma of mental illness by proposing a change to the Lab’s sick leave policy to explicitly support sick leave for mental illness.”

Paolo Ferracin, Senior Scientist and Program Deputy in ATAP’s Superconducting Magnet Program, received the 2024 IDEA Outreach Award “for exemplary dedication and commitment in proactive teaching and mentorship at levels ranging from high schools to graduate particle accelerator schools, offering education not available through traditional venues— in addition to a demanding job as a research leader.”

The 2024 Director’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in Safety was awarded to the Multi-Lab Safety Week Leadership Team – Asmita Patel (ATAP Division Deputy for Operations) and Patricia Thomas (former ATAP Safety Coordinator) – “for the visionary leadership that created ATAP Safety Day and evolved it into the present Multi-Lab Safety Week, which offers an annual safety-culture reset and enriched learning opportunities to multiple Divisions at Berkeley Lab and three other national laboratories.”

Berkeley Lab’s HL-LHC-AUP Cabling Core Team received a 2024 Director’s Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement “for leadership and performance in completing the large, complex, and technically challenging multi-year Cabling Task of the High-Luminosity LHC Accelerator Upgrade Project (HL-LHC-AUP). This DOE 413.3b project greatly enhances the LHC’s position as the forefront particle accelerator for high-energy physics.” The team members are Stephanie Chan Shum, Jean-Francois Croteau, Paolo Ferracin, Chris Georgiou, Hugh Higley, Andy Lin, Mike Naus, Asmita Patel, Ian Pong, Soren Prestemon, and Patricia Thomas from the ATAP Division; Elaine Buron and Elizabeth Lee from the Engineering Division; and George Fraley, Karen Lingua, and Brian Zatkow from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

The 2024 Director’s Achievement Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, November 8, at 3:00 PM PT via livestream video and in Berkeley Lab’s Building 50 Auditorium, where there will be a reception immediately following. Add this event to your calendar.