Berkeley Lab Recruiters Blog

JBEI Start-Up Seeks to Biosynthesize Petrochemicals

2012-02-29T13:22:00.002-08:00

Lygos cofounders Jay Keasling, Clem Fortman, Jeffrey Dietrich,
Eric Steen and Leonard Katz (Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab)

Petrochemicals are found in thousands of everyday products, from clothing to food preservatives to plastics. Imagine if many of those chemicals could be made without petroleum and instead with biological processes. Using the tools of synthetic biology scientists at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have done just that, and now a startup company has been formed to commercialize the technology. Lygos is the first company to spin out of JBEI, which was established in 2007 to pursue breakthroughs in the production of cellulosic biofuels.

Read more

Energy Internships For UC Berkeley Undergrads in Summer 2012

2012-02-28T10:09:00.001-08:00

The Cal Energy Corps, a UC Berkeley undergraduate internship program created to give students the opportunity to pursue challenging, hands-on projects in energy and climate research around the world, is now accepting applications for summer 2012. Opportunities are available in Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nicaragua, China, Taiwan, as well as in the Bay Area. Interns are provided with a $600 weekly stipend as well as funding to cover transportation and housing costs. All placements are full-time.

Hurry! The deadline to apply is March 18, 2012.

Read More.

Nobel Prize Recipient, George Smoot Helps Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart Interpret Music of the Cosmos!

2012-02-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

Mickey Hart

George Smoot

The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart has put together a new band and, in April, is releasing a new album titled “Mysterium Tremendum.” It’s a good bet Deadheads and non-Deadheads alike have never heard anything like it. Hart has collaborated with Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist George Smoot to take the light waves detected in deep space that provide evidence of the Big Bang, and to translate those waves into sound.

Read More

Berkeley Lab Staff Mentor High School Girls in Science Education App Development

2012-02-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoons, a group of more than 60 high school girls from Berkeley and Albany head to Berkeley Lab for a series of 10 two-hour workshops to develop science education apps for Android smart phones. Split into five-member teams, the girls are being mentored by 20 women who work at Berkeley Lab. Mentors from the Computational Research Division (CRD) include Deb Agarwal, Sowmya Balasubramanian, Amy Chen, Orianna Demasi, Krishnaveni Palaniappan and Taghrid Samak. Katie Antypas of NERSC is serving as a mentor at the program being held on the UC Berkeley campus.
Read more.

Berkeley Lab's 2012 Computing Sciences Summer Student Program Is Ramping Up

2012-02-27T10:18:00.005-08:00

For students majoring in Computational Science, Computer Science, Mathematics and related science and engineering fields, Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences hosts a 12-week research summer program that provides students with the opportunity to gain research experience. Participants will work on projects in computational research, high performance computing, high speed networking or a collaboration of each, under the guidance of one or more staff members. Berkeley Lab is a world leader in computing, biological, physical, materials, chemical, and energy sciences research. In summers past, students at Berkeley Lab have worked in such project areas as:

Secure peer-to-peer information sharing
Analysis and solution of network and system-related software problems
Web-based clients for remote visualization
Numerical algorithms for nanoscience
Parallel scientific code templates
System administration and programming graphical user interface for generating authorization policy for an information sharing system
Scientific computing tools

Projects are designed so that students will complete a major portion of the work during the 12-week period. This program is geared toward students between their junior and senior years who have completed core courses in Computer Science, Mathematics, and related areas of study or graduate students in any computer and computational science discipline. The exact starting date is at the mutual convenience of the students and the needs of the program.

Compensation

The hourly wage ranges from $10.91 to $15.59 for undergraduate students and from $16.80 to $28.30 for graduate students, depending upon years of education completed. Applicants are responsible for housing and travel expenses.

How to Apply

Students interested in the program must apply on line. Due to the high level of interest in our program, applications will be accepted only through the online application process. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Complete an online profile, and please provide the following:

Your skills and relevant experience

Your interest in the program

Educational information

List your references (name, contact information, relationship to you)

You will be contacted only if you are being considered for selection for this program. We hope to hear from you soon!

You may choose to apply to specific projects in which you're interested, however this is not required to apply for the program. We will have several un-posted projects as well.

Current Available Projects (click title to apply directly to each project)

Summer Student - Scientific Data Management #74231 Research project in data intensive computing, which focuses on data mining and building and implementing mathematical and statistical models on the data patterns.
Summer Student - IT Business Systems (Multiple Openings) #74249 Be part of a real software development team working in the IT Business Systems Department. Some of the projects Teams are: RADAR, CHESS, Maximo/DataSplice. These projects involve development of applications that support the labs operations.
Summer Student - Data Intensive Systems #74261 Assist in the development and implementation of machine learning algorithms and/or infrastructure.
Summer Student - Software Defined Networking with Openflow #74269 Explore various ways in which OSCARS and OpenFlow could be used together to extend a layer-2 flow into the campus environment.
Summer Student - Distributed Lookup Service #74270 Evaluate mongoDB performance as a lookup service to locate perfSONAR services quickly, anywhere in the world, and help with the implementation of the lookup service.
Summer Student - Machine Learning Techniques applied to Network Monitoring Data #74271 Work on analysis and correlation of network data to create a "knowledge plane" that will lead to better overall understanding of our network.
Summer Student - Integrating MEICAN interface with OSCARS v0.6 #74272 Enhance the MEICAN interface and make it compatible with OSCARS v0.6.
Student Assistant/Summer Student - Computer Operations and Network Systems #74196 Provide day to day operational support in a premier High Performance Systems, Storage and Networking Operations facility.

Click here to apply to the General Pool - managers are reviewing resumes now!

Join our Facebook Group: Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences Student Programs

Fill "er" up with tobacco? Berkeley Lab-led team Explores New Path to Biofuels.

2012-02-24T10:46:00.002-08:00

It'll take some doing, but Berkeley Lab's Christer Jansson and others hope to create a new recipe for biofuels. The idea is to take hydrocarbon-synthesizing genes from cyanobacteria (in the flask) and introduce them into tobacco plants. Jansson will discuss the project at the Feb. 27-29 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit.

(more)

National Engineers Week

2012-02-23T17:26:00.003-08:00

Einstein said, “Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been”.

This is the week to celebrate engineers and reach back to inspire the next generation. The National Engineers Week Foundation does exactly that. The Foundation celebrates the positive contributions engineers make to society and is a catalyst for outreach across the country to kids and adults alike. Berkeley Lab honors this by engaging and hiring early-career engineers to contribute to projects that are as exciting as they are important, to the DOE mission that is.

We continue to seek out the best and brightest by working with top engineering schools and providing unique opportunities to those who want to help change the world.

At Berkeley Lab, our engineers have been making scientific dreams a reality for more than 80 years. Engineers pioneer, design, build, integrate, and upgrade the next generation of complex and breakthrough instrumentation required to advance world-class scientific exploration and discovery.

New Tech Blog Post on Reducing Greenhouse Gases With Low Swirl Combustion

2012-02-23T09:49:00.003-08:00

Over 20 years ago, Robert invented Low Swirl Combustion. In a nutshell, it’s a way to burn hydrocarbons and hydrogen efficiently, at a lower cost than traditional burners for heaters and power generation devices, with almost no polluting NOx and CO emissions, a.k.a greenhouse gases. Cheaper. Cleaner. Dialed in to climate change. That’s great! Right? The world did not beat a path to Robert’s door. More>

Berkeley Lab’s Sethian and Saye Win Cozzarelli Prize

2012-02-22T13:55:00.001-08:00

James Sethian and Robert Saye, mathematicians with Berkeley Lab’s Computational Research Division have won the 2011 Cozzarelli Prize for the best scientific paper in the category of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Their winning paper was titled “The Voronoi Implicit Interface Method for computing multiphase physics.” Sponsored by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science to acknowledge papers published during the year that demonstrate the highest scientific excellence and originality, the Cozzarelli Prize is awarded in the six broadly defined classes under which the National Academy of Sciences is organized. More>

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2012-02-22T13:46:00.001-08:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

NERSC at Berkeley Lab is Hiring!

2012-02-11T11:24:00.001-08:00

The mission of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by providing high performance computing, information, data, and communications services for research sponsored by the DOE Office of Science (SC).

NERSC is the principal provider of high performance computing services to Office of Science programs — Magnetic Fusion Energy, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, and Advanced Scientific Computing Research.

Computing is a tool as vital as experimentation and theory in solving the scientific challenges of the twenty-first century. Fundamental to the mission of NERSC is enabling computational science of scale, in which large, interdisciplinary teams of scientists attack fundamental problems in science and engineering that require massive calculations and have broad scientific and economic impacts. Examples of these problems include photosynthesis modeling, global climate modeling, combustion modeling, magnetic fusion, astrophysics, computational biology, and many more.

Recently Berkeley Lab broke ground on the Computational Research and Theory (CRT) Facility, which will be home to all of the Lab’s Computing Sciences divisions, including Computational Research, NERSC and Scientific Networking.

NERSC currently has several employment opportunities available:

Software Developer for High Performance Computing in Bioinformatics #73396

FPGA Computer Systems Engineer #72987

Senior Systems Administrator (Computational Systems) #74122

Bioinformatics Computer Consultant #73194

Among many other opportunities throughout our Computing Sciences Divisions found by clicking here.

Connect with me, Jeff Todd (aka LBNLrecruiter), to learn more!

Campolindo High School Wins Regional Science Bowl Competition

2012-02-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Sixty-five students from thirteen local schools competed in the DOE Regional Science Bowl at Berkeley Lab last Saturday, with Campolindo High School (Moraga) emerging as the winner. Last year’s winner Albany High School came in second, and Acalanes High School (Lafayette) placed third. In late April, the Campolindo team will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete at the DOE National Science Bowl. The Regional Science Bowl — organized by the Lab’s Center for Science and Engineering Education — is made possible by numerous volunteers.

The Lab Salutes African American History Month

2012-02-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

African American History Month, celebrated in February, is a federally recognized, nationwide celebration that provides the opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the significant roles that African Americans have played in the shaping of U.S. history. This year’s theme, “Black Women in American Culture and History,” honors African American women and the roles they played in shaping our nation. As part of this theme, the Lab would like to recognize physicist Shirley Ann Jackson. Check out local events in the Bay Area, educational programs at KQED, and the Chabot Space & Science Center. Tell us how you celebrate this momentous occasion at eeo@lbl.gov. The Bay View Café will offer a special African American History Month menu on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Judges Sought for Alameda County Science & Engineering Fair

2012-02-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair is the first event to bring together research projects from high school and middle school students throughout Alameda County. Several hundred students will present their science projects at Chabot College in Hayward on Wednesday, March 21. Organizers are looking for scientists and engineers to serve as judges for the competition. Duties include interviewing students, assessing and scoring projects, and selecting winners. Lunch will be provided. First-prize winners go onto represent ACSEF at state and international science fairs in May. Go here for more information, or contact T. R. Girill.

OCFO Staff Reach Out to Support Those in Need in East Bay and Africa

2012-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Employees in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer recently banded together to help improve the lives of those less fortunate. They participated in the East Bay’s Brighter Beginnings Adopt-a-Family program in December, donating more than 80 gifts to six needy families. At the same time, plans were made for Africa Faith-Mission (AFM), a charity that provides support to an AIDS orphanage and small hospital in Kenya, Africa. In January, Dianne Yoder (front row, 2nd seated from left), a division employee and member of AFM, took used vacation days to help out at the hospital and orphanage, carrying six suitcases filled with clothing and supplies donated by OCFO employees. The OCFO Fun/Charity Committee is busy making plans for its event.

Berkeley Lab Recruiters Attend Ga Tech Virtual Job Fair

2012-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

Three Berkeley Lab recruiters attended the Ga Tech Virtual Job Fair today and yesterday. This is a new experience for us and we all enjoyed it and hopefully met some future employees.

Jeff Todd, recruiter for Computing Sciences and Biosciences, Amy Pagsolingan, recruiter for Engineering and General Sciences, and Susan McAllister, recruiter for Energy and Environmental Sciences were in attendance throughout the day chatting (from our desks) to Ga Tech students and alums about their respective divisions and job openings.

We look forward to doing more of these in the future - great way to make contacts without leaving your office!

Steve Chu Attends Groundbreaking for CRT Building

2012-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, along with Berkeley Lab and UC leaders, broke ground on the Lab’s Computational Research and Theory (CRT) facility yesterday. The CRT will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and be DOE’s most efficient facility of its kind. Joining Secretary Chu as speakers were Lab Director Paul Alivisatos, UC President Mark Yudof, Office of Science Director Bill Brinkman, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The festivities were emceed by Associate Lab Director for Computing Sciences, Kathy Yelick, and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates joined in the shovel ceremony. Chu used the occasion to highlight President Obama’s State of the Union address and the administration’s commitment to America’s leadership in scientific innovation, particularly in the area of energy. More>

Computing the Steps to Catching and Keeping Carbon Underground

2012-02-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Many of the ideas underlying carbon capture and sequestration are either in laboratory tests or pilot studies. Using traditional scale-up processes to commercialize new research ideas in the power industry has historically taken 20 to 30 years. DOE supports several computational projects to accelerate this process. Several researchers, including some from Berkeley Lab, use supercomputers to speed designs for new materials that sponge up carbon dioxide and systems that facilitate its large-scale capture, while others use computation to better understand the geological and physical processes and lay the groundwork for approaches that will sequester gas underground. More>

Extreme Science - 2/27/12 Berkeley Science at the Theatre

2012-01-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

Friends of Berkeley Lab host "Extreme Science"

- Neutrino hunting in Antartica
- The World's most powerful microscope
- Microbes that love extremes

Berkeley Repertory Theatre
2025 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA more

Seminar Today on Creating Personal Brands Via Social Media

2012-01-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

Lab staff interested in boosting their professional profile via social media are invited to attend a two-hour seminar today on “Creating Your Personal Brand Via Social Media.” The event — at 3 p.m. in Building 15-253 — will cover the history and trends of social media, defining a personal brand, creating the brand via Linkedin, and promoting the brand via other social media, such as blogs and podcasts. The talk, lead by J.P. McDermott of MassMutual Financial Group, is part of the Lab’s Earth Science and Industry seminar series.

Better Lithium-Ion Batteries Are On The Way From Berkeley Lab

2012-01-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, in smart phones, laptops, an array of other consumer electronics, and the newest electric cars. Good as they are, they could be much better, especially when it comes to lowering the cost and extending the range of electric cars. To do that, batteries need to store a lot more energy.

The anode is a critical component for storing energy in lithium-ion batteries. A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has designed a new kind of anode that can absorb eight times the lithium of current designs, and has maintained its greatly increased energy capacity after over a year of testing and many hundreds of charge-discharge cycles.

The secret is a tailored polymer that conducts electricity and binds closely to lithium-storing silicon particles, even as they expand to more than three times their volume during charging and then shrink again during discharge. The new anodes are made from low-cost materials, compatible with standard lithium-battery manufacturing technologies. The research team reports its findings in Advanced Materials, now available online. More

Berkeley Lab Engineers Go Back to School

2012-01-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

The engineers at Berkeley Lab are always looking for the best local engineering talent, especially at our esteemed local universities. This week is no different. We're hitting the road to talk to hundreds (maybe thousands) of students who are looking for the first engineering job in their careers; alumni too. Why not go big and consider Berkeley Lab first!

We are especially interested in mechanical engineers with experience or knowledge of:

Hardware design and knowledge of machining technologies
Vacuum system design and analysis
Cryogenic systems design and analysis
Computer aided design (CAD)
Design and analysis of magnets and other particle accelerator systems
Optics and/or photon beamline design
High pressure vessels

Come find us... if you're in the area - stop by!
January 25, 2012
UC Berkeley Diversity (Engineering & Science) Career Fair
UC Davis Engineering & Physical Sciences Internship and Career Fair

January 28, 2012
Stanford University Opportunity Job Fair

February 9, 2012
UC Berkeley Engineering/Technical Employer Networking Roundtable

We hope to see you soon!

Amy Pagsolingan
Berkeley Lab/Engineering/Senior Recruiter
Connect with me on LinkedIn to see what else we're up to.

Berkeley Lab Selects Preferred Site for Second Campus

2012-01-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

The University of California announced today that it has identified the Richmond Field Station as its preferred site for the proposed consolidation of its biosciences programs of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The University of California-owned site presents the best opportunity to solve the Lab’s pressing space problems while allowing for long term growth and maintaining the 80 year tradition of close cooperation with the UC Berkeley Campus.

Richmond Field Station architectural rendering

With this identification of a preferred site, the University will now move ahead with developing environmental impact studies and with the process of seeking final approval from the US Department of Energy for the project.

“Each city, community, and their developer partners presented extremely thoughtful and well-formulated proposals for us to consider, for which we are deeply grateful,” says Berkeley Lab Director Paul Alivisatos. ”The communities of Albany, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond have been true partners in this process. While we can only pick one site, we hope that the new relationships we’ve made will continue to help us foster excitement in science. The enthusiasm is wonderful affirmation of the desire of the entire East Bay to be part of developing scientific solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing our society.”

The University of California received more than 20 responses when a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released earlier this year. The number of sites under review was narrowed in May to:

Alameda Point, in the city of Alameda;

Berkeley Aquatic Park West, located in West Berkeley;

Brooklyn Basin, located in Oakland;

Emeryville/Berkeley, (includes properties currently occupied by the Lab in Emeryville and West Berkeley);

Golden Gate Fields, spanning the cities of Berkeley and Albany;

Richmond Field Station, a site currently owned by the University of California.

See the webcast today at 11am

Berkeley Lab Promotes Recruiting and Retention of Women Scientists and Engineers

2012-01-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Women Scientists & Engineers Council Charter

Develop Leaders in Science and Engineering

To address issues that affect the careers of women scientists, engineers, and researchers around the world, Berkeley Lab created the Women Scientists & Engineers Council (WSEC). The WSEC and Berkeley Lab’s Human Resources Department management work in partnership to review strategies and priorities for recruitment, retention, work life balance, and development of women scientists and engineers. Subgroups have been formed to focus on these areas and to address specific challenges.

Ideas are exchanged at quarterly seminars that celebrate the work of women engineers, scientists, and postdoctoral fellows. These seminars provide important networking opportunities, bringing women together and providing a comfortable forum for introductions and awareness of one another’s work.

Key Activities:
- Conduct periodic needs analyses to identify key strategies and priorities for the Subgroups
- Engage division leaders in recruitment, retention, and development
- Develop women scientist- and engineer-focused recruiting plan
- Conduct training and networking forums (more)

Lawrence Hall of Science is Seeking Volunteers for Upcoming Exhibits

2012-01-20T09:55:00.001-08:00

The Lawrence Hall of Science helps bolster lifelong learning and excitement for math and science. The facility is currently looking for volunteers for the new Festival Saturdays and Ingenuity in Action exhibit. Volunteers will guide visitors as they experiment, design, and create while learning about the science or math topic of the month at Festival Saturdays, and work with children and their families in designing, building, and testing solutions to engineering challenges at Ingenuity in Action. An orientation takes place on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to noon. No engineering or science experience needed. More>

ALS Used for Groundbreaking Work on Criegee Intermediates

2012-01-19T10:01:00.001-08:00

More than 60 years ago, chemist Rudolf Criegee proposed a novel chemical pathway for destruction of alkenes in earth’s atmosphere, via reaction with ozone, a key pollutant in the troposphere. Although much indirect evidence supports Criegee’s mechanism, breakthrough research published in Science magazine provides direct measurements of reactions of a gas-phase Criegee intermediate using photoionization mass spectrometry. Chemists from Sandia National Lab, the University of Manchester, and Bristol University used tunable synchrotron radiation from the Advanced Light Source on Beamline 9.0.2 to make this advance. Former ALS User Executive Committee Chair David Osborn is one of the principle investigators on this paper. More>

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2012-01-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Congrats to Berkeley Lab's Ashok Gadgil!

2012-01-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

Ashok Gadgil, a scientist at U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has won the Lifetime Achievement award of the 2012 Zayed Future Energy Prize. The award was announced in Abu Dhabi today.

The $3.5 million Zayed Future Energy Prize recognizes and rewards innovation, leadership and longterm vision in renewable energy and sustainability. The award is named in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late ruler of Abu Dhabi and the founding father of the United Arab Emirates. The 2012 Zayed Future Energy Prize was presented to three winners and two runners up at the award ceremony at the Emirates Palace.

Ashok Gadgil holds Haitian and Darfur at Berkeley Lab's stove testing facility. (Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab)

Gadgil, director of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division and UC Berkeley professor of civil and environmental engineering, was recognized for

Click here for full story

Join the Lab’s New Gym and Fitness Club; First Meeting on Jan. 25

2012-01-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Looking for some fun exercise with other like-minded people? The Lab’s new Gym & Fitness Club, part of the Employee Activities Association, can help make your New Year’s resolutions come true. From triathlons and wind surfing to snowboarding and ultimate Frisbee, staff are invited try any or all of these activities, and bring ideas of your own. The club will also assist with the current effort to bring a gym to Berkeley Lab. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at noon in Perseverance Hall (Bldg. 54-130). For more information, contact club president Mike Johnson (x4389).

Jim Krupnick, Associate Lab Director for Operations and COO Announces Retirement

2012-01-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Jim Krupnick

After more than three decades of distinguished service, Jim Krupnick, Associate Lab Director for Operations and Chief Operating Officer, has decided to retire effective June 30, 2012. Our Lab Director, Paul Alivisatos shared this news with us, expressing a very sincere sense of immense gratitude for Jim’s outstanding contributions to the Laboratory community—here and across the country—and to the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

A nation-wide search, led by Deputy Director Horst Simon, will begin immediately.

In 2008, when Secretary of Energy Steve Chu was LBNL’s Director, he appointed Jim to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Jim has been an impactful leader of the Laboratory’s 800 Operations employees in Facilities, Environmental Health and Safety, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, and Public Affairs.

Spallation Neutron Source

His legacy extends far beyond the Lab. Jim served as a standing member of the project review committees of the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Lab, which helped to set a new standard of success for very large projects undertaken by the Office of Science. More recently, at the request of the Department of Energy’s Secretary and Deputy Secretary, Jim chaired influential review committees that made important recommendations regarding the DOE Environmental Management organization and the rules that govern DOE capital projects. He is seen as a key innovator among his COO colleagues throughout the DOE laboratory system. His impressive recent accomplishments, however, would likely not have been possible without the experience he built up over the years at LBNL.

Bevatron

Jim began his career as an electronic maintenance technician at the Bevatron in 1976 and began coordinating small projects there in 1980. He moved to the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in 1987 as assistant project manager for construction. Later, he served as a division deputy for the ALS, and in 2005 became the Lab’s first Director of Institutional Assurance.

Advanced Light Source (ALS)

Jim’s ability to manage large projects has been a distinguishing characteristic of his career. He served as the project manager of the superbend project at the ALS, a major upgrade that extended the spectrum of light offered by the ALS into the hard x-ray domain and that enabled world-class programs in structural biology and materials science to be undertaken. Jim later served as project director of the Molecular Foundry construction project, one of the most innovative user facilities now in the Office of Science portfolio and a true landmark at the Lab.

Molecular Foundry

According to Paul, “I have personally relied upon Jim’s measured and thoughtful counsel, as have many of us in the Berkeley Lab community. We will miss his professionalism and his dedication to the scientific mission of the Laboratory. Berkeley Lab is stronger and better because of his efforts.” We join Paul in thanking Jim for a job very well done and extending our best wishes for the future.

Campus Hosts Startup Competition

2012-01-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Have a great business idea in biotech, software, cleantech, mobile apps, or another high tech industry? Enter the 14th annual UC Berkeley Startup Competition (Bplan) for valuable feedback and a chance at cash prizes. The competition is open to all UC Berkeley students, faculty, staff and alumni, and at least one team member must be university-affiliated. You can find teammates with similar interests at the Team Formation page. Bplan will accept executive summary submissions through Jan. 26. More>

Lab Director Paul Alivisatos Wins Wolf Prize

2012-01-12T09:46:00.001-08:00

Lab Director Paul Alivisatos has won the Wolf Foundation Prize in Chemistry for 2012. He shares the prize with fellow nanoscience expert Charles Lieber of Harvard University. The Wolf Foundation, which is based in Israel, has been recognizing outstanding scientists and artists annually since 1978. This year’s winners include the renowned tenor and conductor Placido Domingo. Alivisatos joins Berkeley chemists Gabor Somorjai, Peter Schultz, Alexander Pines and George Pimentel as a Wolf Prize recipient. More>

View all UC jobs with a single site!

2012-01-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

New website makes searching all UC jobs easy

Email this article

2012-01-09

By Katherine Tam

The University of California is launching a new systemwide job search website that will provide a snapshot of open staff positions across all its locations, making it easier to search and apply for jobs. The site also provides links to resources regarding open faculty and other academic positions.

The address for the new website is http://jobs.universityofcalifornia.edu.

"We developed this new website to give our employees a single source that makes it easy to look for open positions across the entire university system," said Dwaine B. Duckett, vice president of UC human resources. "People are at the heart of what makes UC world class, and there are countless career choices for them to pursue."

Each UC location and its three affiliated national laboratories currently has its own job board. No single resource had existed for finding positions systemwide -- until now.

The new job search tool will allow applicants to search for staff openings using keywords, and choose whether to search specific locations or all of them at once. The website will then generate a list of available staff positions with the title, salary, application deadline, a brief excerpt of the job duties and a link to the full job description.

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Clearing a Potential Road Block to Bisabolane: JBEI Researchers Identify Key Enzyme Structure

2012-01-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Berkeley Lab’s Paul Adams and Jay Keasling led a team of Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) researchers that determined the three-dimensional crystal structure of AgBIS, a protein that is key to boosting the microbial-based production of bisabolane as an advanced biofuel. Other members of the team were Ryan McAndrew, Pamela Peralta-Yahya, Andy DeGiovanni, Jose Pereira and Masood Hadi. The recent JBEI discovery that bisabolane, a terpene used in fragrances and flavorings, holds high promise as a biosynthetic alternative to D2 diesel fuel has generated keen interest in the green energy community and the trucking industry. More>

Omar Yaghi to Direct Molecular Foundry

2012-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Omar Yaghi, one of the world’s most cited chemists and leading authorities on nanoscience, has been named as the new director of the Molecular Foundry. He comes to Berkeley Lab from UCLA and will also hold an appointment in the UC Berkeley Chemistry Department. Yaghi is perhaps best known for his invention of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), the crystalline storage vessels that can capture and contain carbon dioxide, and reticular chemistry, the technique for stitching together individual molecules into predetermined structures. More>

Playback: 130-Year-Old Sounds Revealed

2012-01-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Scholars from three institutions—the National Museum of American History, the Library of Congress, and Berkeley Lab—came together in a newly designed preservation laboratory at the Library of Congress to recover sound recordings made by Alexander Graham Bell more than 100 years ago. MORE>

Researchers Help Verify Science Behind Geological Carbon Storage

2012-01-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

A project in southeast Australia has helped verify that depleted natural gas reservoirs can be re-purposed for geologic carbon sequestration, a climate change mitigation strategy that involves pumping CO₂ deep underground for permanent storage more.

Workshop on Leveraging Personality Differences for Improved Teamwork

2012-01-05T09:50:00.001-08:00

Are you frustrated by a monopolizer on your team? Want to draw out a quiet person? Wonder why some people focus on details and logic, while others rely more on intuition? While differences can be frustrating, teams with diverse styles considerably outperform homogenous teams — but only when members collaborate effectively. To learn how to better interact with diverse styles, attend Understanding Differences for Better Team Performance: Personality Differences (BLI3003), a Berkeley Lab Learning Institute workshop, on Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon in Perseverance Hall. You’ll take a survey to assess your own personality style, learn techniques for interacting with different styles, and collaborate on case studies to apply what you’ve learned. Registration required.

Lab Donates $10K to Support Math, Science in Berkeley Schools

2012-01-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

As part of its program to support science education in K–12 public schools and invest in local communities, the Lab donated $10,000 to the Berkeley Public Education Foundation. The donation will be dedicated to programs and grants that support math and science education in Berkeley public schools, such as supporting purchases of twenty new microscopes for King Middle School, twenty graphing calculators for Berkeley High, and software to help elementary students practice math facts and problems. Berkeley Lab Government & Community Relations Representative Armando Viramontes presented the donation to the foundation’s Molly Fraker during a recent presentation at Malcolm X elementary school.

Elizabeth Bautista Named NERSC CONS Group Lead

2012-01-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

On December 19, 2011, NERSC Systems Department Head Jeff Broughton announced the selection of Elizabeth Bautista as the new Computer Operations and ESnet Support Group (CONS) Lead, replacing the retiring Steve Lowe.

Since joining NERSC in 1999, Elizabeth has worked in the CONS group, in workstation support, and in the Computational Systems Group. Being familiar with both operations and system administration, she will bring a unique perspective to leading the CONS group and continuing the tradition of excellent support for both NERSC and ESnet.

Elizabeth currently serves as a Lab representative at the Council of the University of California Staff Assemblies (CUCSA), and has participated in the Broader Engagement program at SC and the Grace Hopper conference. She has a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and an MBA in Information Technology.

I have personally had the joy of working with Elizabeth while at SC10, SC11 and the Grace Hopper conferences in Atlanta and Portland. Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Rising Stars Of Science: The Forbes 30 Under 30

2012-01-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

The assignment seemed impossible – even a bit crazy. Find 30 scientists and innovators under age 30 who were worth highlighting in the pages of Forbes. The problem with this, as any graduate student or postdoctoral fellow will eagerly tell you, is that nobody makes it in science by age 30 anymore. I was wrong. This list — which includes Berkeley Lab materials scientist Rizia Bardhan — shows how even in this day and age some researchers manage to make their mark young. Bardhan studies nanotech particles that can diagnose or treat disease and enable new ways of storing energy. More>

Visitors Share Impressions of Advanced Light Source

2011-12-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

What do people think of the Advanced Light Source the first time they see it? Visitors who toured the facility during the Lab Open House in October share their impressions in this video. A variety of interesting comments were offered, including their thoughts on what they saw, the scientists they met, and the researchers’ passion for tin foil.

Saving on Energy Bills: Meeting Families in the Middle

2011-12-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

A study by researchers in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division identifies steps that energy efficiency program managers can take to deliver significant savings on home energy bills to middle-income households. “Middle-income households have been hit hard by the recent recession, and sagging home prices have undermined the traditional reliance of middle-income households on home equity for financing home improvements,” says EETD’s Mark Zimring. “It is really difficult to motivate them to invest in improving the efficiency of their homes, and to overcome the up-front cost barrier once they’re motivated.” More>

Berkeley Lab's Joint BioEnergy Institute and Energy Biosciences Institute are Featured in KQED Radio 'QUEST' Program

2011-12-20T11:41:00.000-08:00

QUEST, the award-winning multimedia science and environment series created by KQED, broadcast a story about advanced biofuels that featured both the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and the Energy Biosciences Institute, two multi-institutional partnerships in which Berkeley Lab is a key member. JBEI’s Jay Keasling and Greg Bokinsky, and EBI’s Chris Somerville, were all interviewed for the story which focused on the recent development of an e.coli strain that can consume switchgrass and synthesize gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Listen Here:

Or visit the article here: KQED Radio QUEST: Biofuels Face a Reality Check

EETD Women Win Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

2011-12-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Billed as the “Greengerbread House,” a group from the Environmental Energy Technologies Division emerged as the winners of the gingerbread-decorating contest on Friday, part of the Lab’s annual holiday party. The candy-laden structure included solar panels, cool roof, and a wind turbine. The group included Susan Synarski, Edna Annis and daughter Sylvia, Natasha Nelson, and Rachel Walton. Second place went to Diana Attia of the Physics Division, who wowed with twinkling lights, a penguin ice pond, snowman, and Tootsie Pop trees. Go here to see photos of the winners as well as all contest entries.

Researchers Borrow From Fir Tree to Create Biodiesel

2011-12-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of the season — next to presents of course — is the hint of evergreen in the air. Yet the sweet smell doesn’t last. It fades into forgotten corners, along with unused gift cards. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, researchers at the Office of Science’s Joint BioEnergy Institute have discovered a way to keep a hint of evergreen all year. Thanks to the help of a fir tree, they found a way to create a renewable alternative to diesel fuel. More>http://energy.gov/articles/researchers-borrow-fir-tree-create-biodiesel

Berkeley Lab Women to Mentor High School Girls in Developing New Apps

2011-12-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Berkeley Lab will host the East Bay session of the Technovation Challenge where teams of high school girls develop Android apps and then present their apps to venture capitalists in an exciting "pitch night" event. Organizers have invited interested women who work at the Lab to serve as mentor, and will feature a total of 10 teams of five girls each from Albany and Berkeley high schools. There will be instructors at each of the Tuesday sessions, while mentors will serve as role models, encourage the students, and help foster teamwork.

Holiday Happenings - It's That Time of Year!

2011-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

That Time Of Year

That time of year's come 'round again,
So we wish you all the best.
The joy that comes from knowing you
Makes us feel that we've been blessed.

So we'll share with you our feelings
At this special time of year:
May your holidays be a delight,
Filled with happiness and cheer.

Happy Holidays!

By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

With the holidays upon us, kids out of school, family in, or if you’re out and about, there’s always something to do in the Bay Area. Here are just a few suggestions.

Christmas

Must See Christmas Lights

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Christmas Eve Dinner at the Top of the Mark

Hanukka

Hanukkah Community Celebration in Berkeley

Hanukkah at Saul's

It's a Jewish Christmas, San Francisco

New Year's

Teatro Zinzani NewYear's Eve Gala

Beach Blanket Babylon New Year's Eve Show

Cafe Cocomo New Year's Eve Gala

New Year's Eve Massive 2012 Parc 55 Union Square

New Year's Eve Dinner & Dance Top of the Mark

New Year's Eve International Ball at the Palace Hotel

If you want to escape the holidays, you can always catch a movie!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BERKELEY LAB RECRUITERS!

Nara’s Journey: From Mongolia and Back Again

2011-12-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

To most Americans, Outer Mongolia is a foreign place so out-of-the-way that the very words conjure images of remoteness, isolation, and unfamiliarity. To visiting Berkeley Lab researcher Nara Damdinsuren, they mean something else: Home.

A PhD candidate at Mongolian National University in her hometown, the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, Damdinsuren has been working since September in the Earth Sciences Division laboratory of Berkeley Lab staff scientist Tamas Torok. She is using genetic screens to catalog the microbial inhabitants of the Khaara River, which flows north through the dry mountainous nation of Mongolia, eventually draining into Siberia’s Lake Baikal, the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lake.

“Nara is very hard-working,” says Torok. “I was very happy with what she achieved in three short months.”
As part of her work at the university, Damdinsuren had been drawing water samples from the Khaara since 2006. Last year, perusing a database of researchers on the Internet, she came across Torok’s name and his work on microbial diversity, and she e-mailed him.

Their correspondence led to an application for an international fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). In May, she learned she was one of three recipients for this year’s award. She is also the first Mongolian researcher to be awarded an ASM International Fellowship. The grant covered the cost of her travel and living expenses on her three month visit to Berkeley Lab.

Damdinsuren’s samples from the Khaara River were drawn as part of a research effort to clean up and maintain this important resource in the midst of a very arid region. Like many rivers in developing countries, the Khaara is at times pristine and polluted; a source of drinking water and a sewer; a place for fisheries and a harbor for disease. Nara’s project focused on 17 collection sites along the river and its tributaries, many of them located near places impacted by human activities, gold mines, agriculture, and wastewater treatment. Filtrate from her samples was preserved and shipped to Berkeley Lab for analysis.

“Nomadic people drink the surface waters in the rural areas,’’ Damdinsuren explains. Waterborne diseases are a significant public health problem in Mongolia. Although pathogens can be a problem, the river also carries beneficial bacteria that can break down pollutants.

At Berkeley Lab, she used the PhyloChip, the state-of-the-art microbial DNA microarray developed by Berkeley Lab, to find out how the microbial community’s structure (and potentially its function) changes along the course of the river. The genetic screen has identified scores of microbes that would otherwise have taken years to culture and identify – if they could be cultured at all.

Damdinsuren said it was a remarkable experience to work with the sophisticated equipment available at Berkeley Lab. “There is no comparison,” she says, to the facilities available to her at the National University, which has 10,000 students. With one million inhabitants — about one-third of Mongolia’s population — Ulaanbaatar is a mixture of tents, modern structures, and Soviet style apartment blocks. The latter is a legacy from the years when this large, land-locked country wedged between the Soviet Union and China was more aligned with the USSR.

Her love of science was sparked by her parents, who were both doctors. Although she initially thought she would become a doctor as well, her interest in microbes led her on a path towards research. “I was a student at a difficult time,” Damdinsuren says of her youth. “Until the 1990’s, Mongolian science was dependent on Russian science. After political reform in Russia, there was political turmoil in Mongolia, and the science almost stopped.”

Damdisuren’s visit to the United States finished this week, and she has flown back to her home country. Thus far, it has been an experience of a lifetime for this young scientist, but there is much more discovery ahead of her. “This Lab is the best,” she says. “I’m so glad to have worked here.”

Two Lab Researchers Elected as AAAS Fellows

2011-12-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

Anastasios Melis (left) of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division, and Martin White of the Physics Division have been named 2011 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Melis was recognized for pioneering contributions to our understanding of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and for opening the field of photosynthetic production biofuels. White was honored for distinguished contributions to physical cosmology theory and data analysis pertaining to dark energy, the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. The two are among 539 new fellows, which are selected by AAAS members in recognition of their efforts to advance science. http://today.lbl.gov/2011/12/16/two-lab-researchers-elected-as-aaas-fellows/

Saul Perlmutter’s Nobel Prize Journey to Stockholm

2011-12-15T10:14:00.001-08:00

Saul Perlmuttter’s recent trip to Sweden began in Washington with a reception for U.S. Nobel Prize-winners at the Swedish Embassy, followed by functions at the White House and DOE headquarters. Reaching Stockholm by way of Paris, and joined by his wife and daughter for the round of events that culminated Dec. 10, he received his medal from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf. During a Dec. 8 lecture at Stockholm University, Perlmutter offered tributes to Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP) members, including a special mention of Gerson Goldhaber, who died early this year and whose family, along with many other early SCP members, were in the audience as his guests. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2011/>

Lab Sponsors Science Workshops in All Berkeley Elementary Schools

2011-12-14T10:11:00.001-08:00

In conjunction with UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab donated $5,000 to Community Resources for Science, a local non-profit that bridges the gap between the expertise of scientists and the needs of Berkeley elementary schools for more in-class science education. This year the group will recruit, train and deploy 200 scientist volunteers from all UC Berkeley science departments to do hands-on lessons in all of Berkeley’s public elementary schools. This initiative will involve approximately 2,100 Berkeley elementary school students in “hands on” science experiences. Lab Government & Community Relations Representative Armando Viramontes presented the donation.

DOE Grant to Help Cut Red Tape and Speed Solar Energy Deployment

2011-12-14T09:31:00.001-08:00

As part of its SunShot Initiative (led by Berkeley Lab’s Ramamoorthy Ramesh), the Department of Energy recently announced $12 million in funding for the awardees of the Rooftop Solar Challenge. The Challenge supports 22 regional teams to spur solar power deployment by cutting red tape — streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes — and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems. Among the awardees is the SolarTech consortium, which includes the East Bay Green Corridor, of which Berkeley Lab is a member. The consortium received nearly $500,000. More>

2011-12-13T13:16:00.001-08:00

Energy Department Awards More Than $7 Million for Innovative Hydrogen Storage Technologies in Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Would You Like to Inspire the Next Generation of Female Tech Leaders?

2011-12-13T09:51:00.001-08:00

The Lab’s Women Scientists and Engineers Council will host a presentation on the “Technovation Challenge” — which seeks to mentor high school girls into becoming more proficient in science and technology by creating mobile phone app prototypes and pitching business plans — on Friday, Dec. 16, at 2:30 p.m. in Building 90-3122. Lab employees with science or engineering backgrounds and interested in mentoring are invited to attend. ALS researcher Corie Ralston will help give the presentation. Mentors are asked to meet with students at least two hours per week for ten weeks starting in February. Go here for more information, or contact Veronica Nero to volunteer.

Diverse College Recruiting Efforts Lead to Hires

2011-12-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

More than 70% of employers responding to the Recruiting Benchmarks Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)report their organization has a formal effort to hire diverse candidates – and these respondents averaged a higher percentage of new college graduate hires than those who hadn’t had a formal diversity recruiting effort. The study also finds that larger organizations are more likely to have programs in place and those with more than 1,000 employees are more likely to recruit globally.

Although larger organizations are more likely to have these programs in place they tend to have more difficulty in hanging on to their new hires, with the current five-year retention rate for new grad hires at 69.2%. Yet their efforts yield the following results:

Hiring results, by diverse populations
Target Group	Formal Effort	No Formal Effort	% of All Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred
Women	37.0%	32.8%	57.2%
African Americans	10.5%	4.5%	8.1%
Hispanic Americans	8.3%	4.6%	7.2%
Asian Americans	13.2%	11.0%	6.6%
Native Americans	1.8%	0.0%	0.6%
Physically Challenged	1.4%	0.7%	NA
Source: 2011 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Gender and ethnic breakouts for bachelor’s degree recipients are based on data reported by the National Center for Education Statistics for the Class of 2009.

Also of note in this survey: 45% of 2010-2011 entry-level hires were new college graduates, and the organizations which recruited them retained 92% of their graduate hires after one year on the job.

Putting Cement Under Pressure

2011-12-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Putting Cement Under Pressure

DECEMBER 12, 2011

At Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source, scientists seeking ways to use cement more efficiently and reduce the carbon emissions associated with its manufacture have revealed new properties of the mineral tobermorite. Using x-ray-diffraction to probe the crystalline structure of Portland cement’s most important component, they squeezed the mineral in a diamond anvil cell to pressures equivalent to 100 miles deep in the Earth.

MORE>

Do You Like to Sing? Join Lab’s New Karaoke Club « Today at Berkeley Lab

2011-12-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Do You Like to Sing? Join Lab’s New Karaoke Club « Today at Berkeley Lab

Three Ways to Measure Your Performance

2011-12-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Three Ways to Measure Your Performance

2012 LDRD Allocations Announced

2011-12-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

2012 LDRD Allocations Announced

December 8, 2011

Director Alivisatos has announced the awards for the FY2012 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. A total of about $19.0 million was allocated for 87 projects from a field of 196 proposals. Of these, 35 are new and 52 are continuation projects. A significant portion of the projects address the reduction of the impact of energy use at each stage of the carbon cycle, or advance the boundaries of ultrafast photon science in support of laboratory initiatives. Funded projects can be viewed here. The evaluations for the traditional Track 1 proposals used input from divisional and laboratory review committees. A much smaller number of proposals went through a Track 2 “Discovery” review process by reviewers outside the Lab and UC Berkeley. Out of 28 Track 2 proposals submitted, four continuation and four new projects were funded (noted with asterisk in list).

A Corny Turn for Biofuels from Switchgrass: « Berkeley Lab News Center

2011-12-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

A Corny Turn for Biofuels from Switchgrass: « Berkeley Lab News Center

Today’s Severe Drought, Tomorrow’s Normal

2011-12-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

Berkeley Lab scientists part of team that analyzed 19 state-of-the-art climate models.

DECEMBER 05, 2011

Linda Vu 510-495-2402 LVu@lbl.gov

Feature

While the worst drought since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s grips Oklahoma and Texas, scientists are warning that what we consider severe drought conditions in North America today may be normal for the continent by the mid-21^st century, due to a warming planet.

This image represents the multi-model projection of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) averaged over the period of 2089-2098. A PDSI less than -2 indicates “moderate drought”. PDSI less than -3 indicates “severe drought.

A team of scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) came to this conclusion after analyzing 19 different state-of-the-art climate models. Looking at the balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration—the movement of water from soil to air—they found that no matter how rainfall patterns change over the next 100 years, a warming planet leads to drought. Their results were published in the December 2011 issue of the American Meteorological Society’s Journal of Hydrometerology.

“Drought is a relative condition and in general is characterized by a lack of available water. There are many indices for evaluating drought because different people require information about water availability in different ways,” says Michael Wehner, a climate scientist in the Berkeley Lab’s Computational Research Division and lead author of the paper. “Our results focus on a drought measure that is relevant to soil moisture and is of concern to agricultural and forestry interests. The models project widespread future drought conditions in the United States as the global climate warms over the course of this century.”

To determine today’s normal drought conditions, Wehner and his teammates looked at the average balance between rainfall and evapotranspiration for North America based on observational data collected by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center for the period between 1950 and 1999.

The team then used global climate models to project the balance between rainfall and evapotranspiration over the course of this century. These models showed that the normal state for much of the continental United States and Mexico in the mid- to late-21^st century would be conditions considered severe to extreme drought by today’s standards. Likewise, even though most of the simulations project precipitation increases in Canada, they show that mild and moderate droughts would also be a normal occurrence.

“Regardless of how precipitation changes, the models indicate that increased evapotranspiration due to warming will lead to decreases in soil moisture,” says Wehner.

“What readers should take away from this study is that a 2.5 degree centigrade increase in global temperature will induce a severe drying of soil in North America,” he adds. “In a business-as-usual scenario of future increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, this level of warming would likely happen in the latter part of this century.”

In addition to Wehner, other co-authors on the study include David Easterling, Jay Lawrimore, Richard Heim and Russell Vose of NOAA’s National Climactic Data Center, and Benjamin Santer of LLNL.

###

This work was funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.

Pick Up Holiday Gifts at Lab Craft Sale on Dec. 8

2011-12-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

The annual Berkeley Lab Holiday Craft Fair will he held Thursday, Dec 8, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. Sponsored by the Employee Activities Association, the fair will feature knitted scarves, organic dog treats, jewelry, buttons, bookmarks, paintings and prints, paper crafts, Baklava, crafts made from recycled plastic bags, crocheted bags and bowls, felted hats, cards and decorations, jams, jellies, vinegars, mustards, baked goods, spring rolls and pot stickers, pies, and other desserts. All items are handcrafted. For more information contact Robin Mitchell.

CSEE Seeks High-School Juniors for Internships

2011-12-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

Online applications for Berkeley Lab Internships for Pre-collegiate Scholars (BLIPS) are currently open for summer 2012. BLIPS is an eight-week internship that provides high school juniors with the opportunity to work with world-class scientists or engineers on projects related to the Laboratory’s research programs. Assignments cover a range of laboratory tasks and assistance in basic research. Summer 2012 program dates are June 13 through August 3, 2012. For more information on revised eligibility, application guidelines, and placement process go here.

Gary Karpen Named as Director of Berkeley Lab Life Sciences Division

2011-12-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

Gary Karpen, Senior Scientist at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley Adjunct Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, has been appointed Life Sciences Division Director by Director Paul Alivisatos. Karpen has served 11 months as Acting Division Director, following six years of service as Life Sciences Deputy Division Director. He has served as head of the Genome and Computational Biology Department and is recognized as a leader in the Nuclear Structure and Function Program.

Click here for more information

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

2011-11-23T11:52:00.000-08:00


Roast Turkey	BBQ Turkey
Ingredients • 1 (18 pound) whole turkey • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 1 1/2 quarts turkey stock • 8 cups prepared stuffing Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven. 2. Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey. 3. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), about 4 hours. 4. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.	Ingredients • 2 cups butter, divided • 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed • 1/4 cup chicken soup base • 3 sweet onions, peeled and cut into wedges • 5 apples, cored and cut into wedges • 2 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste • 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine Directions 1. Preheat a gas grill for low heat. 2. Rub some of the butter all over the turkey, inside and out, then rub all over with chicken base. Cut remaining butter into cubes and toss with onions, apples, and garlic in a large bowl. Stuff the bird with this mixture and place in a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Fold the turkey skin around the neck area to cover the hole and then turn the turkey over and pour wine into the opening at the other end until the turkey is full or the bottle is empty. Set the turkey breast side up. 3. Place the roasting pan on the grill and cover loosely with aluminum foil. If you have a pop up timer or heat safe meat thermometer, insert it into the turkey breast. Close the lid. 4. Roast until the temperature in the breast reads 170 degrees F (75 degrees C) and the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees C (80 degrees C), about 4 hours depending on the temperature of your grill. When the temperature is getting close, remove the aluminum foil covering the turkey and allow it to brown during the final minutes of cooking. If it starts to brown too much, just cover it back up. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Roast Turkey

BBQ Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 (18 pound) whole turkey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 quarts turkey stock
• 8 cups prepared stuffing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
2. Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
3. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), about 4 hours.
4. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, divided
• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 1/4 cup chicken soup base
• 3 sweet onions, peeled and cut into wedges
• 5 apples, cored and cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine

Directions

1. Preheat a gas grill for low heat.
2. Rub some of the butter all over the turkey, inside and out, then rub all over with chicken base. Cut remaining butter into cubes and toss with onions, apples, and garlic in a large bowl. Stuff the bird with this mixture and place in a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Fold the turkey skin around the neck area to cover the hole and then turn the turkey over and pour wine into the opening at the other end until the turkey is full or the bottle is empty. Set the turkey breast side up.
3. Place the roasting pan on the grill and cover loosely with aluminum foil. If you have a pop up timer or heat safe meat thermometer, insert it into the turkey breast. Close the lid.
4. Roast until the temperature in the breast reads 170 degrees F (75 degrees C) and the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees C (80 degrees C), about 4 hours depending on the temperature of your grill. When the temperature is getting close, remove the aluminum foil covering the turkey and allow it to brown during the final minutes of cooking. If it starts to brown too much, just cover it back up. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Happy Thanksgiving from Berkeley Lab Recruiters!

Berkeley Lab’s IT Division is Hiring!

2011-11-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

It takes world-class support to create world-class science. Nothing can be further from the truth than the support Berkeley Lab’s Information Technology Division provides. From workstation support to cyber security and identity management to scientific computing, our own IT division is always working hard behind the scenes supporting both Berkeley Lab’s operations and Nobel Prize winning science!

Our IT mission is simple, “Support Berkeley Lab’s scientific Mission by developing, maintaining, supporting, and securing the Laboratory’s scientific and business operations computing platforms and its data, information, and telecommunications infrastructure.”

Would you like to be a part of this world-class IT organization? If so, please click on one of the opportunity links below or visit our careers site at http://jobs.lbl.gov

Identity Management Engineer
Infrastructure Systems Support Engineer
Cyber Security Engineer
Student Assistant for Software Testing and DevelopmentSupport
Department Head for Infrastructure (coming soon)

Connect with me or follow our blog for further information and updates!

Berkeley Lab's Dinner Date with SWE

2011-11-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

Einstein said, "Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been". It's no wonder why there are generations of engineers in the making.

I had a recent opportunity to meet and dine with engineering students from UC Berkeley's Society of Women Engineers. The Evening with Industry event connected approximately 170 students with a select group of Bay Area employers, such as Berkeley Lab. In a continuing effort to support diversity and broaden community relations, the Lab helped sponsor this event which fostered a forward focus on future job opportunities for Berkeley students — particularly emerging women engineers. The Lab's commitment to new technologies for a changing world continues today... and we look to today's students for tomorrow's leaders.

Berkeley Lab Comes to SC11 to Celebrate!

2011-11-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

Attending SC11? We invite you to stop by our exhibit booth (#512) and learn more about our exciting projects in our Computational Research Division and two user facilities; National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), which happens to be celebrating a milestone! We will be hosting a number of talks and round-table discussions (see below).

Are you or someone you know interested in exploring career opportunities with Berkeley Lab? If so, you can arrange a time for a 1:1 discussion with me, attend my round-table discussion "Careers at Berkeley Lab" (Wednesday, November 16 at 4-5pm), or simply "drop-in" to our booth during the conference. I will also be attending the SC11 Student Job Fair on Wednesday, November 16 (10:30am - 3pm).

FEATURED BOOTH TALKS AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Monday, Nov. 14

7-8pm: A toast to ESnet’s 25 years of networking leadership and the Advanced Networking Initiative. Demonstration of 100 Gbps capability using astrophysics data. Nothing would be more appropriate than to celebrate our quarter century mark than SC11!

Celebrate ESnet's 25th Anniversary Monday, November 14

Tuesday, Nov. 15

10:30-11:15am: Featured talk on Five Myths of Cloud Computing Debunked, by Shane Canon, NERSC
11:15am-12:15pm: Roundtable discussion of the Magellan Cloud Computing Project, led by Shane Canon and Lavanya Ramakrishnan, NERSC/CRD
1-2pm: Roundtable discussion of MyESnet Portal: Real Time Insight into Network’s Inner Workings, led by Jon Dugan, ESnet
2-3pm: Roundtable discussion of .Berkeley Lab Checkpoint/Restart, led by Paul Hargrove, CRD Future Technologies Group
3-4pm: Roundtable discussion of ESnet’s Green Networking Initiative, led by Inder Monga, ESnet

Shane and Lavanya discuss Cloud Computing

Wednesday, Nov. 16

10:30am-Noon: Featured talk on Supernova Discovery in the Era of Data-Intensive Science, by Rollin Thomas, CRD Computational Cosmology Center
1-1:45pm: Featured talk on CoDesign for Exascale (CoDEx): Architectural Simulation and Modeling for Exascale Platform Development, by John Shalf, CRD/NERSC
2-3pm: Roundtable discussion on A Network Runtime Library for PGAS Languages (GASNet), led by Paul Hargrove, CRD Future Technologies Group
3-4pm: Roundtable discussion of Warewulf Cluster Management, led by Greg Kurtzer and Gary Jung, IT Division
4-5pm: Roundtable discussion of Careers at Berkeley Lab, led by Jeff Todd, CS Recruiter

Come to the Broader Engagement Student Job Fair (WSCC 3A/3B)

or meet me in the Berkeley Lab booth for a roundtable discussion

Thursday, Nov. 17

11am-Noon: Roundtable discussion of Roles for Supercomputing in the Financial Markets, led by David Leinweber, CRD Center for Innovative Financial Technology

To learn more about Berkeley Lab at SC11, please visit: http://go.lbl.gov/sc11

For a complete list of career opportunities, please visit: http://jobs.lbl.gov

Berkeley Lab Reaches Out to Cal Student Veterans

2011-11-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Today, on Veteran’s Day, we celebrate the military service members who served our country and continue to make significant contributions in their communities. In partnership with Program Director Ron Williams of the UC Berkeley Re-entry and Student Veterans Services Program, Berkeley Lab staff held an information session with 25+ Cal student veterans on November 3rd. Engineering Division staff, Bob Candelario and Pat McKean, relayed their stories of successful transition from the military to civilian Lab employment. It was especially meaningful for the vets to hear how their military experience is valued and relevant at the Lab, particularly for engineering and technical hiring. HR recruiters, Susan McAllister and Amy Pagsolingan, advised the student veterans how to position themselves for employment in the current economy. Veronica Nero, of the Lab’s Diversity & Inclusion Office, emphasized the importance for vets to understand and realize available resources. On this day, it is increasingly vital to honor the legacy of our veterans. This is evidenced by the recent Presidential Proclamation of Veteran’s Day as a legal public holiday. With 110 veterans currently working in our Lab community, Berkeley Lab continues to honor all who serve.

Secrets of the Soil: Nov. 7 Science at the Theatre

2011-11-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

There are billions of microbes in a handful of soil, some of which could hold the key to our climate and energy future.

Find out how at Secrets of the Soil, our next Science at the Theater Nov. 7 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. At the event, four Berkeley Lab scientists will reveal how our scientists travel the globe -- to deserts, rainforests, and the Arctic tundra -- to explore the secret world of soil microbes -- and what they mean to you.

More info: http://www.lbl.gov/LBL-PID/fobl/

Berkeley Lab Hosting Multiple Employee Events!

2011-10-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab is a terrific place to work where employees are informed, educated and celebrated. Below are just a few of our upcoming events.

	Friday, October 21 Our 34th annual Runaround starts at noon at the firehouse. The Bikearound starts at 11:30 a.m. Participants will receive a souvenir t-shirt and race winners will get awards. At 11 a.m. the day of the race, all traffic on the Hill will be frozen. Roads should begin to re-open from 1 to 1:30 p.m.
	Wednesday, October 26 The First Annual Berkeley Lab Cultural Festival "Celebrating the Lab's Global Diversity" affords a venue for a multi-cultural exchange including stage performances, arts, games, and refreshments, representing the various home countries of Lab employees. The Cultrual Festival is sponsored by the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
	Thursday, November 3 Lab Director Paul Alivisatos invites employees to attend an all-hands meeting at noon. He will provide updates on the Lab’s five initiatives: space, safety and efficiency, community relations, Carbon Cycle 2.0, and the Next Generation Light Source.

Come be a part of our exciting community - visit us on the web at http://jobs.lbl.gov

Meet Our Scientists, Engineers, Postdocs and Professionals at Grace Hopper!

2011-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab has the privilege of sending 10 employees from very diverse professional backgrounds to Grace Hopper 2011 (GHC11) and we are coming to meet you! Professional backgrounds include scientists, engineers, postdoctoral fellows, a writer, and a recruiter. We are looking forward to the conference to meet, network, mentor, learn from, and recruit many outstanding women attending GHC11.

If you are attending GHC11, please stop by the Berkeley Lab booth; say hello, ask questions, and learn why we believe Berkeley Lab is one of the greatest places to work!

(Left to right) Elizabeth Bautista (Engineer), Jeff Todd (Recruiter), Alice Koniges (Scientist),
Deb Heller-Evans (Engineer), Xuefei Yuan (Postdoc) , Deb Agarwal (Scientist),
Taghrid Samak (Postdoc) , Sowmya Balasubramanian (Engineer)

See below for profiles of just a few scientists and engineers you can meet at GHC11!


Dr. Deb Agarwal specializes in research and development of advanced cyberinfrastructure to support collaboration on and sharing of scientific data, data analysis infrastructure for eco-science, scientific tools to enable sharing of scientific experiments, and cybersecurity infrastructure to secure scientific environments. She is leading teams developing computational infrastructure for astrophysics, subsurface modeling, and carbon capture. She comes to the Grace Hopper Conference to recruit and interact with the amazing women who attend the conference.	Dr. Alice Koniges is a Physicist and Computer Scientist at the National Energy Research Supercomputing Center (NERSC) at LBNL. She is currently head of the Petascale Inititative in Computational Science and Engineering, which focuses on improving high performance computing (HPC) applications by pairing postdoctoral researchers with application and performance-oriented projects. She comes to the Grace Hopper Conference to encourage students to engage in HPC research careers and to interact with other professional women.

Deb Heller-Evans specializes in managing resources for computing infrastructure and high-bandwidth networks that link scientists at national laboratories as well as many universities and research institutions. She is a member of the CFEngine Technical Board and comes to the Grace Hopper Conference with over 30 years experience in industry and science hoping to excite others with her enthusiasm for technology.	Elizabeth Bautista is a member of the team that manages the Parallel Distributed Systems Facility, a networked computing environment used to meet the detector simulation and data analysis requirements of large scale Physics and Nuclear Science applications. She comes to the Grace Hopper Conference to broaden her knowledge of the industries where women are pioneering and making a difference, hoping to bring this information back to the students she works with who are just starting their careers.

NERSC Wants Exceptional Bioinformatics and High Performance Computing Professionals!

2011-10-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

The NERSC Hopper system,
a Cray XE6 with a peak theoretical
performance of 1.29 Petaflops

The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is the primary scientific computing facility for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. As one of the largest facilities in the world devoted to providing computational resources and expertise for basic scientific research, NERSC is a world leader in accelerating scientific discovery through computation. NERSC is located at the UC Oakland Scientific Facility in Oakland, CA and is a division of Berkeley Lab's Computing Sciences. More than 4,000 scientists use NERSC to perform basic scientific research across a wide range of disciplines, including climate modeling, research into new materials, simulations of the early universe, analysis of data from high energy physics experiments, investigations of protein structure, and a host of other scientific endeavors.

NERSC is known as one of the best-run scientific computing facilities in the world. It provides some of the largest computing and storage systems available anywhere, but what distinguishes the center is its success in creating an environment that makes these resources effective for scientific research. NERSC offers scientists intellectual services that empower them to be more effective researchers. For example, many of our consultants are themselves domain scientists in areas such as material sciences, physics, chemistry and astronomy, well-equipped to help researchers apply computational resources to specialized science problems.

NERSC is currently looking for exceptional individual to join us in solving some of the most interesting and challenging scientific problems facing the world.

Here is a list of current NERSC opportunities:

Bioinformatics Computing Consultant (73194) will support the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) mission by directly engaging with biologists to assist them with effectively using the range of computational resources at their disposal.

Computer Systems Engineer - Advanced Technologies Group (72987) will contribute to development of an FPGA-based hardware architectural simulation platform to study computer architectures for energy efficient HPC.

Computer Systems Engineer - Advanced Technologies Group (73026) will contribute to an on-going team effort to develop a complete understanding of the issues that contribute to optimal application and computer system performance on extreme-scale advanced architectures.

Computer Systems Engineer - Computational Systems Group (73134) will be responsible for administration and operation of the supercomputer systems and provide 24x7 computational services for open (unclassified) science to world-wide researchers.

Computer Systems Engineer - Advanced Technologies Group (73330) will participate in research projects to develop, optimize, and deploy optimized parallel scientific codes, and evaluate new languages, libraries, and frameworks for advanced scientific computing.

Software Developer - HPC Bioinformatics (73396) will help bridge the gap between biology and computational science, by developing new and/or redesigning existing bioinformatics tools and pipelines to run on a vast array of advanced computing infrastructures.

Click here for a complete list of Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences opportunities.

(First) Day in the Life of a Nobel Prize Winner!

2011-10-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, the first day as a Nobel Prize winner creates quite a whirlwind of activity for Berkeley Lab physicist Saul Perlmutter. He did dozens and dozens and interviews on the award and stories have appeared in nearly 2,000 news publications so far. Go here to view a sampling of photos, videos, tweets, and articles that were published. Below is a behind-the-scenes video made in the early hours yesterday morning, with Perlmutter at his home with his family taking phone calls, giving interviews, and culminating with his arrival at a packed Berkeley Lab auditorium for a press conference.

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month

2011-10-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Signed in 1990, the goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act is to integrate the lives of people with disabilities into the workplace. Did you know that most workplace accommodations cost absolutely nothing and typically around $600? They also have a positive impact at the workplace such as retaining valuable employees, improving productivity and morale, reducing workers’ compensation and training costs in addition to adding value to company’s diversity.

Click here for a list of KQED programs to celebrate the culture of disability.

Berkeley Lab Scientist, Saul Perlmutter, Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics!

2011-10-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

We are very excited! One of our own astrophysicists, Saul Perlmutter, who is also a professor of physics at UC Berkeley, has won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae.” Saul heads the international Supernova Cosmology Project, which pioneered the methods used to discover the accelerating expansion of the universe, and he has been a leader in studies to determine the nature of dark energy.

He shares the prize with Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess, leader of the High-z Supernova Search Team and first author of that team’s analysis, respectively, which led to their almost simultaneous announcement of accelerating expansion.

Read the full story here!

Congratulations to all!

Video Announcement from Sweden

Here is a list of our other esteemed Nobel Laureates

Join us at Berkeley Lab and work with our world-class scientists!

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2011-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Looking Ahead to the 2011 Grace Hopper Conference (Nov 9-12)

2011-09-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab will be attending the 2011 Grace Hopper Conference (GHC11) in force! We are excited and certainly hope Portland is ready for us, after taking Atlanta at GHC10 last year. Led by Deb Agarwal, Senior Scientist and Department Head of Advanced Computing for Science in our Computational Research Division - Deb also leads the Computing Sciences Diversity Group at Berkeley Lab. In addition to myself, Deb is bringing 8 women from various disciplines within Computing Sciences at the Lab who are looking forward to attending and paricipating at GHC, and meeting and mentoring many other women who work in technology.

If you are attending the conference, we encourage you to stop by our table to learn more about Berkeley Lab and any of the exciting opportunities we have going on, including our prestigious Luis W. Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Science, and 2012 Computing Sciences Summer Student Program, where undergrad and graduate students have opportunity to work side-by-side with our scientists & engineers conducting real hands-on research!

If you are still considering whether or not you will attend GHC11 - hurry! Last year the conference sold out and many missed this very exciting event! Click here to sign-up.

Feel free to ask for any of us - we look forward to meeting you at GHC11!

The Joint Bio Energy Institute (JBEI) Identifies New Microbe as Potential Biofuel to Replace Diesel

2011-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Taek Soon Lee, of the Joint BioEenergy Institute (JBEI) and Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division, led a team that identified a terpene called bisabolane as a potential biofuel for replacing diesel fuel. The team also engineered two strains of microbes – a bacteria and a yeast – that can be used in the biosynthetic production of this clean, green, renewable and domestic alternative to diesel. Working with Lee on this project were Pamela Peralta-Yahya, Mario Ouellet, Rossana Chan, Aindrila Mukhopadhyay and Jay Keasling.

Want to work with this team? Currently Taek has an opening for a Postdoctoral Fellow for Metabolic Engineering that will focus on metabolic engineering of microbial biofuel production. Specifically the candidate will be involved in using genetically engineered E. coli or S. cerevisiae host and heterologously expressed metabolic pathways to achieve improved isoprenoid biofuel production both in small and large scale and improved host properties such as enhanced resistance to toxic byproducts. The candidate will also use a variety of tools such as synthetic biology, advanced cloning technology, product analysis (LC/MS, GC/MS), protein engineering. Click here to learn more!

Go here to learn more about other career opportunities at JBEI.

Berkeley Lab Researchers Featured in KQED Quest Lab: Engineering Fire

2011-09-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Fire is one of humankind's first technologies. Learn how two of Berkeley Lab's researchers, John Bell & Robert Cheng, are conducting research on this early technology. Surprisingly there seems to be much more to learn. And now it’s becoming even more important to our collective future that we know as much as we can about fire.

Watch KQED Quest (channel 9), Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30PM in the San Francisco Bay Area

Accepting Applications for the Luis W. Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Science

2011-09-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Computational Research Division, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory invite applications for the Luis W. Alvarez Fellowship in Computational Science. The fellowship allows recent graduates with a Ph.D. (or equivalent) to acquire further scientific training at one of the leading facilities for scientific computing and to develop professional maturity for independent research.

Berkeley Lab's Computing Sciences organization provides high-performance computing (HPC) resources and expertise to researchers across the country, advancing computational science of scale. Research areas in the Computational Research Division include:

Computer Science
Computational Science
Applied Math

The Luis W. Alvarez Fellowship in Computational Science aims to achieve these goals by supporting recent graduates (within the past three years) with a strong emphasis on computing or computational science. The successful applicant will be compensated with a competitive salary and excellent benefits.

We encourage those who share Dr. Alvarez's scientific curiosity and dedication to join us in our efforts by applying for a fellowship.

Applications are due by November 11, 2011 for Fall 2012

To apply, please submit in a single attachment (1) your curriculum vitae, (2) a statement of research interests, and (3) a list of three references. Click here to apply online.
For more information about the Luis W. Alvarez Fellowship, please visit: http://www.lbl.gov/CS/html/alvarez.html

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2011-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Berkeley Lab is Proud to Announce Two Recipients of the 2011 Luis W. Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship

2011-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Anubhav Jain and Lin Lin
2011 Luis W. Alvarez Fellowship Recipients

Anubhav Jain (left) and Lin Lin have both been awarded the 2011 Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Science. Hosted by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) and the Computational Research Division, the fellowship allows recent graduates with a Ph.D. (or equivalent) to acquire further scientific training at one of the leading facilities for scientific computing and to develop professional maturity for independent research.

To learn more about Anubhav and Lin Lin click here.

Visit Us - Berkeley Lab Open House on Saturday, October 15

2011-09-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Discover ‘The Greatest Science on Earth’

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and children of all ages are invited to experience amazing feats of cutting-edge science at Berkeley Lab’s Open House.

A three-ring circus under the Big Top, surrounded by nearly an acre of exciting exhibits, will delight and entertain families, community members, and all who want to learn more about the Lab’s stupendous scientific research.

Click here for more details

Berkeley Lab Researcher Featured in QUEST Program on Earthquakes Tonight!

2011-09-21T13:07:00.001-07:00

Ernie Majer of the Lab’s Earth Sciences Division is among the researchers featured in an upcoming episode of QUEST, broadcast on KQED tonight at 7:30 p.m. The show is called “Induced Seismicity: Man-Made Earthquakes” and explores how engineering activity to tap energy sources, like geothermal reservoirs and removing oil and natural gas trapped in rocks.

Berkeley Lab Mathematician Blogs About Extraterrestrials for Online Magazine

2011-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

David Bailey, chief technologist for Berkeley Lab’s Computational Research Division, has started writing a regular monthly math column for “The Conversation.” His first installment, “Where is Everybody? Doing the Maths on Extraterrestrial Life,” looks at Fermi’s Paradox on why there has never been “any evidence of event a single extraterrestrial civilization.”

Check out David's blog post here

Berkeley Lab Recruits at the Indy® Grand Prix

2011-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab's Engineering Division advances science by design. Complex and breakthrough instrumentation enhances world-class scientific exploration at Berkeley Lab. Recruiting at the Indy® Grand Prix is not routine - innovation is necessary here. The next generation of engineering goes beyond the predictable mechanisms and into Infineon, Raceway that is. Berkeley Lab's engineering staff had the opportunity to meet race enthusiasts with various technical inclinations - technicians, engineers, skilled trades, and operations. Recruiting definitely wasn’t the norm among retail vendors. Yet, spectators were delighted to learn about employment possibilities from their technical counterparts at the Lab. Perhaps thinking “outside the oval” is the new inspiration for future technical generations. Stay tuned to see what we do next...

Berkeley Lab Recruiters in the Community - Darius Jones Foundation 5K Run/Walk

2011-09-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2009 was a day I won’t forget. Our son, Taylor, who was just 14 at the time receiveda heartbreaking message… his best friend, Darius, had just died. We didn’t know just how close Taylor and Dariuswere. We knew they played basketballtogether in various summer leagues and talked about trying out for the De LaSalle freshman basketball team later that year. When he said, “I tell Darius everything,” it really hit us.

Darius was a great kid with a great outlook on life. He was an extraordinary 15 year old young man. If I could give one example of this it wouldbe his hair. Darius kept his hair in neatbraids. Upon starting school at De La Salle,he cut his braids off, and donated the hair, rather than letting it end up on abarber shop floor. The

Varsitybasketball coach at De La Salle, Coach Alocco, asked him why he cut his hair(which we all saw as his trademark). Darius’ answer was simply, “Going to De La Salle is my dream and nowthat I’m there, it is time to put childish things away.” – Amazing!

The cause of Darius’ death was determined to be cardiac arrestwhile playing in a youth basketball game. As the story goes, Darius was giving it his all (as usual). The opposing team was going for a lay-up,Darius jumped and knocked the ball away, preventing the other team fromscoring. When Darius went down, he nevergot up again.

A foundation was created Darius’ name that provideseducation and awareness of the need for CPR training, medical pre-screening andon-site AED accessibility with a special emphasis on youth and high schoolathletic programs. As BeverlyBradley, Darius’ mother says, “I want to make sure that a parent never feels ashelpless as I did that day.”

Dariuswill never be forgotten, especially by the brotherhood of boys and theirfamilies that experienced the loss of one of their own. I used to sit with Beverly on the benchduring those summer games and hear her cheer, “Come on, Jones!” Today she still attends the De La Salle games,where I witness every player greet her before each game begins because they allcarry Darius’ memory with them.

On Saturday,October 8 I will join the Darius Jones Foundation for their 2nd annual 5KRun/Walk fundraiser to help further their goals. Last year's event was asuccess, as they exceeded their goal and as a result were able to provide 27AEDs to local schools. This year they’re aiming even higher!

Join me for a great cause!

More information may be found by clicking here

Berkeley Lab 'Jobs of the Week'

2011-09-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

JOBS OF THE WEEK

Oh, to Be Warm in Summer’s Heat

2011-09-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Why are airports, shops, offices and homes in the United States and elsewhere chilled to sweater-weather temperatures in summer when the temperature outside rises? “Everyone asks the question, but no one has a good answer,” said Fergus Nicol, a cooling expert and professor emeritus of architecture at London Metropolitan University. “I think it’s because air-conditioners are supposed to produce cool, so it has become an expectation. Berkeley Lab’s Alan Meier, said there was debate about whether people could acclimate to a new “comfort regime.” He noted that, just as in lighting, the attitude was “the more the better.” But lighting designers backed off that predilection; he said the same trend might follow in cooling. More

What Makes a Good High Performance Computing Candidate?

2011-08-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

In a recent Twitter post, I was asked, “What makes a good candidate for an HPC recruiter?” Given that Twitter only allows for 140 characters or less, I wasn’t sure I could successfully answer this question with a direct reply, so I thought it would make a good topic for our Berkeley Lab Recruiters blog.

The question was derived from the August 2011 issue of Scientific Computing World that included an article (read here) that featuring Kathy Yelick, our Associate Lab Director for Computing Sciences and Director of NERSC (National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center), and myself as recruiter for Computing Sciences and driver for social media at the Lab. In the article we discuss the advantages of a High Performance Computing (HPC) professional working at Berkeley Lab and some of the current problems facing the world an individual may find themselves trying to solve.

It’s a simple question to answer, but relies upon so many variables. Of course the first thing we have to look at are the requirements of the job. Like any other recruitment, we always start with a need, or a gap analysis and move forward from there. From that needs analysis is where we get our job descriptions, which are the foundation for someone to apply. We list the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to do the basic job. Beyond that, we are looking for smart, experienced and resourceful individuals that possess the drive and initiative to look beyond their own desk with a desire to solve problems. Then it comes down to interpersonal skills – we want people who work well with other people. It’s a collaborative environment, and we really need folks who collaborate well!

Here's a list of our current HPC openings:

Computer Systems Engineer – FPGA #72987

Computer Systems Engineer – Multicore Computing #73026

Computer Systems Engineer – Computational Systems Group #73134

Computer Systems Engineer – Advanced Technologies Group #73330

Computer Systems Engineer – Future Technologies Group #73359

Software Developer – High Performance Computing Bioinformatics #73396

Thanks @GunnarVikberg for asking!

Berkeley Lab Goes to the Indy® Grand Prix

2011-08-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Who is Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and why does it matter? Yes, you’ve heard about us. Though probably in a scientific capacity. We help save lives, generate jobs, reduce energy costs by BILLIONS & spark the imaginations of generations.

And we're going to the Indy® Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway! Why, you ask?! It's a natural fit, really. We pioneer, engineer, build, integrate, maintain, and upgrade the next generation of complex and breakthrough instrumentation required to advance world-class scientific exploration and discovery. Yeah. . .we do some pretty exciting stuff. I bet you're curious now. Perhaps you are technically inclined, too? Let's talk about that.

Our engineering and technical folks have the right to brag - but they don't. They just do what they do. And it's pretty cool. Check out some of the projects.

If you already have your race tickets, or plan to be at the Infineon Raceway on Aug 27-28 in Sonoma, CA. ... drop by our tent! We'll talk shop. Perhaps one of our 150+ open jobs is what you've been looking for.

When has networking been this fun?! See you at the track!

Connect with me on Twitter @AmyRecruiter.

Berkeley Lab to Host Cultural Festival in October

2011-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab’s employee population represents numerous countries from around the world. To help recognize this rich community, our Diversity and Inclusion Council will be hosting a cultural festival. The festival will bring us together to share food, entertainment, and information about our homelands. Employees with have the opportunity to represent their home countries via music, dance, games, demonstrations, traditional costumes, or other activities. This is certain to be an exciting event!

Thawing Permafrost Could Accelerate Climate Change

2011-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Billion of tons of carbon trapped in permafrost may be released into the atmosphere by the end of this century as the Earth’s climate changes, further accelerating global warming, according to a new computer modeling study led by Charles Koven of Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division. The study also found that soil in high-latitude regions could shift from being a sink to a source of carbon dioxide by the end of the 21st century as the soil warms in response to climate change. The study is published in last week’s advance online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More

Berkeley Lab Opens Advanced Biofuels Facility

2011-08-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Lab’s ABPDU can convert
biomass into advanced biofuels in
sufficient quantities for engine testing.

Our economy would receive a much needed boost with the commercial development of a domestic source of transportation fuel – especially if that fuel were to be clean, green and renewable, and could replace gasoline on a gallon-for gallon basis in today’s engines and infrastructures.

Berkeley Lab is helping to make that dream come true with the mission of the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU), which officially opened for business by the U.S. Department of Energy!

As a result, we are hiring!
Here is a list of current positions available at the ABPDU:

Click here to see all our openings!

Happy Birthday to Us - Berkeley Lab Turns 80!

2011-08-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 31 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which began in the old civil engineering building on the Berkeley campus known simply as “The Radiation Lab” or "Rad Lab." Our Lab Director, Paul Alivisatos, will join Berkeley Lab employees in celebration and reflection of eight decades of scientific achievement.

Announcing Berkeley Lab's Next Science at the Theater Event

2011-08-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hosted by Friends of Berkeley Lab

Click image above to learn more

4th Annual Berkeley MusicFest Coming to a Venue Near You - August 19-28, 2011

2011-08-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

The fourth annual Downtown Berkeley MusicFest will offer up ten days of musical events to satisfy every taste. The event, which takes place in thirteen venues in Berkeley’s vibrant arts district, includes 62 performances, both indoors and outdoor, and a kaleidoscope of musical genres–Jazz, Rock, Latin, R&B, Acoustic, Celtic, Bluegrass and Blues-performed by national touring artists and top local talent.

Click here to see a complete list of performances, many of which are FREE!