Back

Livermorium team honored as dream-makers

(Download Image) Mark Stoyer addresses the crowd during his keynote talk during the chamber luncheon/awards ceremony.
The Laboratory team behind the discovery of element 116, Livermorium, on the periodic table was honored as one of the Livermore Chamber of Commerce's top Dream-makers and Risk-takers for 2013.

Mark and Nancy Stoyer and Jerry Landrum accepted the award on behalf of the 11 researchers who make up the team. Mark Stoyer also provided the keynote address during the chamber luncheon/awards ceremony, held Thursday at Poppy Ridge.

Stoyer described the diligence and dedication of the team members as they worked on the project, a collaboration between the Lab and scientists from the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Together the team discovered two elements --114 and 116 (114 has been named Flerovium).

"It's every chemist's dream to put an element on the periodic table," Stoyer said.

As part of his introduction of Stoyer, Livermore Mayor John Marchand, also a chemist, said he felt an "incredible high" knowing an element has been named for the city he represents. Marchand invited the crowd to attend a special celebration to commemorate Livermorium, on June 24 in downtown Livermore, and noted that May 30 now be noted as Livermorium Day in Livermore. The element's name was adopted on May 30, 2012.