News Briefs: April 4, 2008

University of California officials visit the Laboratory

University of California officials visited the Laboratory Wednesday and met with Director George Miller and Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio.

From left, Bob Foley, UC vice president laboratory operations; Bob Von Ness, UC Office of the President; Bruce Darling, UC executive vice president, University Affairs: John Birely, UC assistant vice president laboratory programs; Director George Miller; Regents George Marcus and Richard Blum; Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio; and Regent Frederick Ruiz.

Lawrence Fellow receives award for microscopy research

Judy Kim, a graduate student at UC Davis majoring in materials science and engineering and a fellow of the Lab's Lawrence Scholar Program in the Chemistry, Materials, Earth, and Life Sciences Directorate's Materials Science and Technology (MST) division, has received the John Farrant Memorial Award for her abstract and research entitled, "Nanosecond Imaging in the Dynamic TEM Reveals Unquenchable Transient Microstructure."

The award, which includes $1,000, is presented to a student who has demonstrated a scientifically significant study in the physical sciences.

A former summer student at Los Alamos National Lab, this is Kim's third year at LLNL working in the area of transmission electron microscopy.

"Receiving the Farrant award would not have been possible without the efforts of our research team working on the Dynamic TEM (transmission electron microscope)," Kim said. The DTEM developed at LLNL provides the ability to image transient behavior with an unprecedented combination of spatial and temporal resolution: nanometers and nanoseconds.

She also acknowledged her mentors, Geoffrey Campbell of LLNL and Nigel Browning of UC Davis and LLNL.

Kim received the award at the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Society, International Union of Microbeam Analysis Societies Biannual Conference, held in Perth, Western Australia in February.

Blake appointed to another term on state board

Richard Blake, Water Guidance & Monitoring Division leader in the Environmental Protection Department, has been appointed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to another term on the state Board for Geologists and Geophysicists.

Blake, a California registered professional geologist, has served on the board since 2006. He fills the position of board petroleum geologist, and is currently the board's vice president.

Blake has more than 28 years of experience as a professional geologist and has been at the Laboratory since 1992, serving in various capacities, including associate program leader for fossil energy and lead hydrogeologist for the Environmental Restoration Program.

Prior to coming to the Lab, Blake worked 12 years in the California oil and gas industry as a petroleum geologist, first as an exploration geologist for Natural Gas Corporation in San Francisco from 1980 to 1987, then as vice president for the Fleet Oil Company in Irvine from 1987 to 1992.

LLNL's Water Guidance & Monitoring Division manages all monitoring and compliance reporting for wastewater, storm water, ground water, surface water and rain water; and provides guidance for all above ground and underground storage tanks at the Livermore site and Site 300.