Lab’s newest machinists celebrate graduation from vaunted apprenticeship program

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Engineering leadership recently congratulated the latest graduates from the Machinist Apprenticeship Program at a ceremony marking their completion of the program and transition to state-certified machinists. During the ceremony, held at the traditional Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Livermore, Lab leaders, current and former apprentices and families...

Summer interns persevere to arrive at LLNL

Every year, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) welcomes hundreds of interns for an experiential, hands-on approach to learning. Working with some of the brightest minds in their fields, LLNL’s interns have the opportunity to explore new projects, build their skills, connect with mentors and integrate into Lab culture — resulting in a meaningful experience that both supports the Lab...

All eyes on Lauren Devine

Lauren Devine is a third-generation American with proud Ashkenazi Jewish roots in Germany and Russia on her mother’s side. Devine prioritizes spending time with her family on the high Jewish holy days but does not necessarily count herself as religious. “I think a lot of folks forget that being Jewish isn’t only about Judaism,” Devine said. “We are a biological race of human beings and it’s...

The Building Department ensures 'nothing happens' at LLNL

On one of this spring’s first warm, sunny days, Chris McMillan of the Operations and Business Directorate’s Building Department stands overlooking a lattice-like framework made from interlocked lengths of rebar that will soon support the extension of a large concrete slab attached to the exterior of Bldg. 432. The slab will be the new home of a large, industrial cooler that will facilitate...

All eyes on Julie Klein

In her nearly 40 years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Julie Klein has seen a lot of change in the world through the Lab’s lens. Currently the program lead for the Computing organization’s Information Technology (IT) Solutions division and LivIT Workforce Enablement program, Klein is now preparing for retirement in a time when the LGBTQ+ community is yet again under...

American Society of Safety Professionals honors NIF manager with safety award

The American Society of Safety Professionals, San Francisco Chapter, has awarded Bruno Van Wonterghem, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) Operations manager, with the “Managers Who Get Safety” Award. “I feel both honored and humbled at receiving this award on behalf of my NIF Facility Team,” Van Wonterghem said. “This year we achieved the long...

Six Lab scientists partner with university researchers through WCI’s ACT Awards

Six scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were recently granted awards through the Lab's 2022 Academic Collaboration Team (ACT) annual call for proposals. Now in their fourth year, ACT university collaboration awards were created to encourage and advance strategic partnerships among universities with a focus on the Lab’s and Weapons and Complex Integration’s mission. Th...

All eyes on Lizz Lantz

Lizz Lantz has always been driven by curiosity about how the world works. “I’m really interested in the materials that make up the world around us, which we often take for granted,” Lizz Lantz said. “And, what better way to explore the world’s fabric than to inspect it under the microscope?” Lizz Lantz exercises this interest in her position as a metallography technician where...

Three graduate students earn awards to work at Lawrence Livermore

Three graduate students have earned Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program awards to perform their doctoral dissertation research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). They are three among the 87 graduate students representing 33 states for the SCGSR program’s 2022 Solicitation 2 cycle. Through world-class training and access to state...

All eyes on Irene Umipig

Irene Umipig’s story begins with a serendipitous encounter: her parents met while working at the same Honolulu hospital after immigrating from the same province in the Philippines. “I feel very lucky to have been raised in a close-knit community while growing up in Hawaii and California,” Umipig said. “Everyone was my auntie and my uncle – neighbors, people from church, my parents’...

All eyes on Jacques Dy

Jacques Dy enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 2021, shortly after joining Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as an electronics technologist with the Controls Engineering team at LLNL’s Site 300 Firing Operations. “A lot of my colleagues at the Lab are veterans and many still serving in the Reserves so I had a lot of support from the Lab when I enlisted,” Dy said. “I...

All eyes on Simon Cohen

When Simon Cohen joined Lawrence Livermore National Lab in 1989 to work with laser systems as an Optical Engineer, he was not only new to the Lab but also to California.     “There’s a cultural adjustment coming from the East Coast to the West Coast,” said Cohen, “and it’s even more pronounced when you come from a region with a large Jewish population, and numerous synagogues, to a region...

All eyes on Scott Scharmann

Scott Scharmann’s definition of strength was forged through significant life changes, through which he learned that mental health is just as important as physical.     “There’s a common misconception that we need to ‘tough it out’ when facing mental health challenges,” he said. “That doesn’t always work because strength isn’t just physical.”   Scharmann said he came to terms with this...

Carolyn Zerkle joins Board of Directors of Livermore Lab Foundation

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Deputy Director and Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS) Vice President Carolyn Zerkle has been appointed to the board of directors of the Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF). The foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created in 2016, serves as a key philanthropic partner to the Lab, providing mechanisms for public and private...

All eyes on Natalie Nguyen

When Natalie Nguyen was just 11 years old, she and her mother immigrated from Vietnam to the United States. Natalie was the first of her family to attend university and earn a graduate degree. “There’s a stereotype that all Asian parents want their children to become either doctors or lawyers when they grow up,” Nguyen said. “That wasn’t the case for me. My mom supported me in whatever...

Krell Institute honors Ma with Corones Award

The Krell Institute, a nonprofit organization serving the scientific and educational communities, has awarded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) physicist Tammy Ma with its 2023 James Corones Award Leadership, Community Building and Communication. The award, named for the institute’s founder, recognizes mid-career scientists and engineers who are making an impact on their...

Elizabeth Brinlee – A career of learning and development

A small gesture can go a long way, and a recent compliment made Elizabeth Brinlee’s day. As a Webex meeting came to an end, a colleague asked her to stay a minute afterward so they could share something with her. They said they had received unsolicited feedback that people found her very approachable, and they were glad she was at the Lab. Just a few months into her tenure as Workforce...

Alison Christopherson, Art Pak elected NAS Kavli fellows

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) staff scientists Alison Christopherson and Art Pak have been elected Kavli fellows of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). As new Kavli fellows, they participated in NAS’ annual Kavli Frontiers of Science U.S. symposium, which brings together outstanding young scientists to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in a broad range...

LLNL participates in Women-Owned Small Business Opportunity Day

The Livermore Open Campus (LVOC) was buzzing Tuesday, March 28, with a crowd that included small business owners, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) and representatives from five national laboratories. They were gathered for Women-Owned Small Business Opportunity Day, presented by the Department of Energy and jointly hosted by OSDBU, LLNL and Oak Ridge...

LLNL’s Kamath honored as 2023 SIAM fellow

The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the world’s premier professional organization for applied mathematicians and computational scientists, has selected Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory research staff member Chandrika Kamath as a member of the SIAM fellows class of 2023.   The prestigious fellow designation is a lifetime honorific title and honors SIAM members...