Ames Lab, Iowa State alumna Hoffman recognized with Enrico Fermi Award
On Tuesday the Biden-Harris Administration announced Darleane C. Hoffman, nuclear chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as a recipient of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious science and technology honors bestowed by the U.S. government.
She is a native Iowan, alumna of Iowa State University and former graduate student researcher at Ames National Laboratory. She is a Professor Emerita in UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry.
Hoffman is a nuclear chemist known for the study of transuranic elements, quickly decaying elements that are heavier than uranium. In 1993, she was among a group of researchers who confirmed the existence of a new element, seaborgium 106, and was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1997. According to the announcement from the White House, Hoffman is recognized with the Fermi Award for scientific discoveries advancing the field of nuclear and radiochemistry, for distinguished service to the Department of Energy’s missions in national security and nuclear waste management, and for sustained leadership in radiochemistry research and education.
Recipients of the award receive a citation signed by the President and the Secretary of Energy, a gold-plated medal bearing the likeness of Enrico Fermi, and an honorarium of $100,000. In the event the award is given to more than one individual in the same year, the recipients share the honorarium equally. The Fermi Award is administered on behalf of the White House by the U.S. Department of Energy. READ MORE
Romsdahl makes a switch from Finance to Procurement
Ames Lab employee Kristie Romsdahl recently transferred from Accounting to
Procurement, taking on a new role as procurement agent. She is a graduate of Iowa State University with a B.S. in English.
Prior to joining the Laboratory, Kristie worked as a procurement agent for Iowa State University, where she provided support and service campus-wide, managing contracts for travel and hospitality services, as well as contracts with other Board of Regents schools.
Kristie lives in Ames with her husband, Erik, children, Izak, Konnor, and Annika, and cat, Walter.
Her hobbies include wrangling children, cheering on the Cyclones, and trying to have as much fun as possible.
“I hope to learn about the complexities of the work performed at the Lab so that I can best understand the needs of our employees when helping them accomplish their goals,” she said.
Congratulations to Kristie!
Xu joins Ames National Laboratory as Learning & Development Manager
Zhengzheng Xu recently joined the Planning and Performance Team as the 
Learning & Development Manager. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Technology (2021) and a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies (2016) from Iowa State University. Zhengzheng's main responsibility is Safety, Compliance, & Skill Training.
When not at work, Zhengzheng enjoyed spending time with her family and taking nature hikes. She also loves playing badminton in her free time. Zhengzheng currently resides in Ames with her husband and two young children.
Welcome, Zhengzheng!
Who Cares About Quantum?
"Quantum" is everywhere these days—in the news, on TV, in the titles of blockbuster action films—but what even is it? Why is it important to understand it? Basically... who cares about quantum?
To find out, the producers of Direct Current, a Department of Energy podcast, got philosophical with National Lab quantum scientists Anna Grassellino and David Awschalom about their brain-bending research, the massive impacts it could have on our lives, and the joy and frustration of chasing breakthroughs that can take decades to arrive. Anna Grassellino leads the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, of which Ames National Laboratory is a partner. To learn more and have a listen, go HERE.
Free solar panels from the federal government? Not so fast — it could be a consumer scam
Millions of Americans are deciding to power their 
homes with solar energy and take advantage of its numerous benefits, including cost-savings on electricity bills that accrue over the lifetime of the solar power system. As more people choose solar energy, the increase in popularity has opened the door for some bad actors who are spreading misinformation and engaging in fraudulent business practices. Every solar company has a responsibility to be honest and upfront with consumers, but to avoid scams, consumers should also be on the lookout for red flags as they plan to go solar. For tips from the DOE on shopping for solar, READ MORE.
Director’s Feedback Survey launches April 3
Beginning April 3 employees (with the exception of undergraduate and graduate students) will have an opportunity to provide feedback requested by Dr. Adam Schwartz, director of Ames Laboratory, through an anonymous survey.
Please look for an email from Lisa Negus, director of Human Resources and Diversity, Monday April 3, which will contain a link to the survey. Once you receive this email, please take a few minutes to provide meaningful feedback to Dr. Schwartz. The survey will be open through Friday, April 14.
March IDEAs: A new study about women in STEM, and videos about some of our favorite scientists
Women and underrepresented people of color make small gains in science employment, new diversity report
shows
From 2011 to 2021, women and Hispanic or Latino scientists achieved the largest increases in employment among underrepresented groups in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Still, their share of the workforce remains low compared with their proportion of the US population. READ MORE
Women's History Month at Ames National Laboratory
In honor of Women’s History Month, we highlight the experiences of our women scientists in these videos produced last year. Check them out!
Raquel Ribeiro
Pat Thiel
Tanya Prozorov
Julie Slaughter
Olena Palasyuk
ISU Benefit Plan Dependent Eligibility Verification Project Begins March 27
The Dependent Eligibility Verification Project begins March 27 and runs through June 2. All benefits-eligible employees with one or more dependents enrolled in Iowa State’s medical, dental and/or vision plans will receive a detailed email outlining the process and required actions from WTW (formerly Willis Towers Watson) a long-time ISU benefits partner and consultant. Please be on the lookout for future communications from WTW.
Why is Iowa State verifying dependents?
Dependent verification helps keep costs down for Iowa State employees and their families by ensuring only eligible dependents receive coverage from the university’s health plans.
What is the verification process?
Employees who cover one or more dependents on a health plan will be asked to provide documents directly to WTW that confirm each dependent’s eligibility, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of residence in the same household.
No action will be required for employees who cover only themselves through Iowa State’s health plans.
What are the next steps?
Look for information from the WTW Dependent Verification Center beginning March 27. These emails will appear as follows: Iowa State University Dependent Verification Center NoReply@review.ehr.com. Please do not disregard these emails from WTW; they are not junk mail and are being sent on behalf of Iowa State University. A series of follow-up communications will also come directly from WTW as you work through the process.
Questions about the verification process: WTW Dependent Verification Center at 1-855-722-9663
Questions about benefits-related information: Email the ISU Benefits team at benefits@iastate.edu.
Announcements
Salaried Effort Certification in Workday
The effort certification process for the period of July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 will be sent out in Workday for your review and approval on April 3. The effort certification process, owned by Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPA) at the university-level, helps maintain compliance with federal regulations that stipulate institutions must have a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that salary charges are accurate, allowable and properly allocated to federal awards. The salaried effort certification for the period of July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 will beperformed in Workday. Individuals paid by the Ames Laboratory will receive an effort certification action in Workday which is asking you to verify that your effort and pay was cost appropriately to the Ames Laboratory or other federally funded sources you may have been paid from. Please review this Workday action and reach out to Jake Irving (irving@ameslab.gov) if you have any questions.
A job aid for salaried effort certification is available. For more information about effort reporting, please consult the Handbook for Effort Reporting.
Early Bird Golf Tournament returns April 14-- register soon!
Ames National Laboratory will host the 45th Early Bird Golf Tournament on Friday, April 14.
This year there is a new twist. In addition to the traditional golf tournament, there will be a mini-golf (putt-putt) event for those who want to participate but don't play golf.
Here are the details:
Early Bird Golf Tournament
Indian Creek Country Club
63012 260th St., Nevada
12 p.m. shotgun start
Green Fees: $38 (with cart); $23 (no cart)
Entry Fee: $5
Mini-Golf Tournament
Perfect Games
1320 Dickinson Avenue, Ames
1 p.m. shotgun start
Green Fees: $5
All Ames Lab staff, family and friends are invited to participate. Please sign up today (but no later than April 10) at: Ames Lab Early Bird Golf Outing.
Mental Health First Aid course available
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers an online Mental Health First Aid course. The course teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.
Wednesday, April 19, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Format: In-person: 8-hour certification training OR Virtual: 2-hour self-study course plus 6-hour virtual instructor-led certification training
Contact Info: Demi Johnson, demij@iastate.edu, 641-210-8631
More information about this program
Live United Food Drive launches April 24
The 2023 LIVE UNITED Food Drive is coming up! The food drive will run from April 24 – May 4. As you are shopping over the upcoming weeks, please consider grabbing an extra item or two to donate. Their wish list of items can be found here. Ames Laboratory will have a drop off site in G40.
In 2022, Ames National Laboratory raised $1,530 and collected 157 pounds of food! Let’s make 2023 another remarkable year!
2023 DOE Mile returns to May
The DOE Mile, a friendly one-mile run/walk competition between DOE National Labs, is moving back to May. It has only been a few months since the 2022 DOE Mile, but the participating teams have decided to move the challenge back to its original month. Mark your calendars for 11 a.m., May 10.
This is the 8th Annual DOE Mile, with 13 DOE labs participating. The goal this year is to reach even more! Ames National Laboratory has been participating for several years and even though we are small we have always had great participation. We hope this year can be our best yet. Check out the website and all the participating labs HERE.
We will be offering both in-person and virtual, run and walk options again and are hoping for widespread participation. Family participation is encouraged! For the in-person race, a waiver of liability will be required. We are also seeking volunteers to help supervise the route and take down times for the in-person race. Please stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!
Updated Visitor Tracking Form now available
Logging visitors to Ames National Laboratory is important to ensure security of Ames Lab facilities and personnel. The Visitor Tracking Form has been updated and allows for easier completion and submission of the form to record visitors. The form is available on the ServiceNow portal, Request Something > General Category > click Visitor Request Form.
Please remember to log all visitors that come to the Lab. Visitors include those giving or attending seminars, those visiting the Lab for limited scientific discussion or as participants solely to observe research in progress, job seekers, tour groups, including ISU students touring laboratories and other spaces, vendors, and the media. For more information, please view the Visitor Tracking Process at Ames Laboratory on ServiceNow.
Director’s Excellence Award nominations are still open
Nominations for the newly expanded Director's Excellence Awards are open now through April 17, 2023. All Laboratory employees – regardless of role – are eligible for this award. Please consider nominating a fellow employee who has brought positive change and improvement to Ames Laboratory through their demonstration of our core values. See the Director's Excellence Award 2023 knowledge article for more information on criteria and the nomination process.
FY23Q1 Counterintelligence Bulletin now available
The Argonne Regional Field Office (ARFO) of Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (CI) publishes an unclassified quarterly CI Awareness Bulletin for distribution at the three Laboratories under its responsibility— Ames National Laboratory, Argonne, and Fermilab. The current issue includes an overview of individuals charged with conspiracy, a brief on protecting Quantum Information Science, and some interesting information including the creation of a technique labeled the "Horton Clause". An archive of the bulletin is kept in ServiceNow. READ MORE