Could cars one day run on plastic waste? Ames National Lab researchers aim to find out
A recent news feature published in both the Iowa Capital Dispatch and the Des Moines Register highlighted the science of Ames Lab’s Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, where researchers are studying ways to convert waste plastics into other more valuable products, like chemicals, fuels, lubricating oils, and more.
From the article: “When Yi-Yu Wang pictures the future, she hopes for a day when someone can just pop an empty water bottle in a car’s tank when running low on gas in order to deliver the energy it needs to keep moving. A graduate research assistant in the Ames National Laboratory-led Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, or iCOUP, Wang along with other researchers is studying ways to break down non-recyclable plastic and convert it into chemicals and other materials.”
Wilhelm HVAC project to launch in June
Wilhelm Hall, built in 1949, will get a major replacement and upgrade to its heating and cooling (HVAC) systems
this summer, with construction work slated to begin June 17. The last HVAC update occurred in 1992. After receiving $6.2 million in funding from the DOE, executing design and project planning in 2023, and selecting construction contractor MMC Contractors of Des Moines, Facilities and Engineering Services is moving forward with the project. Contractors will be performing on-site investigations from now until the work start date on June 17. To get more information and details, please visit the project page in ServiceNow any time for resources and regular updates: bit.ly/wilhelmhvac.
Science Friday: How To Recycle Rare Earth Elements
Earlier in May, Ames Lab Scientists Ikenna Nlebedim and Denis Prodius appeared on stage with Science Friday
host Ira Flatow at a live event in Ames to discuss the acid-free method they developed to recycle rare earth metals found in discarded electronic waste.
From Science Friday: “Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals used in a wide range of things that make modern life possible, including batteries, magnets, LED light bulbs, phone screens, and catalytic converters.”
“These elements are essential to a green economy because they are integral to many technologies designed to have low environmental impact. However, mining these metals is a dirty, complex, and costly process. And as the world transitions towards more clean energy production, the demand for them will continue to grow. One possible solution is to recycle rare earth elements when they’re discarded in electronics waste.”
Science Friday recently released their produced segment of the live event, and you can listen here.
WDTS RENEW Pathway Summer School welcomes 19 students
The Ames National Laboratory Pathway Summer School, Data Science and AI Workshop for Energy Solutions,
began on Monday, May 20. The five-week workshop is designed to provide training and mentoring in data science through active learning opportunities and introduce students to the science at Ames Laboratory. The goals of the workshop are to introduce students to data science methods and help students build a STEM identity through a supportive learning environment and engagement with DOE research and scientists. Ames Laboratory partnered in the design of the workshop with Dr. Adisak Sukul, a member of the Department of Computer Science teaching faculty at Iowa State University. Attendees are students from six unique universities and colleges from across Iowa and Nebraska. Students receive a weekly stipend and campus housing to support their attendance. The Pathway Summer School is funded by The Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS).
Who you gonna call? Employee directory updates provide more options
Did you know there’s an employee directory in Google Contacts? Previously the directory only included names and email addresses, so to make it more useful, we added titles, departments, phone numbers, and office locations. This is the first step in giving you better ways to connect with your colleagues. Check it out at contacts.google.com/directory. Learn more about how to add people from the directory to your contacts, how to update your information, and planned future improvements in this ServiceNow article HERE.
Learning and Development Opportunities
Learning Session: Effective and Accessible Presentations
Join us on Tuesday, June 11 from 10-11:15 a.m. in Spedding 301 to explore considerations for designing and delivering effective and accessible presentations. The session will cover communicating data, effective use of visuals, and public speaking best practices with guest speaker, Rachel Mans McKenny. Please RSVP to receive a calendar invite and additional information.
Mindfulness @ Work: The Basics to Support Well-being
Iowa State University WellBeing is excited to offer a workshop on June 12 for those interested in mindfulness practices that can support their well-being at work.The Mindfulness @ Work workshop will explore the basics of what mindfulness is, how it works, and what research says about the benefits to individuals, teams, and organizations. Participants will have the opportunity to experience several mindfulness practices, including micro practices (simple, short, and done anywhere) that can fit into your schedule.
This workshop is a simple way to dip your toes into the benefits of mindfulness. We encourage all Iowa State faculty and staff to consider giving it a try!
Session Details:
Wednesday, June 12 | 1:30-3 p.m. via Zoom
Register now (limited to 50 people)
PTSD and the Workplace: Creating a Supportive Environment
Join the DOE Energy Vets and SOAR Employee Resource Groups virtually on June 18 at 11 a.m. CST for this special Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month event. Learn about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of PTSD, discover how to create safe work environments, and hear personal stories and experiences from guest speaker Will A. Gunn. Learn more about PTSD and how you can help foster a psychologically safe workplace for all.
Approximately half of all adults in the US will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives, and of those 6.8% will experience some degree of PTSD. Military Veterans experience PTSD at a higher rate, affecting seven out of every 100. Learn Signs, symptoms, and risk factors of PTSD. Discover how to create safe work environments. Hear personal stories and experiences.
For questions or to request reasonable accommodations, contact reasonableaccommodationopler@hq.doe.gov. This event is a cooperative effort between DOE’s SOAR and Energy Vets Employee Resource Groups, with support from the Office of Energy Justice and Equity (EJE), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (HC), and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Office (ADRO). Event registration link is here.
Supervising for Success Workshop
If supervising employees is one of your responsibilities at Ames National Laboratory, you may be looking for insight regarding recruiting and hiring processes or working through employee concerns.. The Supervising for Success Workshop focuses on scenarios designed to better equip you for success as a supervisor.
Please join Meredith Ohrt and Lisa Negus for some lively discussion on these topics. Here is some feedback from participants who took part in this workshop:
"Fascinating to hear the thought processes and experiences of colleagues and having expertise of HR staff to wrap up the discussions."
"Learning about legal aspects of being a supervisor - this is new territory for me, and I appreciate the opportunity."
"The small size and discussion format was great. The scenarios were relevant and applicable to supervisors across the Lab."
Join us for this two-hour, interactive, in-person session facilitated by Ames Lab Human Resources on Thursday, July 25 from 9-11 a.m. in 205 TASF. Sign-up is available in Workday Learning. The completion of the online Supervising for Success course is a prerequisite to this workshop. Questions about the training can be directed to humanresources@ameslab.gov.
Announcements
Recruitment and outreach presentation slides now available
Our core values at Ames National Laboratory are creativity, collaboration, and community. Part of embracing these values is bringing in new people with new ideas, talents, and information. Consider including a recruitment and outreach slide at the end of your external or invited presentations to invite new people into our community, for their benefit and for ours. Download the slides from ServiceNow here.
Counterintelligence Lab Briefing to be held June 4
Please join the annual counterintelligence briefing for all laboratory staff, hosted by the Argonne Counterintelligence group. Two sessions are scheduled to give everyone an opportunity to attend. They will be held in 301 Spedding at 10 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. Both sessions will be the same.
Safety Day is June 7
On Friday, June 7, Ames National Laboratory will hold its second Safety Day. The Materials Sciences and Engineering (DMSE), Chemical and Biological Sciences (CBS), and Critical Materials Divisions (DCM) will be participating in the event, which will be focused on housekeeping, waste disposal, green-tagging equipment, and updating lab/hallway signage. Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) and Facilities and Engineering Services (FES) personnel will be staged in Metals Development, Spedding Hall, and Wilhelm Hall to assist as needed. DMSE will be distributing additional information regarding this event to each division.