National labs host first Research SLAM
In November, seventeen early-career researchers, representing each of the Department of Energy national laboratories, competed in the first ever National Laboratory Research SLAM. Ames National Laboratory was represented by Yunpu Zhao, who is a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Zhao’s presentation explained the process of plastics upcycling, part of his work with the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP).
The competition guidelines limited contestants to three minutes and a single slide to present their science to a broad audience. The finalists presented in four research categories: Energy Security, National Security, Environmental Resilience and Scientific Discovery.
The event was sponsored by the U.S. House Science and National Labs Caucus and the Senate National Labs Caucus to highlight the diversity of research at the national laboratories and to promote the value of science communication.
Stop the presses! Communications rolls out new changes to printing services
Effective Dec. 1, Ames Lab Communications will roll out a number of changes to printing services at Ames 
National Laboratory to serve its customers more effectively. This includes new ServiceNow (SN) Knowledge articles and a speedier way to order and print scientific posters.
Changes to know about:
- Communications will no longer print large format items (anything larger than 11x17 inches) in-house. Instead, we are enlisting Iowa State University Printing Services to provide this capability. This enables Communications to dedicate more time to providing design services, which are more in demand. We will continue printing smaller items (anything 11x17 inches and smaller) in-house. For any product except scientific posters, we will provide design services to ensure that your project is professionally executed, has the necessary approvals, and reflects the mission of the Lab. You can read more about our updated services and product offerings in the new SN Article: Printing Services at Ames National Laboratory. As before, Ames Lab employees can still request design services for any printed matter using the form at this link.
- For scientific posters, Communications has developed a template to help researchers create a poster that suits their needs, as well as a guide for best practices in design. You can read this resource and download the template in the SN Article “How to Design a Scientific Poster.” Using the template is not required, but highly encouraged.
- Communications partnered with Ames Lab Accounting and Procurement teams, and customer service management at ISU Printing Services to create a convenient and speedier way to order and print scientific posters, no purchase requisition required. You can learn more about that process in the step-by-step how-to, “How to Print a Scientific Poster.”
Questions? Contact Laura Millsaps or Grant Luhmann for assistance.
Dutch Elliott to retire in January
Henrietta “Dutch” Elliott is retiring from the Laboratory after nine years in custodial services. Please join Facilities and Engineering Services in congratulating Dutch; Ames Laboratory wishes her well in retirement!
Vince Dahl to retire in January
Vince Dahl, Facilities and Engineering Services, is retiring Jan. 2 after 10 years of service at Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University.
Vince began his career at the Lab as the maintenance shop manager in 2013. He moved to the construction
manager position in 2023.
Vince was the driving force behind many recent facilities improvements. He orchestrated the day-to-day efforts of the facilities mechanics while simultaneously managing construction and equipment installation projects. If a piece of research equipment was purchased between 2013 and 2023, Vince more than likely played a role in the installation efforts.
Vince successfully managed internal labor and contractor efforts in order to complete numerous facility upgrades including: the renovation of over 20,000 square feet of laboratory space, replacement of Spedding Hall windows, installation of a new air handling unit in the Metals Development building, improvements to the fire alarm system, and upgrades to the wireless access system. Vince also led the planning and execution of three projects supporting the Low-Temperature Laboratory: installation of a new nitrogen storage tank, two new helium storage tanks, and a new helium compressor.
Please join Facilities and Engineering Services in congratulating Vince on his successful career at Ames National Laboratory, and wish him well in retirement.
Ames Lab welcomes Ashley Correa to Finance
Ashley Correa has recently joined the finance department as an Accountant II. She currently holds two bachelor’s
degrees from Iowa State University in Accounting and Management. Additionally, she is enrolled virtually at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to receive her masters in Project Management. Before joining the team, Ashley worked with the ISU Environmental Health and Safety division as a Business Administrator.
In her free time, she enjoys playing video games and exploring creative pursuits such as multimedia creation. She heard a rumor once that you only needed a few thousand books to be considered a library and has taken that as a lifetime goal for her collection.
She is excited to be joining the finance team and learning a new set of skills to aid the department.
Welcome, Ashley!
November IDEAs: Minority-serving institutions, an open forum, and human rights
Education and Outreach Builds Connections with Minority Serving Institutions
This Fall, E&O Program Lead Kelly Bergman visited eight Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), aiming to cultivate
relationships and recruit students and faculty into the Ames National Laboratory summer SULI and VFP programs. The visits were designed to follow-up and enhance connections with MSIs that participated in the Materials and Energy Solutions Workshop held at Ames Laboratory in May. MSI visits included University of California-Riverside, California State University-San Bernardino, California State University-Los Angeles, North Carolina A&T University, University of North Carolina-Pembroke, and Fayetteville State University. In addition, E&O connected with students at the DOE to the People Expo and Career Fair at University of California-Riverside. The outreach travel was made possible through the support of the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS).
Culture & Climate Survey Open Forum Dec. 4
D&I Council will be hosting a lab-wide Culture & Climate Survey Open Forum Discussion next Monday, Dec. 4 from 1-2:30 p.m. in 301 Spedding Hall. All employees are encouraged to participate. The information gathered from the discussion will inform the Laboratory's strategic action to enhance the employee experience.
Celebrate 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
December 10, 2023, is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. To learn more about this important document and activities commemorating its anniversary, go here.
Science & Swag
Summer 2024 WDTS Programs - Call for mentors and projects
Ames Laboratory is inviting researchers to mentor students for two DOE Office of Science internship programs. Applications are currently being accepted for the Summer 2024 term for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and the Community College Internships (CCI) program.
The application deadline for both programs is Jan. 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET. The dates for the programs at Ames National Laboratory are May 28-Aug. 2, 2024. All costs of the internship are paid for by the DOE including stipends, travel, and housing. Ames Lab expects to have funding to support up to 25 students.
If you are a repeat mentor, you can upload your project description to the account in the WDTS Application System. If you are new to the SULI and CCI programs, contact Kelly Bergman, to set up an account in the application system.
It’s not too late to subscribe to facilities notifications
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the new building-specific facilities notifications. Follow these instructions to sign up or update your subscriptions anytime.
We appreciate the feedback you shared about some messages being marked as spam or phishing attempts and others not being received. We have resolved these issues, and we continue to work with ISU to ensure notifications are delivered successfully.
We will continue to send all-employee emails about proposed or upcoming maintenance and closures in Ames National Laboratory buildings through the end of December. If you already subscribed to the new updates, you may receive duplicate messages during this time. After this, all-employee emails for facilities updates will stop, with the exception of maintenance or closures to roads, sidewalks, and parking lots near buildings where Ames National Laboratory employees work.
For questions, please contact Payton Crilly: pwcrilly@ameslab.gov.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ames Lab Annual Holiday Party and Charity Auction
This year's Holiday Party and Charity Auction event is less than a week away!
When: Wednesday, December 6th, from 1-3 p.m.
What:
- Holiday Party: Get together with friends and colleagues for good food and good fun! Group trivia with prizes for the winning teams!
- Charity auction: Silent and live auction events. Lots of great items at a variety of price points! Proceeds go to the Story County United Way and the Bethesda Food Pantry.
Where: Pat Thiel Atrium in Hach Hall
What do I need to do to participate?
- Trivia contest: Form a team of up to 8 with your smartest colleagues or add your name to an existing team or show up on the day, and we will find you a team. Sign up here!
- Charity Auction: Please plan to come and bid on the excellent items assembled. The silent auction bidding will end at 2 p.m. Immediately following, the live auction will begin. If you'd like to preview the auction items, they will be displayed in 111 TASF (Performance Management) on Dec. 4 and 5. Please plan to bring cash, checks, or Venmo to pay for your items.
- If the trivia and auction don't interest you, please still stop over for refreshments and to connect with your peers.
Crucial Conversations Learning Session
Learning and Development is offering a Crucial Conversations learning session on Dec. 7 from 9:30-11 a.m. This workshop will focus on techniques for how to hold difficult conversations in a positive space, even when emotions run high. Jane Morris and Jamie Morris will lead us through examples and discussion on how to be more prepared to hold these conversations in order to ensure clarity, define expectations, and encourage respectful behavior in relationships. You can RSVP here to receive a calendar invite with location information.
Save the date for Jan. 8 blood drive
Did you know that the month of January can be a time of critical blood shortages? Donations tend to taper off during the holidays, creating a corresponding decrease in supply. Ames National Laboratory employees have a tradition of stepping up to help the American Red Cross, and this January is our opportunity to do so again. Please mark your calendars for Monday, Jan. 8 for the next blood drive. More details will follow.