Insider - March 2022

The Newsletter for Ames Laboratory Employees

ice cream scoop

Ames Lab now has its own ice cream!

Introducing Ames Lab’s new ice cream flavor: Materials Masterpiece! The flavor, a peanut butter ice cream with mini chocolate chip, mini M&MTM, and OreoTM mix-ins, was the top winner out of 13 entries in a contest launched in January to create an Ames Lab themed ice cream for Iowa State University’s Creamery.

The winning entry, submitted by the Performance Management team, will be launched by the ISU Creamery, and served at our State of the Laboratory picnic on May 17. Their winning entry read: “Similar to the development process involved in creating a new material, this recipe requires collaboration, research, and bringing together the perfect combination of ingredients to produce the best possible product.”

Other contestants contributed flavor ideas including dark chocolate chili, almond butter swirl, blueberry swirl cheesecake, turmeric chai, and others. A panel of ice cream experts from ISU Creamery and Director Adam Schwartz served as judges, scoring the entries for feasibility and fit to an Ames Laboratory related theme. 


Ames Lab hands logo

We Are Ames Lab: Environment, Safety and Health

What is the Operations Department’s Name? Environment, Safety and Health - but we also do Safeguards and Security, Plant Protection, Emergency Management, and Continuity of Operations. ESHSSPPEMCOOP seemed like a little too much.

What does ESH do to support Ames Laboratory? ESH supports the Laboratory’s mission by providing services that help keep research and support staff safe, healthy, and secure. We strive to accomplish this through collaboration and engagement, and by creating efficient and effective tools. We’re not here to tell you what to do, but to help you do what you do in the safest and best way possible.

Why is ESH important to Ames Laboratory? 360 – an interesting number. It could be the view from the top of Mount Fuji, or it could be the degrees of coverage you get from ESH when it comes to safety and security, or it could be (almost) the temperature at which to bake a cake. What it is, actually, is the collective years of experience we bring to the table to help guide the safe conduct of work and research. ESH is important to the Lab because a safe and secure work environment protects people, and fosters confidence in our customers (DOE, ISU, the public) that we are utilizing resources in the best manner possible to achieve our mission.

What is unique, interesting, or special about your team?  Apparently, we are the go-to team for polishing off surplus food from events and training classes. I like to think that’s a reflection of our appetite for safety. It takes a lot of calories to sauté nearly 200 readiness reviews, mince multiple assessments, pare dozens and dozens of documents, and bake thousands of pages of DOE orders and contract requirements into a savory safety and security stew.    

Who is in charge around here? Sean Whalen, CSP, CHMM

ESH group photo
L to R: Laura Kim, Clay Miller, Jeff Bartine, Stan Bajic, Sean Whalen, Julia Sager, Don Fortmann, Mike McGuigan, Kyle Dagestad. Not pictured: Kent Hertzke, Ryan Wyllie

Who’s a part of the ESH team? 

Don Fortmann, Environmental Specialist, fortmann@ameslab.gov
Kyle Dagestad, Safeguard and Security Director, kdag@ameslab.gov
Laura Kim, Industrial Hygienist, lmkim@ameslab.gov
Mike McGuigan, Radiation Safety Officer, mcguigan@ameslab.gov
Ryan Wyllie, Occupational Safety Specialist, rwyllie@ameslab.gov
Jeff Bartine, Assistant Director/Safety Lead, bartine@ameslab.gov
Julia Sager, Lead Industrial Hygienist, sager@ameslab.gov
Clay Miller, PhD, Assistant Director/E-R-H Lead, crmiller@ameslab.gov
Stan Bajic, PhD, Health Physicist, sjbajic@ameslab.gov
Kent Hertzke, Program Coordinator, hertzke@ameslab.gov
Willie Martin, Sergeant, Plant Protection, guards@ameslab.gov
Phyllis Mann, Sergeant, Plant Protection
Alex Monaghan, Officer, Plant Protection
Jennifer Adams, Officer, Plant Protection
Scott Jennings, Officer, Plant Protection
Matt Whitefield, Officer, Plant Protection

Where can I find ESH?
Department email: safety@ameslab.gov
Office or Lab location: G40 TASF
Link to ServiceNow Directory: ESH knowledge articles


75th Anniversary roundup: Stash the Trash, LIVE UNITED Food Drive

Ames Laboratory has achieved many remarkable things over the past 75 years, but one of the attributes that really shines is our commitment to the community in which we live. For more than 15 years, we have held a holiday auction and provided the proceeds75th logo to area nonprofits. In that spirit of continuing to give back, we want  to include community service in our 75th anniversary activities. In April, there will be two opportunities to get involved.

Saturday, April 30
Stash the Trash: You, your family, and friends are invited to help clean up trash around Ames. Ames Laboratory will be assigned a specific park or area on campus to focus our efforts. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this form, so we can ensure we have the necessary amount  of supplies. The event will start at 10 a.m. and end at noon. Additional details will be shared with those who register as the date gets closer.

April 25 – May 5
LIVE UNITED Food Drive: Hunger is real. Close to one in four children in Story County continue to be eligible to receive free/reduced lunch. Once summer break starts, these children won’t have access to school-provided meals. As a result, the need for food at local food pantries is typically even greater during the summer months. Every April, United Way holds a LIVE UNITED Food Drive. While food donations are necessary for the success of the LIVE UNITED Food Drive, monetary donations are also accepted. Cash donations can go far with pantries at the Food Bank of Iowa-- $5 purchases 30 pounds of food, $10 purchases 65 pounds, and $25 purchases almost 160 pounds! 

In honor of our 75th Anniversary, we have set a goal to raise $750 and 75 pounds of food. Food and money can be dropped off in ESH (G40 TASF)  April 25 – May 6. Donations can be made via the United Way website HERE, or with Venmo @unitedwaystoryco. Please indicate in the comments “food drive + Ames Laboratory,” so your contribution counts towards our overall goal.

Thank you for making a difference in our community!


IDEA logo

March IDEAs: Introducing new D&I members, and IDEAmail

D&I council announces two new members
Ames Lab’s Diversity and Inclusion Council recently added two new members. We welcome Kelly Bergman, who recently joined the Laboratory as the Education and Outreach Specialist; and Aubrey Rohde, who is a graduate research assistant in materials engineering. 

Kelly Bergman
Kelly Bergman
Aubrey Rohde
Aubrey Rohde

Join D&I Council for reflection on ISCORE
If you participated in Iowa State’s Conference On Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) in March, we invite you to join the council Monday, April 11 at 11 a.m. for a facilitated discussion and reflection on lessons learned during the conference. The discussion will be held virtually, at this LINK

Green Dot DEI Professional Development Opportunity
Green Dot is a bystander training program intended to shift social and cultural norms to reduce incidents of harassment. Ames Laboratory D&I Council is partnering with Laboratory Learning and Development Manager Erin Gibson to offer an interactive virtual Green Dot training session.

Interested participants may consider attending the session listed below. You may also contact training@ameslab.gov for a calendar reminder.

Tuesday, April 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

Got questions, comments, or ideas? 
Do you have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas about Diversity and Inclusion topics? Share your thoughts with us at idea@ameslab.gov.


Ames Lab Storeroom welcomes you back

The Ames Lab Storeroom welcomes you back to the lab.  We are readstore suppliesy to assist with any of your sanitizing and cleaning needs!  Located at 160 Spedding, we are open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Some items on hand:

Masks
Sani-Hands Wipes
Hand Sanitizer
Hand Soap
Surface and glass cleaner
And of course lab and office supplies!

 Stop by or place an order by email to stores@ameslab.gov to have your order ready when you stop by.

View our complete inventory online using the Stores Catalog link in ServiceNow.


How to monitor balances in Workday

Workday allows employees to view their monthly paystubs as well as monitor the use and balances of leave each month. Employees should monitor these items and bring forward questions or concerns promptly. Included below are links with step by step instructions to view these items in Workday. Please reach out to Ames Laboratory Human Resources (humanresources@ameslab.gov) if you have questions at any point or would like additional information on viewing balances and paystubs in Workday. 

View Absence Balance and Request an Absence

View Time Off Accruals by Period

Quick Reference for Time Offs/Time Off Balances

View Compensation Information

Viewing Payslips in Workday

Request Vacation Credit, Comp Time Payout, Switch from Overtime to Comp Time, Catastrophic Leave


Reminder: Ames Laboratory Visitors

As more people return onsite, we would like to remind everyone about the process of bringing visitors to Ames Laboratory. To ensure we meet DOE's visitor reporting requirements, Ames Laboratory hosts are responsible for the following:

  1. Ames Laboratory hosts are responsible for logging all reportable visitors to Ames Laboratory. Reportable visitors are those who are here for Lab-related business.
  2. Ames Laboratory hosts are responsible for providing visitors with the Visitor Welcome Brochure and communicating any applicable content of the Lab’s Visitor Policy to visitors.
  3. If the COVID Community Status Level is medium or high, visitors will be required to complete a vaccine attestation and if not fully vaccinated provide the results of a negative COVID-19 test completed within 3 days of the visit. The current COVID Community Status Level is low.
  4. For foreign national visitors, allow ample time to complete the Ames Laboratory Form 473 Foreign National Access Request in accordance with Section 5.0 of the Unclassified Foreign National Access Plan.

Please review the Visitor Tracking Process for additional details.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Staff Photo Open House

Drop in to get your staff photo taken or retaken in the Communications Office, 132 TASF. Walk-ins are welcome 1-4 p.m. on Friday April 1, Wednesday April 6, or Monday April 11. To get a staff photo taken at any other time, contact Marlee Baldridge to schedule an appointment.


Accountability Drill scheduled April 14

DOE accountability drill The next DOE Accountability Exercise will be April 14 beginning at 10:00. Information is available HERE.


Salaried Effort Certification in Workday

The effort certification process for the period of July 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 will be sent out in Workday for your review and approval in the coming weeks.  

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, 2021 – December 31, 2021 will be performed 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.


Active For Life launches in May

This year Active For Life will return as a virtual event, with weekly challenges that encourage employees to be physically active on a regular basis. From May 1 through June 28, participants can create teams and complete challenges for points and prize drawings. The program will wrap up with an ice cream social Thursday, June 30, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Watch for more details coming soon from Occupational Medicine. 


Tech transfer workshop coming this summer

This summer, the Innovation Partnerships Program (IPP) will be hosting a workshop series to develop and enhance researcher skills in moving from scientific development into demonstrations and deployment. This workshop series will be led by an external instructor and will require pre-registration for four sessions, to be held in June and July. More information will follow as details become available. To express your interest, please contact ipp@ameslab.gov.


Professional Development Library

All Ames Laboratory employees have access to a small professional development library located in the Performance Management Office in 111 TASF. Please visit during office hours (typically 9-3pm M-F) and check out a book by writing your information (name, email, selected book, date) on the provided clipboard. Any questions can be sent to training@ameslab.gov.

You are also welcome to donate professional development books to this library. Please contact us at training@ameslab.gov to make arrangements. Thank you!


Job opportunities at Ames Lab

Did you know you can find a current list of employment opportunities at Ames Laboratory on the Job Opportunities page at www.ameslab.gov? Share with friends and colleagues, or apply yourself! You can also find the page linked on the Employee Dashboard