Insider - June 2020

The Newsletter for Ames Laboratory Employees

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Perras named to Early Career Program

Frederic PerrasAmes Laboratory associate scientist Frederic Perras is one of 76 researchers selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science from across the nation to receive significant funding for research as part of DOE’s Early Career Research Program. Now in its eleventh year, the Early Career Program is designed to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work.

As an Early Career Research Program selectee, Perras will receive $500,000 per year for five years for research that will focus on the use of solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) for the measurement of motional dynamics in heterogeneous catalysts and hopefully uncover how these molecular motions impact catalytic activity and selectivity.  READ MORE

 


Secretary Brouillette visits Ames Laboratory

Secretary of Energy Daniel Brouillette tours Ames LabEnergy Secretary Dan Brouillette commended researchers at the Critical Materials Institute Energy Innovation Hub and Ames Laboratory for their work in fundamental materials research while visiting the Laboratory’s facilities at the Iowa State University campus on June 17. 

“The Critical Materials Institute’s work in finding U.S. produced sources and alternatives to materials vital to our energy and national security is invaluable to our country,” Brouillette said. “When combined with Ames Laboratory’s ongoing excellence in materials research, the work done in Ames plays a crucial role in DOE’s scientific and energy security efforts.”

Brouillette met with the newly hired Critical Materials Institute director Thomas Lograsso and CMI researchers dedicated to finding better ways to replace, recycle, and reuse rare earth metals and Li and Co used in clean energy technologies. Specifically, researchers described a new technique for separating and recovering rare earth metals from electronic waste.

Ames Lab researchers shared information on computational science for critical materials, separations, catalysis, and recycling that are being used to explain and guide experimental efforts in those areas, including theoretical modeling.

Brouillette also toured the Materials Preparation Center, a unique operation that provides the world’s highest-purity rare earth samples to other DOE national laboratories, university researchers, and commercial partners. The MPC also produces specialized alloys and material characterization not available elsewhere.

He also viewed the Laboratory’s gas atomization research capabilities which are developing processes for producing fine metal powders, used in multiple industries for 3D printing and advanced manufacturing. The technology reduces production costs and improves product quality, and has earned the Laboratory 16 patents in the last two decades.

 “We are enormously pleased to host Secretary Brouillette today,” said Ames Laboratory Director Adam Schwartz. “Our chemistry, physics, and materials science are key aspects of the Department of Energy’s mission to promote technological innovation as a foundation of American economic prosperity.” See More on the Secretary's Visit


Navigating under COVID-19 rules

illustration of coronavirusCOVID-19 continues to spread locally in our communities, across the state, and throughout the country and world.  As more staff return to the laboratory, we’d like to share some important information on how to navigate a positive case on campus. 

To keep our Laboratory community healthy and safe, it is imperative that all staff self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and STAY HOME when you are not feeling well (even mildly ill).  

Self Reporting at Ames Laboratory 

*If you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 OR have had close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19:

  • STAY HOME
  • Notify your supervisor as soon as possible

*If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 (positive test result):

  • STAY HOME
  • Notify your supervisor as soon as possible
  • Immediately report positive test results by completing this form

Self-reporting is a safe and confidential process that will allow ISU’s Public Health Team to provide support to those who test positive.  

Supervisor Responsibilities 

Supervisors should notify Occupational Medicine at 515-294-2056 or by email om@ameslab.gov as soon as possible if employees report the following;

  • Symptoms
  • Close contact with a suspected or confirmed case
  • Pending or positive results

Supervisors may send out this message to notify employees of a positive case but the identity of the person who was tested will remain confidential. 

Supervisors are encouraged to reach out to Human Resources for additional support related to COVID-19 leave options. 

Case Management and Contact Tracing

Case Management is defined as a process used to assess positive COVID-19 cases for symptoms, activities, health history, to review public health guidance, and identify contacts.

Contact tracing is defined as a process used to trace and monitor contacts of people who have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. 

The ISU Public Health Team will perform case management and contact tracing for positive cases on campus. They will contact students, faculty, and staff who test positive and screen for close contacts. Individuals that test positive will be advised to isolate

The ISU Public Health Team will also notify close contacts that they have been exposed to a positive case and provide guidance on quarantine, self-care, and symptom monitoring. 

What will happen if there is a confirmed case at Ames Laboratory?

Although we cannot disclose the individual’s identity, Occupational Medicine will work with the confirmed case and the Iowa State University Public Health Team to determine whether there are any contacts at the Laboratory who need to be notified.

ESH staff will evacuate and isolate potentially impacted areas. Evacuees and staff identified as working in the areas will be advised to stay home until further follow up and contact tracing can be performed.

If an entire wing, floor, or building is affected, notification will be sent by the COO to staff. 

Impacted areas will be isolated for at least 7 days. After 7 days, special cleaning will not be required prior to reoccupation. 

If spaces can not be isolated for 7 days, the areas will be cleaned following CDC guidance prior to reoccupation. If possible, wait 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection. 

What can I do to help? 

  • If you are sick, stay home 
  • Monitor your health every day prior to coming to the Lab
  • Work from home when possible, maximum telework is still encouraged
  • Wear your face covering and encourage others to do the same
  • Maintain physical distance from others (at least 6 feet)
  • Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer 
  • Clean and disinfect high traffic areas 
  • Avoid sharing phones, computers, other items as much as possible

Thank you for your continued cooperation navigating these challenging times and following our guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Ames Laboratory. We are all in this together and we appreciate all you continue to do to keep yourself, your loved ones, and our entire community safe. 

If you have questions or need additional guidance, email covid@ameslab.gov.


Chaos key to creating new 3D structures

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and their collaborators from Iowa State University have developed a new approach for generating layered, difficult-to-combine, heterostructured solids. Heterostructured materials, composed of layers of dissimilar building blocks display unique electronic transport and magnetic properties that are governed by quantum interactions between their structurally different building blocks, and open new avenues for electronic and energy applications.

Illustration of formation of heterostructured solid

The technique for making them is simple, and counterintuitive—it involves smashing the pristine materials to build new ones. Called mechanochemistry, the technique uses ball milling to take apart structurally incommensurate solids— ones that don’t have matching atomic arrangements— and reassemble them into unique three dimensional (3D) “misfit” hetero assemblies. Smashing things together by milling seems like the least plausible way to achieve atomic ordering, but it’s turned out to be more successful than the scientists themselves imagined.  Read More


Changes in P&S Classification and Compensation

Iowa State University is moving forward with the P&S Classification and Compensation review. On Monday, June 29, ISU will notify individual employees of their new title via email. This review will impact a number of items including:

  • Job title
  • Exemption status
  • Pay grade (Information will be released beginning Aug. 30)

The new classification system provides a new job profile for each P&S employee. The job profiles are then grouped together into job families. Within Workday, anyone is able to view the job profiles and families. A job aid has been created to assist with viewing the information in Workday.

By now, many of you will have heard from your supervisor regarding your placement within the new classification system; if not, you are urged to reach out to them for a conversation before Iowa State’s notification to you on Monday. There is a great deal of information to digest about this change. Context is important, and your supervisor and the laboratory’s HR department is available to help you navigate that context. Iowa State University has a webpage dedicated to resources about this change. Please read through the resources and FAQs.
 
It is understandable that this process has prompted a great deal of concern and questions; our careers are a major part of our personal identity and how we view our roles within the Laboratory. Because of that leadership also wants to emphasize those things that will not change:

  • Job responsibilities
  • Supervisor
  • Salary

Throughout this process, Ames Laboratory has been engaged with the university, with the intent to be able to better benchmark with peers in the future. Being able to attract and retain skilled employees has been a key driver behind this project for the university, and the new structure should give the Laboratory a better competitive advantage in this area as well.
 
Ames Laboratory Human Resources is available to answer any questions that you may have. A Doodle poll has been created where you can select a time that works best for your schedule. If none of these times work, please reach out via email to find a more convenient time.


Emergency gathering locations designated

Evacuation signAmes Laboratory has dedicated emergency evacuation assembly points (orange pins on attached map) near Wilhelm (shown at right), Spedding, and Metals Development. An assembly point is also located at the SIF in the approach to ASCII.

If an evacuation alarm sounds in the building you are in, please gather at the assembly point nearest to where you exit the building, AND/OR upwind if possible. Inform your supervisor of your status and location. Do not leave the assembly area until instructed to do so. 

Please do not gather near entrances. Crowds hinder the ability of emergency personnel to access the building. 

If an evacuation is triggered during the COVID crisis, staff are expected to practice physical distancing and other safety measures.


Skyrmions can split like biological cells

Illustration of skyrmionsScientists at Ames Laboratory have discovered that skyrmions— a type of quasiparticle with properties that could lead to the next generation of data storage and transfer— reproduce by splitting in a way very similar to biological cell division.

Skyrmions are nanoscale magnetic vortices, a type of quasiparticle that are driven by ultra-low electrical current. As a quasiparticle, they have no real mass, yet form a periodic pattern very similar to the symmetrical arrangement of atoms inside a crystal, or crystal lattice. Read More

 


Looking Back: Picnic and Space Shuttle

 

Cover of June 1995 InsiderThe June 1995 issue of Insider highlighted the annual Operations staff picnic and a metal solidification experiment headed for the space shuttle. The project, called the Iowa Joint Experiment in Microgravity Solidification, was led by Rohit Trivedi and will study how metal ingots melted aboard the space shuttle in orbit solidify in the low gravity environment of space.

Elsewhere in the issue,  middle school students participated in the Lab's Junior Solar Sprint competition, the Lab held workshops for potential industry partners and an Adventures in Supercomputing. There were also personal profiles of Darren Huntley and Deb Covey, an introduction to new science writer Diana Lutz and a farewell to retirees Dan Williams and Pat Stowell.

To read the issue, click on the cover.


Accountability Exercise July 9

The next DOE Accountability Exercise will be held on Thursday, July 9, beginning at 10:00. The format will be the same as previous exercises.


Willie-Kennicker to retire

Konnie Willie-Kennicker will be retiring on July 6 with 24 years of service to Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University.  Join us in celebrating Konnie’s years of dedicated service and the positive impact she has had on ISU and Ames Laboratory.  Congratulations and best wishes can be sent via cards to her office address or emailed to her on or before July 3.