When shelter-in-place orders shut down Lab sites in March 2020, among the last to leave and the first to return were the essential members of the custodial staff. The 40-member team expanded their duties to include key COVID safety and disinfecting protocols. In the midst of all of this, the custodial team also achieved a remarkable milestone. Between November 2019 and July 2020 -- a 20 month … [Read more...]
In Memoriam: Glenn Roberts Jr.
Roberts wrote about physics, accelerators, and nuclear science at Berkeley Lab, infusing stories with wonder and excitement By Aliyah Kovner and Julie Chao Glenn Roberts Jr., a gifted science writer, pun master, devotee of all things tiki, and beloved member of the Berkeley Lab community, has died. Roberts was hired by Berkeley Lab’s then-Public Affairs department in 2015 to cover … [Read more...]
On-Site Superstar: Ben Agas
Ben Agas, a fire-alarm electrician at Berkeley Lab since 2014, lives in a household of “essential employees” – those who are still called into work during a time when most in California must shelter in place to avoid the risk of infection by the virus causing COVID-19. His wife works in a hospital, his son is an emergency medical technician who transports patients to hospitals, and Agas continues … [Read more...]
On-site Superstar: Reynaldo Viray
Reynaldo Viray is one of several custodians who has continued to come to work at Berkeley Lab each day, performing essential functions that keep the Lab safe and functioning while in standby mode. “It’s better to be here doing something productive than just staying home,” he said. “They need us here, so let’s be here.” Viray has been a custodian at Berkeley Lab for 30 years and has worked … [Read more...]
On-Site Superstar: Juan Aranda
Juan Aranda has been a helper from the beginning. He started working for a non-profit out of college where he collaborated with county public health staff on HIV/STD testing, which convinced him he wanted to work in public health. Nursing allows him to combine both interests. He worked for ten years as a registered nurse in San Francisco hospitals before joining the Lab two years ago. He also … [Read more...]