Executive Summary In January 2021, Lab leadership chartered a Future of Work Working Group (FOWG) to evaluate offsite work options for the Lab. We (the working group) held a series of staff engagements to understand how employees worked prior to and during the pandemic, and to explore post-pandemic work preferences. We considered both where Lab employees want to work and when they want to do … [Read more...]
Custodial Team Records 20-Month Safety Record
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...]
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: Mitigating the Effects of Wildfire Smoke
The hazards of wildfires are well known, but smoke is a more likely and prevalent threat this time of year. The Lab’s Facilities and Environmental Health and Safety divisions have made several changes to help mitigate the adverse effects before and during smoke events. Wildfire smoke is a complex mix of fine particulates, gases, and volatile organic compounds. Those fine inhalable particulates … [Read more...]
Key Staff Announcements and Updates
Without a doubt, Berkeley Lab’s mission is relevant to national challenges. Since January, several of the Lab’s people have been tapped by federal agencies to lend their expertise as the new administration ramps up its efforts on a number of priorities. For example, Sean Peisert has been named to DARPA’s Information Science and Technology (ISAT) Study Group for a three-year term. Lab Chief … [Read more...]
Lab Wins 2021 Legacy Award from East Bay Economic Development Alliance
The East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) has chosen Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as the winner of its 2021 Legacy Award for this year’s East Bay Innovation Awards. This annual ceremony celebrates and honors the extraordinary companies and organizations that contribute to the East Bay’s legacy of innovation and unique assets. The East Bay EDA is a public-private … [Read more...]