From the Director: Communication

by Persis Drell

Over the past several months, the ALDs and I have worked to refine the "One Lab" vision. Where we now have hard working staff but perhaps Balkanized efforts, we look to a future with a unified and aligned team and a strong sense of community between all the scientific efforts at the lab. Where now we have many processes and functions optimized for a sub-unit of the lab, we look forward to coherent efforts across the site with the appropriate mixture of centralized and satellite functions working together for the best outcome for the lab as a whole. As we go forward taking the steps to achieve this vision, we will need your input and your perspective. We cannot be everywhere and know everything. Input from employees throughout the laboratory is an essential part of our forward progress.

So often communication travels only downhill from top to bottom, but I believe that a laboratory cannot function properly unless communication also travels uphill. I want to exploit every possible avenue to allow that uphill communication to happen. When I started in the fall as Acting Director, I met with all the Directorates and Departments at the lab to introduce myself and to talk about where I wanted to take the lab. After the January 7 layoff announcement, I had another round of meetings with all the workgroups at the lab to answer questions about the layoffs and the future of the lab. These meetings were a wonderful opportunity for me to discuss the direction in which we are headed but, far more importantly, it was also a wonderful opportunity for me to listen to your comments and concerns. I will continue these meetings, with another round starting in late April. Read more...

New Bottled Water Provider for SLAC

SLAC has bottled water delivered to those locations where potable water isn't available. A change in vendors is occurring, so sites receiving water delivery service will see new water stations being installed by Nestle Water and the Alhambra-Sierra Springs stations being removed over the next few weeks.

Purchasing Staff
in Training

In late February and early March, SLAC's Purchasing staff received professional outside training in Contract Law and Contract Administration. This is a requirement of the Department of Energy (DOE) Procurement Evaluation Review performed in June 2008.

Purchasing staff will attend two additional courses, Types of Contracts and Cost/Price Analysis, on March 11, 12, 18, 27 and 28. This training will impact customer service on these days, but it is a necessary milestone in SLAC having its purchasing authority restored by the DOE. Thank you for your understanding.

Word of the Week:
Gray Tracking

by Brad Plummer

Gray Tracking is a type of damage that occurs over time in optical components that are used with high-power lasers. This type of damage is most common with blue lasers, and occurs when the laser intensity is high enough to relocate bound electrons within the crystal or glass, creating a fogged track along the beam path within the optic. Gray Tracking limits the life of optics because it cuts down the amount of light that can pass through.

Spring Forward

Don't forget to set your clocks forward this weekend—Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9.

Building the LCLS: Weekly Update

by Brad Plummer

This week Linac Coherent Light Source construction crews are applying epoxy to seal the floors in the Beam Transport Hall, preparing for the start of hardware installation. Concrete workers are pouring a pad for the transformer at the electrical substation for the Central Utilities Plant. And workers in the Near Experimental Hall are installing hardware for the elevator, finishing sheetrock and setting exhaust fans.

Events

March 10: (4:15 p.m.) SLAC Colloquium: Climate Engineering: Possible? Dangerous? Necessary?

Access (see all)

Announcements
(see all | submit)

Lab Announcements

Community Bulletin Board

News (see all | submit)

Bright Hopes Pervade Dark Matter Nature
Mathematicians Debate the Hole Truth Science

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View online at http://today.slac.stanford.edu/.

From the Director: Communication by Persis Drell Over the past several months, the ALDs and I have worked to refine the "One Lab" vision. Where we now have hard working staff but perhaps Balkanized efforts, we look to a future with a unified and aligned team and a strong sense of community between all the scientific efforts at the lab. Where now we have many processes and functions optimized for a sub-unit of the lab, we look forward to coherent efforts across the site with the appropriate mixture of centralized and satellite functions working together for the best outcome for the lab as a whole. As we go forward taking the steps to achieve this vision, we will need your input and your perspective. We cannot be everywhere and know everything. Input from employees throughout the laboratory is an essential part of our forward progress. So often communication travels only downhill from top to bottom, but I believe that a laboratory cannot function properly unless communication also travels uphill. I want to exploit every possible avenue to allow that uphill communication to happen. When I started in the fall as Acting Director, I met with all the Directorates and Departments at the lab to introduce myself and to talk about where I wanted to take the lab. After the January 7 layoff announcement, I had another round of meetings with all the workgroups at the lab to answer questions about the layoffs and the future of the lab. These meetings were a wonderful opportunity for me to discuss the direction in which we are headed but, far more importantly, it was also a wonderful opportunity for me to listen to your comments and concerns. I will continue these meetings, with another round starting in late April. Read more...

New Bottled Water Provider for SLAC SLAC has bottled water delivered to those locations where potable water isn't available. A change in vendors is occurring, so sites receiving water delivery service will see new water stations being installed by Nestle Water and the Alhambra-Sierra Springs stations being removed over the next few weeks. Purchasing Staff in Training In late February and early March, SLAC's Purchasing staff received professional outside training in Contract Law and Contract Administration. This is a requirement of the Department of Energy (DOE) Procurement Evaluation Review performed in June 2008. Purchasing staff will attend two additional courses, Types of Contracts and Cost/Price Analysis, on March 11, 12, 18, 27 and 28. This training will impact customer service on these days, but it is a necessary milestone in SLAC having its purchasing authority restored by the DOE. Thank you for your understanding.	Word of the Week: Gray Tracking by Brad Plummer Gray Tracking is a type of damage that occurs over time in optical components that are used with high-power lasers. This type of damage is most common with blue lasers, and occurs when the laser intensity is high enough to relocate bound electrons within the crystal or glass, creating a fogged track along the beam path within the optic. Gray Tracking limits the life of optics because it cuts down the amount of light that can pass through. Spring Forward Don't forget to set your clocks forward this weekend—Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 9. Building the LCLS: Weekly Update by Brad Plummer This week Linac Coherent Light Source construction crews are applying epoxy to seal the floors in the Beam Transport Hall, preparing for the start of hardware installation. Concrete workers are pouring a pad for the transformer at the electrical substation for the Central Utilities Plant. And workers in the Near Experimental Hall are installing hardware for the elevator, finishing sheetrock and setting exhaust fans.	Events March 10: (4:15 p.m.) SLAC Colloquium: Climate Engineering: Possible? Dangerous? Necessary? Access (see all) Alpine Gate & PEP Ring Road closed Gates 17 & 30 open 24-7 Research Yard bisected Announcements (see all \| submit) Lab Announcements Symposium to Celebrate Pief Panofsky Job Fair - March 12 Stanford Retirement Savings Refresher Workshops Learning & Development Class Offerings - Stanford Campus Community Bulletin Board Stanford University Faculty and Staff Help Center Retirement Party for Joel Fitch News (see all \| submit) Bright Hopes Pervade Dark Matter Nature Mathematicians Debate the Hole Truth Science
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	Friday - March 7, 2008