SLAC Today is available online at:
http://today.slac.stanford.edu

In this issue:
First Electrons Stream Through the LCLS
SLAC Colloquium: What to fix in California Education?
Two Holiday Charity Drives Continue this Week
From the Director of Human Resources: E‑Verify Implementation

SLAC Today

Monday - December 15, 2008

First Electrons Stream Through the LCLS

(Photo - the LCLS team in the control room)
 Teams of physicists and technicians worked throughout the day on Saturday to take the first beams of electrons all the way through the LCLS to the beam dump. (Photo by Brad Plummer. Click for larger image.)

On Saturday afternoon, a series of electron beams zipped down the full length of the Linac Coherent Light Source for the first time. In an exciting round of first-ever tests, bunches of electrons traveling very close to the speed of light traveled from the injector, down the final third of SLAC's linac into the Beam Transport Hall and through the Undulator Hall, ending their journey in the electron beam dump.

The first shot of electrons tripped an improperly configured shut-off monitor in the beam transport hall and caused a five hour delay. But once the situation was rectified, subsequent attempts to reach the beginning of the undulator section took only 10 minutes. Once final preparations were made to complete the test and send the beam into and through the undulator hall, the beam reached its target in only two shots, confirming the predictions of Paul Emma, head of the LCLS accelerator physics group. The control room erupted in cheers.

"This is a major milestone, and one that we've been working toward for quite some time," said lab Director Persis Drell. "Congratulations to everyone who made this test a success. I'm looking forward to the start of LCLS operations next year!"  Read more...

Colloquium Monday

What to fix in California Education?

(Kenji Hakuta)Today at 4:15 p.m., Stanford Professor of Education Kenji Hakuta will present "What to fix in California Education?" Hakuta's research focuses on education policy and practice, especially as they pertain to language minority students.

California's education system is performing poorly, Hakuta says, particularly for English language learners, who comprise more than 25% of students statewide. Hakuta's talk will address these challenges, and also afford a window into the larger problems of reforming K-12 education in California and nationally. 

The colloquium will take place in Panofsky Auditorium and is open to the public.

Two Holiday Charity Drives Ongoing this Week

There is still time to give—two SLAC charity drives continue into this week. The blankets and coats drive will wrap up this Wednesday, December 17. The Second Harvest food drive will continue through Friday. Please see the announcements for details:

Coats and blankets drive

Second Harvest food drive

Family Giving Tree gifts 2008
The Family Giving Tree drive, which ended last Friday, provided nearly 100 gifts for children. (Photo courtesy of Thanh Ly. Click for larger image.)

From the Director of Human Resources: E‑Verify Implementation

In January, an Executive Order will require SLAC to re-verify employment eligibility documents for all employees hired on or after November 6, 1986, through the E-Verify system. E-Verify is a database for entering I-9 form data. It is connected to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and Social Security Administration databases.

What does this mean to you?

This federal mandate will require the Human Resources department to review the I-9 forms used to verify employment status of all employees hired in the last 22 years, and update any document that has expired. This will affect many current employees, who will be required to produce current documents to verify their employment eligibility. HR will input employees' updated document numbers into the E-Verify database, and obtain a verification number from the E-Verify system.

What can you do now?

Once this process begins in January, Social Security and USCIS services will be inundated with requests for documentation. However, over the winter break, these offices will be available.

Things you can do to prepare include:

1) Locate your I-9 documents. Options are listed on page 3 of this document.

2) Report any legal name changes and changes in marital status to the Social Security Administration. (Non-U.S. citizens need to notify the USCIS.)

3) Report changes in citizenship status to the Social Security Administration.

Further information will be provided in January. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Mongetta.

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