Several Biosciences Area personnel are among the 2017 Berkeley Lab Director’s Awards honorees. This annual program recognizes outstanding contributions by employees to all facets of Lab activities. (A complete list of winners can be found here.)
Patrick Shih, a postdoctoral fellow in the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology ( EGSB) Division at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), received an award for Exceptional Early Scientific Career Achievement for his work in the fields of plant biology, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering related to energy, sustainability, and human health.
Margaret Torn, a scientist in the Earth & Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) with a secondary affiliation in EGSB, received an award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement for designing powerful experiments in California and Alaska that employed novel, multi-scale observing systems under challenging field conditions to document unexpectedly large soil CO2 and CH4 production in response to climate signals.
Irina Silva, Communications & Outreach Manager at JBEI, received an award for Exceptional Achievement in Diversity for her efforts to connect Berkeley Lab science and scientists with local young people to help train a future scientific workforce that truly represents the diversity of the Bay Area.
Ray Turner, Deputy of Operations at the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), received an award for Exceptional Achievement in Operations in recognition of his tireless efforts to ensure JGI’s integration into the Biosciences Area, recruit a new JGI Director, and work toward the co-localization of JGI and KBase at the Integrative Genomics Building (IGB), currently under construction.
Christine Naca, a Project Manager and Industrial Engineer at JGI, received an award for Exceptional Achievement in Safety for playing a key leadership role in building JGI’s outstanding safety culture, incorporating significant safety and ergonomic improvements into the design of the IGB, leadership of the volunteer JGI Safety and Wellness (SWELL) Team, organizing the annual JGI SWELL Fair, and managing JGI’s first site wide cleanup event.
A ceremony honoring all of the 2017 recipients will be held at 3 pm on November 30 in the Building 50 Auditorium and will be streamed live.
