"Parney is extremely well qualified to assume responsibility for Global Security, an area of critical importance to our Laboratory as well as the country," Miller said. "He is internationally recognized for his homeland and national security acumen."

Albright has more than 20 years of experience in national security, holding positions in the federal government, federally funded research and development centers and the private sector. His responsibilities have ranged from research and development to conducting studies and analyses and senior leadership. He has worked in programs to counter terrorism, protect against weapons of mass destruction, protect U.S. borders, and perform systems analysis of space systems and ballistic and cruise missile defense systems.

Prior to joining the Lab Albright was at Civitas Group, a homeland security consulting group in Washington, DC. He served as an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security; Assistant Director in the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Senior Director in the Office of Homeland Security in the White House, and Program Manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Throughout his career he has served in a number of capacities, from a scientist designing and executing an experiment carried out by the crew of the space shuttle to developer and manager of programs associated with special operations, intelligence collection, molecular biology, and maritime operations; and as the leader of the team that created the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, developing its enabling legislation, organizational construct, multi-year strategic planning guidance, and ultimately overseeing budget execution.

Albright has extensive experience with interagency and congressional interactions, and was a frequent spokesperson for both the White House and DHS to the press on issues associated with science, technology, and weapons of mass destruction.

Albright has a bachelor's degree in physics and applied mathematics from George Washington University, and a master's and PhD in physics from the University of Maryland.

"With his educational background and broad experience, Parney has demonstrated wide-ranging managerial and scientific capabilities and knowledge that will be essential in effectively managing the wide range of functional areas in Global Security," Miller said. "I have confidence that he will enable the Global Security organization to continue to apply multi-disciplinary science and technology to anticipate, innovate and deliver responsive solutions to complex global security needs."

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (www.llnl.gov) is a national security laboratory that develops science and engineering technology and provides innovative solutions to our nation's most important challenges. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

"These distinguished scientists were chosen as 2009 Laboratory Fellows based on a very rigorous peer review process and honored for their considerable scientific accomplishments," said Terry Wallace, principal associate director for Science, Technology, and Engineering. "I am pleased to have such a distinguished class of Fellows for 2009 that reflects the diversity of top-notch scientific talent at Los Alamos National Laboratory."

Fellows play a continuing role in helping maintain the scientific excellence of the Laboratory. Fellows are often asked by the Laboratory director to assess issues and provide advice. As recognized leaders, Fellows are advocates for the continuing conduct of science at the Laboratory.

Toni Tayor leads the Laboratory's Materials Physics and Applications Division and is a pioneer in electromagnetic metamaterials as well as terahertz science and technology, and in applying coherent control techniques to ultrafast optics, which provide unique insight into condensed-matter physics. Taylor has made key contributions in the exploration of fundamental properties of superconductors through ultrafast techniques; made key demonstrations of exquisite control of phase and amplitude in ultrafast pulses leading to coherent control of propagation in fibers; and has contributed to novel metamaterial concepts leading to devices with unique dielectric properties. She has written or cowritten 250 publications, wrote two book chapters, edited three books,and has mentored 32 postdoctoral researchers. Taylor is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Optical Society of America.

Stephen Becker of the Laboratory's Applied Physics Division conducts research in astrophysics, weapons design, and intelligence assessment. His work has received nearly 1,200 citations. Becker has participated in several nuclear tests, leading the design effort on four. His understanding of thermonuclear weapons design and interpretation of radiochemical diagnostics is recognized by colleagues nationally and internationally. Becker has made major contributions to the Stockpile Stewardship program and has had a major impact on his scientific field through analysis of nuclear deterrence. He has advised both Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national labs on the complexities of the aging nuclear stockpile.

Lowell Brown of the Methods and Algorithms Group in the Applied Physics Division has made many contributions to physics, from quantum field theory, particle and nuclear physics, gravitation, and astrophysics, to cold atom traps and fully ionized plasmas. His research has spanned an era from the rise of ion beam science to current breakthroughs in nanoscience. Brown has 118 publications (7,049 citations) and his textbook on quantum field theory is quickly becoming a classic. He is an American Physical Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, was the editor in chief of Physical Review D, and was on the executive committee of the APS Division of Particles and Fields. He was a National Science Foundation postdoc, and a Guggenheim Fellow at CERN.

Patrick Colestock is leader in applied plasma physics for accelerator applications and trans-ionospheric sensing of the Laboratory's Space and Remote Sensing Group. He is an expert in basic and applied plasma physics, and the physics of intense charged-particle beams. Among his scientific accomplishments, he has made pioneering contributions to the historic cyclotron resonance heating experiments on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor and the Princeton Large Torus. He also helped optimize the performance of the Main Ring and Tevatron at Fermilab. He has 169 publications (4,363 citations). Colestock has testified before Congress on the future of fusion reactors and has served on several technical review panels of the National Science Foundation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel "Tom" Picraux is chief scientist of the Laboratory's Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies. Picraux is known internationally for use of energetic ion beams for the characterization of materials, as well as for his advances in surface processing and epitaxy. Using his quantitative ion beam analysis developments, Picraux and his group pioneered the use of surface probes of the plasma edge to diagnose conditions in the U.S. and European tokamak experiments in fusion energy. Picraux and his colleagues pioneered the field of ion implantation metallurgy, creating a standard process for fabrication in the semiconductor industry.

A 1990 E.O. Lawrence Award recipient for his developments in ion-challenging and related ion-beam techniques for materials characterization, Picraux has more than 250 publications (6,500 citations). He coauthored one book and edited six others. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and the Materials Research Society.

About Los Alamos National Laboratory (www.lanl.gov)

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

Commenting on today's news, QinetiQ's Chairman, Sir John Chisholm said "I would like to thank Graham not only for his leadership over the last four successful years as Chief Executive Officer, but also for the part he has played in QinetiQ's creation from the time he joined as Chief Financial Officer of the Defence Research Agency in 1992. Graham has played a key role in QinetiQ's success to date and particularly its expansion into North America, which is now a significant part of the Group. On behalf of the Board I would like to wish him every success for the future. "

"Back in June 2009 we announced that Mark Elliott will succeed me as Chairman at our next AGM as QinetiQ moves into the next stage of its evolution. Both Mark and I welcome Leo to the company. He has an excellent leadership record with customers, employees and investors. The Board looks forward to working with Leo to further accelerate the success and growth of the Group."

Commenting on his departure Graham Love said; "I am delighted to have played a role in the evolution of a great company, and privileged to have worked with an outstanding group of colleagues. QinetiQ has tremendous opportunities ahead of it and I wish the team every success as its journey continues."

During his tenure at LLNL, Dr. Davis and his team built the most advanced and widely used accelerator mass spectrometry lab in the world. Dr. Davis has authored more than 80 publications and has been granted numerous patents. He participated in two UN weapons inspections of Iraq in 1991, and briefed the UN Security Council on his findings. For his contributions to national security as founding Director of the DTRA, he was twice awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Department of Defense's highest civilian award. Dr. Davis has also served on the Board of ANSER Corporation, as chair of the review committee for the Los Alamos nuclear weapons program, and as a member of the University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Davis received his BA in Physics from the University of Texas (1963), his MA in Physics from the University of Texas (1964), and his PhD in Physics from the University of Wisconsin (1969). He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

"Jay Davis's diverse talents are well suited for the challenge of identifying and cultivating the innovative minds who receive Hertz Foundation Fellowships and of managing this important organization," stated David J. Galas, PhD, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hertz Foundation. "Jay's leadership will undoubtedly build on the legacy of Hertz Fellows who provide our nation's businesses, its government and its academic institutions with many of the country's top talent from the applied sciences and engineering fields."
Elected on Thursday, October 23rd by the Board of Directors of the Hertz Foundation, Dr. Davis succeeds John F. Holzrichter, PhD, who retired from the position of President to which he was first elected in 1999. Dr. Holzrichter will remain active building partnerships with business, government and educational institutions.

"John Holzrichter's leadership skills helped the Hertz Foundation successfully navigate a transition from a private foundation to a public charity over the last decade. We are better positioned as a Foundation today than we were in 1999," stated John C. Browne, PhD, a member of the Board of Directors of the Hertz Foundation. "Thanks to John's efforts, we have created a more vibrant community of current and past Fellows, raised new monies to support our future efforts, and developed strategic plans that will guide us in years to come."

"John Holzrichter successfully guided the Hertz Foundation through the most difficult decade in its history and built a new, dynamic entity in the process. His fund raising activities have yielded millions of dollars in funding for the Foundation and they have established a structure for continued charitable support," stated Richard B. Miles, PhD, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hertz Foundation.

ABOUT THE HERTZ FOUNDATION

The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation is one of the nation's leading non-profit organizations focused on empowering innovative young scientists and engineers. Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has identified over 1,095 promising applied scientists and engineers with the potential to change the world for the better and has supported their doctoral research by providing the nation's most generous applied science and engineering PhD Fellowships. Valued at over $250,000, Hertz Fellowships are unique no-strings-attached fellowships allowing exceptional applied scientists and engineers the freedom to pursue their own ideas with financial independence under the guidance of the finest professors at the country's top universities. The highly competitive selection process includes a comprehensive application, four references, and two rounds of exacting interviews by recognized leaders in applied science and engineering. More information on the Hertz Foundation can be found at www.hertzfoundation.org.

Street's pioneering work at PARC in the early 1990s led to the development of flat-panel digital X-ray detectors, a commercially-available technology that has replaced traditional film X-ray machines for many medical applications.

The secret to Street's flat-panel digital X-ray detector is a dense glass-like material known as amorphous silicon that can be vacuum deposited onto surfaces and formed into electronic devices. Today, it is a standard material used in the manufacture of $100 billion dollars worth of electronics sold each year — devices like laptop displays and flat panel TV sets.

In the 1980s, the material was just starting to find its way into electronics, and Street spent much of that decade studying the basic properties of this material. In the mid-1980s, a PARC team designed a new sensor array for a photocopier and printer based on amorphous silicon.

Street soon realized that a similar sensor array using the same material might be able to detect X-rays and capture images of the human body completely electronically. By the early 1990s, he and his colleagues had worked out many of the technological hurdles necessary to do so.

"We went ahead and made the first X-ray imaging device," Street says. He recalls that he never doubted whether such a detector could be built. The only question was whether the device would be effective in a clinical setting, and could be manufactured with the reliability needed for a medical device.

Early tests showed promise, and in 1996, PARC spun off a start-up company called dpiX, Inc. that began commercializing this digital X-ray technology, which has since become a large and growing segment of the medical imaging industry.

To take just a single example of how digital X-ray technology is impacting medicine, about half of all mammography systems in the United States today are digital — up from about a third just a year ago. This growth has come in part because the results of a large study comparing digital with film mammography involving 50,000 women showed in 2005 that the diagnostic accuracy of digital is just as good as film overall.

Though digital systems tend to be more expensive, they offer significant advantages in terms of image quality and electronic storage and manipulation. Moreover, digital systems have proven more accurate at diagnosing breast cancer in women under the age of 50, women with dense breasts, and premenopausal or perimenopausal women.

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Robert Street received a Ph.D. in 1971 from Cambridge University for work on the physics of chalcogenide glasses. He was a postdoc at Sheffield University, and then a visiting scientist to the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. He joined PARC in 1976, where he is now a Senior Research Fellow. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society.

His current research explores finding novel low-cost and large-area electronics for applications ranging from new flat panel displays to radiation sensors. Projects he has been involved with in recent years include ink-jet printing of organic electronic devices, constructing flexible electronic displays, developing technology for truck-size scanners for homeland security, and researching new solar cell structures. As of 2009, Street is the author of about 400 papers, several books and book chapters, and 60 patents.

Street and his wife live in Palo Alto, CA. They have two grown children and one grandchild.

He will receive his prize at an awards ceremony and reception beginning at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 in Ballrooms A2-7 of the San Jose Convention Center. The ceremony is part of the AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition, which convenes from November 8-13 in San Jose, CA. See: http://www2.avs.org/symposium/

ABOUT THE PRIZE

Established in 1977, the Prize for Industrial Applications of Physics recognizes outstanding contributions by an individual or individuals to the industrial applications of physics. The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Corporate Associates and the American Physical Society (APS) alternate in co-sponsoring this $10,000 award with General Motors. Where the AIP award recognizes scientists who have developed proven technologies, the APS award recognizes research that has excellent potential for future success. For more information, see: http://www.aip.org/industry/prize/

ABOUT AIP

The American Institute of Physics is a federation of 10 physical science societies representing more than 135,000 scientists, engineers, and educators and is one of the world's largest publishers of scientific information in physics. Offering full-solution publishing services for scientific societies and for similar organizations in science and engineering, AIP pursues innovation in scholarly journal publishing. AIP publishes 12 journals (some of which are the most highly cited in their respective fields); two magazines, including its flagship publication Physics Today; and the AIP Conference Proceedings. Its online publishing platform Scitation hosts nearly two million articles from more than 185 scholarly journals and other publications of 28 learned society publishers. See: http://www.aip.org .

As project technical director, Prudom will create and lead an Overall Program Integrated Project Team that will oversee and direct technical activities across the Piketon, Ohio, and Oak Ridge, Tenn., sites. In addition, he will develop integrated processes for control of engineering activities across the project such as configuration control of the plant and the centrifuge machines.

Prudom worked for more than 30 years in the Naval Reactors Program operated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy, including 20 years as director of the Nuclear Components Division, where he was responsible for all aspects of nuclear components needed to meet the Navy's needs. He has worked with USEC on the American Centrifuge Project since 2005. Prudom holds both a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Louisville.

USEC Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

The award and $300,000 grant recognizes Dr. O'Sullivan's contributions to astronomy and to the invention which made wireless computing fast and reliable.

Then in 1992, he and his colleagues at CSIRO realized that the same technology was the key to fast reliable wireless networking in the office and home.

Their patented invention is now built into international standards and into computers, printers, smart phones and other devices used by hundreds of millions of people every day.

It's one of the most significant achievements in CSIRO's 83 year history and illustrates how blue sky research can have very practical outcomes.

Professor O'Sullivan is now working on the design of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder telescope — a step towards the giant Square Kilometre Array which will be able to look back 13 billion years, almost to the Big Bang.

The citation for Dr. O'Sullivan is available online at www.scienceinpublic.com.au along with photos and further background.
information.

Herron previously was the U.S. ITER's senior manager for project controls. Like Strawbridge, she also worked on the SNS, a $1.4 billion science project that was completed within budget and ahead of schedule.

The announcement by the U.S. ITER Project Office said she has more than 30 years of diverse experience working on Dept. of Energy and industry programs.

The United States is working on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Project with the People's Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.

The experimental fusion device is being built at Cadarache, France.

Here's the project description:

"The ITER Project is an international collaboration of scientists and engineers with the mission of designing and constructing a burning plasma experiment to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power. The goal is to produce fusion power that would be at least ten times greater than the external power delivered to heat the plasma."

Herron holds a B.S. in mathematics and an M.S. in industrial and systems engineering, both from Ohio University.

In most everyday materials, including metals and silicon, electrons behave just like other particles with mass — for example, their velocity depends on their energy.

Recently, scientists have discovered a new class of materials — including graphene and topological insulators — whose electrons behave more like massless particles such as neutrinos or photons rather than electrons. Electrons in these materials are described by putting Albert Einstein's special relativity and quantum mechanics together. "This grant is going to allow me to perform experiments to characterize and explore the fascinating behavior of electrons in these materials," says Jarillo-Herrero.

Graphene, a single layer sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a lattice, was discovered in 2004, and the first known topological insulator, an alloy of bismuth and antimony, was reported in 2007.

These new materials also exhibit high electron mobility, raising hopes that they could lead to smaller, faster computer chips, potentially replacing silicon.

While graphene is a two-dimensional example of this kind of material, topological insulators have three dimensions. A thin surface layer that exhibits the same relativistic quantum behavior seen in graphene coats an insulating interior. The electrons in the surface are insensitive to any impurities added to the surface, making topological insulators potential candidates for quantum bits, which could be used to build a robust quantum computer.

"You could, theoretically and hopefully experimentally, do quantum operations not affected by the environment," says Jarillo-Herrero, who is one of 16 recipients of this year's Packard Fellowships.

The Packard grants are similar to the MacArthur Fellowships — also known as "genius" grants — in that the funding is unrestricted: the recipients may use it as they choose. But while the MacArthur grants are shrouded in secrecy, the Packard fellows are nominated by the presidents of 50 universities that participate in the Packard Fellowship program.

MIT alumni Kevin Janes PhD '05 and Peter Huybers SM '02, PhD '04 also won Packard Fellowships this year.

Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (news : web)