May 19, 2008

UEC Community Service Awards go to Jingzhu Hu, Randy Smith

The NSLS User Executive Committee (UEC) gave out two Community Service Awards this year: one to Stony Brook University’s Jingzhu Hu and the other to NSLS science associate Randy Smith. The awards are given for service, innovation, and dedication to users of the NSLS.

Dan Fischer (middle) presents the UEC Community Service Award to Randy Smith (left) and Jingzhu Hu.

Hu has been a beamline scientist for 18 years, first employed by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, then by the University of Chicago, and most recently, by Stony Brook University. During that time, she has developed and managed beamline X17C, a dedicated high-pressure x-ray diffraction beamline for earth science and materials science research. As a beamline scientist, Hu helps NSLS users set up and run their experiments using a diamond anvil cell, a device consisting of two opposing cone-shaped diamonds that exert extreme pressure on a material when squeezed together, in some cases, mimicking conditions found in the Earth’s core.

Said one user during the nomination process: “Over the last 15 years, every single time I have been at X17C, Jingzhu has given 100 percent of herself to help ensure that my experiments worked. She seemed to live at the synchrotron. When problems that I couldn’t deal with popped up, whether at 9 a.m. or 9 p.m., Jingzhu was there to help us overcome them.”

Hu received her Ph.D. in high-pressure physics from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). She then completed a postdoctoral position at Colorado State University and returned to CAS as an associate researcher and professor before joining the NSLS in 1990.

Smith has worked at the NSLS for five years, also providing dedicated support for numerous NSLS experimenters and beamlines. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1998 from Olivet Nazarene University while working at Reedy Scientific Instruments. In 2001, he obtained his master’s degree in chemistry from Washington State University. Smith then worked as a technical support engineer at American Xtal Technology, Inc., in Fremont, CA, before joining the NSLS in 2003.

As a science associate in the User Division, Smith contributes to the development of beamline instrumentation and oversees general improvements on several beamlines. He also serves as local contact for beamlines U10 and X27A, where he instructs visiting scientists on beamline operation and provides support for experiment setup.

“Randy’s talent, creativity, and cheerful personality keep the infrared and x-ray fluorescence microprobe users productive at the NSLS by helping with all aspects of the experiment and providing a positive beam time experience,” said one of the users who nominated Smith. “If the NSLS could clone Randy for every beamline, we would.”

Hu and Smith received their awards at the Joint NSLS and Center for Functional Nanomaterials Users’ Meeting banquet on May 20, where they were given $250 gift certificates. Their names also will be engraved on the plaque displayed in the NSLS lobby.