November 6, 2009

A Note From Steve Dierker

Introducing Light Source eNews

Welcome to the first edition of Light Source eNews. In the months to come, you will see a gradual transition in content and design to a publication that I hope will allow us to communicate more effectively with our multiple audiences. To help us assess your interests, I invite you to participate in a survey, introduced later in this issue by eNews editor Kendra Snyder.

Our user community and off-site readers of this publication may not be aware of a serious incident at the NSLS-II construction site. On September 30, a contractor was struck by a load of rebar steel, resulting in a compound fracture of his lower right leg below the knee. Fortunately, his surgery went well and he is expected to make a full recovery. Many of us in the directorate and beyond are fully engaged in responding to this event. Please read the report in this issue by Steve Hoey detailing the investigation and our actions to date. I expect all of you to share my belief that safety comes first on the NSLS-II construction site, at the NSLS, and across the entire Laboratory.

Senior management within the Light Sources Directorate has been developing a strategic plan for the directorate, with input from other senior managers across the Laboratory and from the BSA Science and Technology Steering Committee. This plan describes the path that we will pursue over the next decade to achieve our vision of being a provider of choice for world-class photon science and facilities. This strategic plan is a living document that will be updated as needed. I will share this first version of it at an upcoming all-hands meeting of the directorate and at other occasions when we come together for discussions.

Thank you to those who submitted nominations for the Science Advisory Committee. After considering all input, we have put together a list of potential members and are now in the process of inviting people to serve on the SAC.

Finally, here is an important date to mark on your calendar: The joint NSLS/CFN users' meeting is now set for May 24-26, 2010.