LLNS ANNOUNCES KIM BUDIL NEW LLNL DIRECTOR

 

Laboratory colleagues:

It is our pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Kimberly (Kim) Budil as President of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) and the 13th Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), effective March 2, 2021. The selection of the Laboratory director is one of the most important responsibilities of the University of California (UC) and the LLNS Board of Governors. Dr. Budil’s appointment has received the unanimous approval of the LLNS Executive Committee and the concurrence of the Secretary of Energy, NNSA Administrator and UC President. Dr. Budil will be the first woman to lead the Laboratory.

Dr. Budil has a long career at LLNL and the University of California. She currently leads LLNL’s nuclear weapons program as the Principal Associate Director for Weapons & Complex Integration (WCI). She joined LLNL as a graduate student in Laser Programs in 1987 and became a postdoc in the weapons program in 1994. Over her career, she has held roles of increasing management responsibility across LLNL programs including WCI, Global Security, National Ignition Facility and Physical and Life Sciences. She has twice served as a detailee in Washington, D.C., first at NNSA Office of Defense Science and then as a senior adviser to the Under Secretary for Science. She also has served as the vice president for national laboratories in the UC Office of the President, where she was responsible for the governance and oversight of the three UC-affiliated national laboratories and served on the LLNS Boards of Governors. She received her Ph.D. in engineering/applied science from the University of California, Davis in 1994 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1987. She has received numerous awards, including being named a 2019 fellow of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Budil’s appointment comes after a rigorous, competitive, national search led by the University of California that resulted in the review and consideration of a broad and diverse array of candidates. Laboratory employees participated on the Search Committee and Screening Task Force. Their hard work and commitment to this search process is greatly appreciated.

We strongly believe that Dr. Budil is the best person to lead LLNL at this time, and she will continue to champion the Laboratory’s outstanding contributions to its national security missions into the future.

Please join us in thanking Bill Goldstein for his dedicated service as LLNL director for the past 7 years. We wish him all the best in his retirement. We welcome Dr. Budil as the new LLNL Director and LLNS President.

Sincerely,
Charlene Zettel
Chair, LLNS Board of Governors
University of California Board of Regents

Almost nothing on NNSA or weapons work

 I listened to Gov Granholm's hearing this morning. Almost nothing on NNSA or weapons work. An excerpt from her submitted statement on energy.senate.gov

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"Chairman Murkowski, Ranking Member Manchin, and distinguished members of the Committee.
Thank you for holding this hearing so expeditiously...

A little about me — I was brought to this country from Canada at four years old by parents seeking economic opportunity. As I mentioned when I was nominated, my parents both had only high school degrees. My dad was born into dire poverty, in a cabin with no running water in a rural part of Canada. My dad’s father shot and killed himself out of desperation during the Great Depression because he could not find work to support my grandmother and their three children. My dad was three years old. I bring to this role the sincere belief that we, in America, cannot leave our people behind.

I’d like to share a bit about the focus I will bring to the Department of Energy if I am confirmed.

I will focus on three missions: first, the security of America through the National Nuclear Security Administration and clean-up of our Cold War legacy, ensuring that we can protect our nation. Second, supporting the amazing scientific work being done at the DOE’s 17 National Labs and other facilities across the country, including on climate change and emissions reductions. And third, taking that research to scale, deploying it to create jobs for Americans.

It’s that last point that I want to pause on for a moment. I believe that I was nominated by the President because I am obsessed with creating good paying jobs in America. Having been the governor of Michigan when the automotive industry was on its knees, I understand what it’s like to look in the eyes of men and women who have lost jobs through no fault of their own...

... if confirmed, I look forward to working with you to bring good paying jobs to every state, and to make sure that no worker gets left behind.

I’m happy to take your questions."

1/27/2021 10:40 AM

Question

 What happens to LLNS employees that speak out about diversity disparities that are not formally endorsed by LLNS corporate?

Granholm should take a realistic approach at DOE

 https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/536078-granholm-should-take-a-realistic-measured-approach-at-energy

Amnesty for PRC ties?

 Very subtle article that uses unsubstantiated accusations of racism to allow the Chinese to continue spying in this country. It advocates the amnesty for PRC ties. The real agenda is to stop the counterintelligence effort against the PRC spying and infiltration of US universities.

https://supchina.com/2021/01/26/gang-chens-case-should-be-the-end-of-the-dojs-china-initiative/

No security clearances for Qanon believers

 Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) , former Pentagon official, quickly drew up a bill designed to block QAnon believers, and other conspiracy followers, from obtaining the security clearances required to access classified federal government information.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/dems-new-bill-aims-to-bar-qanon-followers-from-security-clearances

DOJ Considers Amnesty

 Any researchers who took money from China with disclosing it or ok now.

DOJ Considers Amnesty for Foreign Funding Disclosures

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2021/01/25/doj-considers-amnesty-foreign-funding-disclosures

Officials at the Department of Justice are considering a proposed amnesty program through which academics could disclose past foreign funding without fear of punishment, The Wall Street Journal reported. Discussion of such an amnesty program comes in the context of a crackdown on researchers accused of hiding funding or affiliations involving Chinese sources. The Justice Department has brought more than a dozen criminal cases since mid-2019 against academics accused of lying about Chinese government funding or affiliations with the Chinese military, with some of those cases resulting in guilty pleas.

Now there is huge sigh or relief for lots of people. I would also bet the all current cases that have been prosecuted in the last 2 years are all going to be dropped.

Nuclear Weapons are now illegal !!

https://losalamosreporter.com/2021/01/23/ban-treaty-nuclear-weapons-are-new-illegal/

January 22, 2021 will go down in history as the day when the tide turned against nuclear weapons. That’s the day when the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons went into effect, signed by 122 countries. It specifically prohibits nations from developing, testing, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons and assisting others in doing so. It reinforces existing international law obligating all states not to test, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons.

Memberships don't matter

 It would be interesting to see a discussion of people's thoughts relative to security clearances and the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt. At LANL I have seen a few vehicles with "three percenter" stickers on them, and I know of a couple of people that talk as if they are in "oath keepers". Several media outlets report that both organizations had members that participated in the insurrection attempt.

I've never known of anyone that had their clearance denied or revoked due to membership in a radical left or radical right organization, and I believe most people that are interviewed as part of the clearance process (for acquaintances) know that the interview reports are available to the person under investigation. Hence I suspect that there is generally a reluctance to "out" someone for being a member of a radical organization.

Verdon, gone soon?

 I’m hoping Verdon is gone soon.

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/nuclear-arsenal/2021/01/21/biden-keeps-trump-appointee-as-acting-nuclear-weapons-chief/

NNSA under Biden

 Incoming S-1 Granholm and Pres Biden seem to want DOE to focus on energy and climate science as opposed to nuclear weapons. It will be interesting during upcoming Senate confirmation hearings to get her position on the idea of moving NNSA to DOD.

A possible proposal I recently heard was to keep any NNSA site/activity that is 75% or more dedicated to weapons work within NNSA and then move the whole thing to DOD. That would mean Y-12, Pantex, Nevada Site, KCP, SRS, Naval Nuclear, and LANL pit production facilities go to DOD with NNSA... while LANL, LLNL and SNL stay with DOE in a reconstituted Office of Defense Program.

Clearly this would take Congressional actions to amend and revise the law that created the NNSA, but if any administration is going to try, this would be the one.

What is likely to change?

 Looking back to 2007, did the contract with LLNS provide a value added to our DOE/NNSA missions or a setback compared to the UC/LLNL contract? What will likely change in the next contract to manage LLNL?

MIT Professor Arrested

 MIT Professor Arrested and Charged with Grant Fraud for Failing to Disclose Work For Chinese Government

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/01/mit-professor-arrested-charged-grant-fraud-failing-disclose-work-chinese-government/

There has been a series of arrest of US scientists working with the Chinese including people at LANL. This is just the latest one. Of course one could ask if this is going to end with the new administration.

Generals denounce failed coup

 Top US Military Leads Condemn Failed Capital Coup, while Sec of Energy stays Silent.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/01/12/unprecedented-joint-letter-top-generals-denounce-us-capitol-riot.html

The country's top military leaders have taken the unprecedented step of calling out last week's storming of the U.S. Capitol as inconsistent with the U.S. rule of law and a direct assault on the American way of life.

In a one-page memo to all U.S. troops, the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the entire military force that President-elect Joe Biden will be their next commander in chief. All service members, they added, "must embody the values and ideals of the nation."

"The violent riot in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process," the general and flag officers said. "We mourn the deaths of the two Capitol policemen and others connected to these unprecedented events."

"We witnessed actions inside the Capitol building that were inconsistent with the rule of law. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection."

It was signed by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley; Vice Chairman Air Force Gen. John Hyten; Army Chief of Staff James McConville; Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown; Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. John Raymond; and National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson.

Bookless resigns

 Bill Bookless resigned yesterday

Can the Labs fire you?

 Ok, just asking for a friend, but can the labs discipline you or fire you if you took part in the Trump rally on Wed in DC? I mean that if the person just attend but did break in the capital building or anything? Could or should you at least lose your clearance? Also what if you expressed support for the rally. Maybe the labs need to start looking into what their employees have been saying on facebook, twitter, ect. One thing is that Congress could say, "unless you clean up your workforce we are not giving you any money."

Ready to discuss the role of basic science

 Perhaps it's a fools errand to attempt to commence a constructive discussion on the role of basic science in the NNSA nuclear security complex in this forum. But, hey -- hope springs eternal. Or: -- I'm a glutton for punishment.

This article by Simmons & West is an interview with Pete Carruthers. I'll hold-off on giving my thoughts until others have posted.

https://library.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/getfile?02-10.pdf

So, here goes (>gulp<): what do you think?

Do you have this?

 If anyone has this in it's entirety, please post.

https://www.exchangemonitor.com/stratcom-commander-met-biden-transition-team-worries-weapons-complex/

New admin and NNSA labs

 Now that the Dems have control of house, Senate and Executive branch will it have any effect on the NNSA labs?

LANL jobs

 Anyone, any idea why all jobs at LANL are external only?

No jobs advertised for internal moves

Korean artificial sun sets new world record

 Korean artificial sun sets the new world record of 20-sec-long operation at 100 million degrees

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-korean-artificial-sun-world-sec-long.html

LANL may get a boost

 https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2020/12/31/los-alamos-national-laboratory-get-hefty-funding-nuclear-work/4092612001/

LANL could get almost a billion dollars more if the bill goes through.

The question is will this all just get cut in years time or is this going to continue? The Los Alamos study group will not be happy.

It is odd that America is going broke cannot spend enough money on Covid yet we are going to spend 3 billion on Los Alamos when Savanah River could easily do the work.