Director's Awards Honor Staff Achievements

Six researchers in the Energy Technologies Area have been recognized in the annual Director's Awards, which applauds outstanding scientific contributions at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

Tom McKone received the Berkeley Lab Prize, a lifetime achievement award; Nihar Shah, a research scientist/engineer, received a societal impact award; and the Residential Ventilation Team—Woody Delp, Brennan Less, Brett Singer and Iain Walker—also received a societal impact award.

A total of 13 individuals and two groups have been presented with annual Director's Awards. The recipients are being recognized for their contributions in a wide variety of areas including operations, science, diversity, service, and societal impact. 

McKone, a mechanical senior scientist/engineer within the Environmental Analysis and Energy Impacts Division, was honored for "a lifetime of novel, integrated path-breaking research achievements in the field of Exposure Science that have enabled transformational solutions for environmental challenges and created advanced new tools for scientific discovery, as well as human health and safety."

Shah, an energy/environmental policy research scientist/engineer also in the Environmental Analysis and Energy Impacts Division, was recognized for his "visionary leadership and groundbreaking research on the co-benefits of increasing air-conditioning energy efficiency combined with the phaseout of hydroflourocarbons." His research contributed directly to changing the course of global environmental policy and unlocking millions of dollars in investment.

The Residential Ventilation Team was recognized for "scientific research and development of technologies, practices, and standards for residential ventilation that have made millions of homes healthier and more comfortable." 

The Director's Awards program recognizes significant achievements of Berkeley Lab employees. Each year, the awards are given for accomplishments, leadership, collaboration, multi-disciplinary science, cross-divisional projects and commitment to excellence in support of the Lab's mission and strategic goals.

Read more about the laureates and their accomplishments here: recognition.lbl.gov/laureates/. 

Full List of Awardees for 2019:

Diversity: Tom Gallant 

Early Scientific Career: Heather Crawford

Early Scientific Career: Ian Pong

Operations: ALS Smoke Exhaust System Rehabilitation Team of Ben Bolles, Benjamin Agas, Christopher Weyandt, Darrel Shaw, Gwojen Fung, John Clark, Nick Bartlett, Oren Rieger, Robert Alford, and Shawn Baird

Outreach: Romy Chakraborty

Outreach: Miaw-Sheue Tsai

Safety: Joe Saba

Scientific: Eric Esarey

Scientific: Len Pennacchio

Service: Tony Warwick

Service: Martha Condon

Societal Impact: Nihar Shah

Societal Impact: Boris Faybishenko

Societal Impact: Residential Ventilation Team of Woody Delp, Brennan Less, Brett Singer, and Iain Walker

Technology Transfer: Brett Helms