Fermilab Today Announcements

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2013 standard mileage reimbursement rate
The Internal Revenue Service and the General Services Administration have issued the 2013 standard mileage reimbursement rate for non Government owned vehicles. It is 56.5 cents per mile, effective January 01.

Employees Save $10 at GiftTree.com
A Valentine's Day Value for Fermilab employees. From now until February 17, save $10 on a purchase of $50 or more for Valentine's Day at GiftTree.com Enter Code: VDAY10 at checkout. Expires 2/17. For more information contact Jeanne in the Wellness Office at jecker@fnal.gov or x2548.

Volunteer Engineers Needed To Judge Robotics Tournament This Saturday
Seeking willing engineers for this Saturday 2/2 to judge the Illinois Vex Robotics Championship at the Batavia Rotolo Middle School. Judges will spend the morning with experienced judges listening to 10 minute presentations by robotics high school teams. In the afternoon, judges will observe robot performance on the game field and meet with the judging team for evaluation. Additional information is available here: http://www.foxvalleyrobotics.com/vexregional and http://www.roboticseducation.org. Interested volunteers should contact Ron Karabowicz at rkarabowicz@bataviarobotics.com (630)879-1360 or (630)618-0637.

60% off Vaughan Athletic Center Memberships
The Vaughan Athletic Center, located at 2121 W. Indian Trail, Aurora, is offering discounted rates of 60% off. This full service facility offers more than 200 pieces of state-of-the-art strength and cardiovascular equipment, two running/walking tracks: 1/6 mile and 1/8 mile, a field house for basketball and volleyball, more than 90 group exercise classes, including aerobics, cycling, yoga and Pilates. The aquatic center features a water park, lap pool and therapy pool. If you are a current member or are interested in becoming a member contact Jeanne in the Wellness Office at x2548 or jecker@fnal.gov for more info. Free 3-day fitness passes for first-time visitors.

No On-Site Prescription Safety Eyewear 02/13
Attention Prescription Safety Eyewear Customers: Please be advised that the eye technician will not be on-site Wednesday, February the 13. Normal service will resume on Wednesday, February 20.

English country dancing Sundays, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10
English country dancing will meet this Sunday, Feb. 3, at Kuhn Village Barn. The program starts with dances for experienced dancers at 1 p.m., and dances for everyone from 2 to 5 p.m. Newcomers are always welcome. Newcomers are also especially invited to an afternoon aimed at providing basic instruction for those with little or no dance experience, on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 5 p.m., also at Kuhn Village Barn. Lovely recorded music will be used for both sessions, and there is no charge. Live music will grace the March 3 session, on Welsh dance. For more information, or to get on an email reminder list, contact folkdance@fnal.gov or (630)584-0825 or visit http://www.fnal.gov/orgs/folkdance/english/.

Employee art show applications - due Feb. 20
Employee Art Show intent applications are due 2/20. If you would like to participate in the Employee Art Show this needs to be filled out and sent to Georgia Schwender MS 232. The exhibit will be on display March 20-May 7. http://www.fnal.gov/pub/Art_Gallery/EmployeeArt2013.pdf.

FermiMail server maintenance on Thursday, Jan. 31, 6 - 6:30 a.m.
The Web, Unified Communications & Collaborations Services group will change some settings on the FermiMail servers on Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. in order to further reduce spam. This maintenance is expected to be transparent to users. If you encounter any problems, please contact the Service Desk..

Financial and procurement systems down Feb. 6-11
Fermilab will be upgrading to a major new release of the Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS), Release 12.1.3, which supports much of our budget, purchasing and financial operation. The system will be unavailable for entering reqs from Tuesday, Feb. 5 at noon until Monday, Feb. 11 at 8 a.m. Please plan accordingly for your procurement needs. Read full "In Brief" Fermilab Today article at http://www.fnal.gov/pub/today/archive/archive_2013/today13-01-25.html.

Fermilab Gallery Series - Dios no Choro (Brazilian Flute & Guitar)
A great Sunday afternoon concert on Feb. 24 in the 2nd Floor Art Gallery. Dios no Choro was formed in 1997. After hearing a CD of Brazilian flutist Altamiro Carrilho in 1995, classically trained (and Fulbright scholar) Julie Koidin, see more at www.juliekoidin.com began her interest in Brazilian choro music, a genre originating in the late 1800's, mixing African rhythms and European dance melodies. She met Paulinho Garcia, Chicago's best Brazilian guitarist/vocalist in 1997 and their duo was formed. He was named the 2010 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz. Concert starts at 2:30 p.m., and is followed by a reception. Tickets are $17, available by calling 840.ARTS or on-line at www.fnal.gov/culture.

Fermilab Lecture Series - Engineering Biology: Giving New Life to Materials for Energy, Electronics, the Environment and Medicine Dr. Angela Belcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Organisms have been making exquisite inorganic materials for over 500 million years. Although these have many desired physical properties such as strength, regularity, and environmental benign processing, the types of materials that organisms have evolved to work with are limited. There are many properties of living systems that could be potentially harnessed to make advanced technologies that are smarter, more adaptable, and synthesized to be compatible with the environment. On Feb. 22 at 8 pm, Angela Belcher, MIT, will address conditions under which organisms first evolved to make materials and scientific approaches to move past naturally evolved materials. For more information please visit www.fnal.gov/culture/ or 840-ARTS.

Service Desk web interface upgrade - January 31
The Service Desk web interface will be upgraded at noon on Thursday, January 31. The upgrade will take approximately one hour. During this time you may notice some degradation of service, but you may continue to use the Service Desk web interface. During the upgrade there will be a reboot which will cause the interface to be unavailable for a couple of minutes. At any time during the upgrade, you may use one of the other methods of contacting the Service Desk: Call (630)840-2345 or stop by Wilson Hall ground floor in person.

Budgeting Basics for 2013
Abri Credit Union (ACU) will be hosting a free webinar on basic budgeting. Certified Financial Counselors Judy Lightfoot and Maria Vazquez from ACU will talk about how to establish savings goals, review a monthly budget, why good credit is important and where you can go to get help. Join us on Wednesday, January 30 at 12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. (CDT) or on Saturday, February 2 at 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Choose a date and register online today at https://www.abricu.com/home/misc/webinar_budgeting_basics

Scottish country dancing Tuesday evenings in Kuhn Barn
Silk and Thistle Scottish Country Dancing meets every Tuesday evening from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in Kuhn Village Barn. Most dances are walked through and newcomers are always welcome. The group taught by Doug Jensen. More info at (630)840-8194 or (630)584-0825 or email folkdance@fnal.gov or visit http://www.fnal.gov/orgs/scottishdance/.

URA Visiting Scholars Program deadline - Feb. 25
Universities Research Association has announced a deadline of Feb. 25 for the submission of applications for the spring 2013 cycle of awards in the URA Visiting Scholars Program at Fermilab. Award recipients will be notified at the end of March. These awards provide financial support for faculty and students from URA's 85 member universities to work at Fermilab for periods of up to one year. URA makes two rounds of awards each year, in the spring and the fall. For more information, visit http://www.fnal.gov/pub/forphysicists/fellowships/ura_visiting_scholars/index.html.

January 2013 Float Holiday for Timecard Use
As in previous years, the 2013 Float Holiday will not be available for use on your January 2013 timecards. You will be able to select and use it beginning Feb. 1. If you plan on using your 2013 float holiday in January 2013 please e-mail the Payroll Manager at lsmith@fnal.gov before you complete your timecard.

Abri Credit Union- Member Appreciation
Thank you! We appreciate your business. Stop by the branch between Jan. 15 and Jan. 31 to enter to win a Chez Leon Gift Certificate. Drawing will be held Feb. 1. *One entry per member*.

UChicago panel discussion on Higgs discovery - Feb. 7
Last summer, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, announced the discovery of a new particle that could explain why elementary particles have mass. On February 7, join a panel of experts from the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab to learn why this discovery marks the beginning of a new era in particle physics research. Young-Kee Kim moderates. Panelists are Marcela Carena, Fermilab and UChicago; Tom LeCompte, Argonne; Patricia McBride, Fermilab; Mark Oreglia, UChicago. For more information please visit http://discoveryseries.sites.uchicago.edu/page/critical-mass-how-higgs-boson-discovery-swept-world.

2013 FRA scholarship applications accepted until April 1
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA) offers a number of four-year scholarships to children of regular full-time FRA employees. The scholarship award continues for a maximum of four years provided the student remains in a four-year undergraduate program and maintains satisfactory academic progress. The maximum scholarship award amount available for tuition and fees is $4,700 per year. Applications are being accepted through April 2nd for the 2013 FRA scholarship awards. For more information or to obtain an application please visit http://wdrs.fnal.gov/train-dev/FRA_scholarship.html If you have questions, contact Nicole Gee at x3697 or Nicole@fnal.gov.

Indoor Soccer
Indoor Soccer: 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at the gym in the Village. Gym membership is required. Please contact O’Sheg Oshinowo at Oshinowo@fnal.gov for more information.

International Folk Dancing Thursday evenings in Kuhn Barn
International Folk Dancing meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Kuhn Village Barn. There is instruction and dances for children and newer dancers early and request dancing later on. Newcomers are always welcome. Save the date of Saturday, March 2, for the group's special 25th Anniversary party! More info at 630-584-0825 or 630-840-8194 or email folkdance@fnal.gov.

Professional development courses
Interpersonal Communication Skills course offered in May
Increase your awareness of your communication skills and personality type and develop the skills for more productive work relationships. To enroll or for more information visit http://www-esh.fnal.gov/pls/default/schedule.show_course_details?cid=2865.

Fermilab Management Practices courses are now available for registration
The Professional Development Office has scheduled Fermilab Management Practices for this winter/spring. Please she the Professional Development website to enroll or for more infromaiton. http://wdrs.fnal.gov/train-dev/index.html

Employee discounts
Employee Discounts on AAA Membership
New discount for Fermilab employees! Save on AAA Membership, Auto and Home Insurance. AAA members $AVE at thousands of local and national hotels, restaurants and retailers. Membership discounts are effective now in IL, IN and WI…insurance discounts will be effective 2/1/13 in IL. To join AAA or get an insurance quote in Il (Code EP021), please contact Mike Weseen at 630-587-7700 x212 / mdweseen@aaachicago.com. WI employees, please contact Matt Staley at 847-258-0237 / mpstaley@aaachicago.com. Already a member of AAA, contact the agent for the state where you reside and ask him to apply the Fermilab group discount at your renewal! You may also contact AAA Customer Service at 1-888-203-2606.

USA Athletic Club and Spa (located behind Hampton Inn on I-88 & Orchard Rd., Aurora) offering a discounted membership. Offer expires 2/11/13. Open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Complimentary child care. Full service locker rooms w/sauna and steam rooms, 4 lane lap pool, therapy pool, Jacuzzi, full gym with basketball court, 3 group exercise studios, personal training and TRX suspension training, towel service, massage therapy, polar body age, 100 pcs. of cardio w/tv's and more. Enrollment fees waived. Single membership reduced from $59 to $49.95/mo. Couple membership reduced from $99 to $89.95/mo. Free personal training session ($65 value) with offer. Show Fermi I.D. For info call Jeanne, x2548.