"I immediately thought of Ben," said Erbacher, who was a Fermilab research associate when she began overseeing the CDF articles for the column in February 2004. "It requires someone who can pay attention to the physics output, who's articulate, who can look at the big picture, try to put things into plain English and can handle lots of email." Kilminster, a CDF researcher and a postdoc from The Ohio State University, began Result of the Week duties in May by editing submissions from Fermilab scientists, communicating with groups of researchers and attempting to keep up with the hundreds of experiment analyses in progress.

One of the most challenging aspects of the job is transforming in-depth analyses to just a few hundred words, said Erbacher. "As physicists, we love the details," she said. "But you just have to take a step back and say, 'OK, what's the big picture, what's the future, how does this affect particle physics?'"

In the future, Result of the Week readers can expect updates on important measurements, Kilminster said. He said many of his nights and weekends are spent preparing for the next week's edition, but like the scientific outcomes he posts, the articles are worth it. "The great thing is there's some pride in it," he said. "It allows physicists to show off their results and attach their faces and names."
—Kendra Snyder

Attendees at the PRAGMA 8 Workshop in Singapore. Image Courtesy of Kenny Hoi, Bioinformatics Institute, Singapore.

"In the last ten years, enough physical and social infrastructures have been put in place to support true international collaboration," said Peter Arzberger, chair of the PRAGMA Steering Committee. "Instead of a series of bilateral relationships, we wanted to do things in a multilateral fashion."

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AURORA, Ill.- Aurora University submitted a proposal on Friday to purchase Yerkes Observatory and the surrounding acreage and buildings located in Williams Bay, Wis., owned by the University of Chicago.

"Our goal is to maximize the long-term educational use of one of America’s significant scientific icons and to preserve its physical structure and heritage," said Rebecca L. Sherrick, president of Aurora University.

"We are very conscious of the genuine pride that local residents take in Yerkes and the lake community’s dedication to responsible development and careful stewardship of the environment," Sherrick said. "The university’s plan is to balance the preservation and conservation of the land and the facility, while at the same time meeting the needs of Aurora University and the local community."

The proposal submitted by the university calls for purchasing a 79-acre parcel of land, including the Yerkes Observatory and telescope, as well as supporting structures. The observatory and 40 acres of land is located adjacent to the George Williams Campus of Aurora University in Williams Bay.

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