Jacobo Konigsberg passes CDF role to Giovanni Punzi

Giovanni Punzi

Members of the CDF collaboration have selected Giovanni Punzi, a scientist at INFN and the University of Pisa, as the next co-spokesperson for the experiment. Punzi took over for Jacobo Konigsberg, from University of Florida, on June 1.

Punzi serves as co-spokesperson alongside Rob Roser, a Fermilab scientist. Konigsberg, who served two consecutive two-year terms as co-spokesperson, did not run for re-election.

"Being CDF spokesperson has been a wonderfully exciting and productive journey," Konigsberg said. "This is a good moment to step down and a good opportunity for CDF to have renewed leadership."

Jacobo Konigsberg

Punzi, who has worked as a collaborator on CDF for almost 25 years, is excited about the role.

"This experiment is at the edge of achieving big results and making discoveries," Punzi said. "This is an extraordinary time to be a spokesperson."

Punzi looks forward to working with Roser to lead the collaboration and said he's ready to face the challenges that come with the position, including keeping up the collaboration's momentum and attaining the experiment's final goals.

"Giovanni is an excellent and experienced physicist and a good friend," Konigsberg said. "He will bring a fresh perspective and energy to CDF. The collaboration is in great hands."

Roser said that he'll miss Konigsberg's leadership and people skills, but is looking forward to working with Punzi.

"Jaco was one of the best co-spokespersons that the CDF collaboration has ever had. I think about one-third of all CDF publications were produced under Jaco's watch. He did a great job and left some pretty big shoes to fill," Roser said.

But, Roser said, Punzi does bring solid leadership experience to the role, most recently as the collaboration's b-group physics convener.

"I think Punzi's experiences complement mine nicely and we will make a strong team," Roser said. "I think the coming year will be a lot of fun."

-- Rhianna Wisniewski

Leon Lederman takes physics to Chicago streets

Leon Lederman may have grown up in New York, but he's called the Chicago area home for a longtime. Because of that, when news got out that he set up a table on 34th Street to let Manhattanites pose physics questions to him, the response was quick: We have to do that here.

With the help of the Chicago Council on Science and Technology, Lederman will again hit the streets for science, this time from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 6, in front of the Chicago Wrigley Building at 400 N. Michigan Ave.

Lederman has long been an advocate of science outreach and the need to make physics understandable to people outside of the field. Many of the biggest issues facing voters involve science and an understanding of how the world and nature work.

"I think it's important to let people on the street ask questions about physics," he said. "People need to have a grasp of what science is, what science can do for people and what science can't do for people."

While some may consider particle physics too esoteric to apply to current issues such as natural disasters, Lederman said that at their roots all problems come back to a need to understand how the world works.

"When we understand then we can protect ourselves from the harmful effects and enjoy the beauty," he said.

The New York "Ask a Nobel Laureate" drew mostly well thought out questions from a crowd of about 30. Lederman hopes to top that.

"Maybe we should hand out gum for good questions," he said with a devilish grin.

-- Tona Kunz