Holmes passes baton, welcomes Henderson

Stuart Henderson (left) recently replaced Steve Holmes as the associate director for accelerators. Holmes is now the project manager for the proposed Project X.

Stuart Henderson, Fermilab's new associate director for accelerators, has hit the ground running. Henderson, who started at the laboratory on Aug. 16, has already attended two reviews and has spent the remainder of his time getting acquainted with the laboratory and its employees and users.

"I'm really excited to get started," Henderson said. "I'm working hard to get my hands around what is happening now."

Henderson is responsible for all accelerator operations and accelerator science and technology research and development. He also oversees construction and support for all new accelerator facilities. He replaces Steve Holmes in those responsibilities and as the direct line manager for the Accelerator Division, Technical Division and Accelerator Physics Center. While Henderson is eager to help make things happen at the laboratory, he feels that Holmes' shoes will be difficult to fill.

But Holmes thinks Henderson is the perfect person for the job.

"Stuart really brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role," Holmes said. "I really look forward to working with him to get Fermilab's future accelerator facilities off of the ground."

Henderson is former director of the Research Accelerator Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

"I took this position because I am excited about all the opportunities, such as upgrading the existing accelerator complex and pursuing Project X, the Intensity Frontier, future colliders and advanced accelerator R&D and accelerator applications," Henderson said.

Holmes, who has now fully transitioned into his role as project manager for the proposed Project X, will dedicate his time to make that project a reality. He has served as acting project manager for Project X since August 2008. He hopes that the project will achieve CD-0, or mission need, in 2011.

-- Rhianna Wisniewski

Special PAC meeting Friday

On Friday, Aug. 27, the Fermilab Physics Advisory Committee will convene to consider a three-year extension of Collider Run II. Run II is currently scheduled to continue through FY 2011. This is a special one-day meeting on the single topic. The regular fall meeting will take place Nov. 4-6.

The draft charge and agenda for Friday's meeting are available from the PAC meetings web page.

This special meeting is unusual because several PAC members will participate remotely via videoconference. In order for this special session to be as effective as possible, the local PAC members and presenters will convene in the Hornets' Nest, a smaller room than usual. Employees and users can attend the meeting's open sessions by going to one of four satellite conference rooms set up for this purpose: the Black Hole (WH-2NW), the Racetrack (WH7-crossover), the Theatre at the CDF Assembly Building, or the Dog House conference room at DZero.

School back in session, drive carefully

School is back in session in most communities, including Warrenville and Batavia. A school zone, with reduced speed limits during school hours, is located outside the east gate on Batavia Road. Please pay attention to school crossings and posted speed limits.

Big science feels the pinch in Europe

From Nature News, Aug. 24, 2010

Long insulated by multi-year budgets and treaties, Europe's multinational research organizations and the glittering scientific projects they fund are finally feeling the financial pain of their member states. This week, representatives from the 20 nations involved in CERN, Europe's particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, meet to discuss budget cuts for the laboratory over the next five years. In the next few months, Nature has learned, other organizations are facing decisions on whether to delay new projects, put upgrades on hold or make cuts in an attempt to appease their struggling member states.

"We are all very worried about the financial situation," says Francesco Sette, director of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France.

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