LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Oct. 6, 2021-Four Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers will be honored with the Laboratory’s Fellows Prizes at a ceremony Oct. 6. Bill Daughton, Andrew Gaunt and Cristiano Nisoli will receive the Fellows Prize for Research, and Eva Birnbaum will receive the Fellows Prize for Leadership.
“I congratulate Bill, Andrew, Cristiano and Eva for being recognized with these prestigious awards,” said John Sarrao, deputy Laboratory director for Science, Technology and Engineering. “Bill’s significant advancements in internal confinement fusion, Andrew’s key role in transuranic chemistry, and Cristiano’s work in magnetic materials have profoundly influenced their respective fields and the Laboratory. Eva’s leadership in isotope production has impacted national priorities and differentiated Los Alamos.”
The Fellows Prizes for Research is awarded to individuals for outstanding research performed at the Laboratory that has been published within the last 10 years and that has had a significant impact on their discipline or program. The Fellows Prize for Leadership recognizes individuals for outstanding scientific and engineering leadership at the Laboratory and recognizes the value of such leadership that stimulates the interest of talented young staff members in the development of new technology.
Research Prizes
Bill Daughton, of the Laboratory’s Primary Physics group, was selected for the Research Prize for his outstanding work in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research, which includes major discoveries in the physics of volumetric ignition and burn in radiation trapped capsules. He is also extremely influential in other areas of plasma physics, including magnetic reconnection, turbulence and energetic particle acceleration.
Andrew Gaunt received the Research Prize for advancements in the field of molecular transuranic chemistry. His contributions over the past 10 years have helped shape present-day transuranic chemistry on an international level. He has also opened up unique capabilities to foster extensive collaborations, both domestic and international. Gaunt works in Los Alamos’ Inorganic, Isotope and Actinide Chemistry group.
Cristiano Nisoli, of the Lab’s Physics and Condensed Matter and Complex Systems group, was selected for the Research Prize for his pioneering contributions to the fields of magnetism and novel magnetic materials. Nisoli raised the profile of Los Alamos in magnetism nanotechnology and has made outstanding contributions to programmatic science that greatly benefits the Laboratory.
Leadership Prize
Eva Birnbaum, the Laboratory’s Isotope Program manager, was honored with the Leadership Prize for her contributions to the isotope enterprise. Birnbaum significantly invested in early career staff and in building new capabilities for isotope production. In addition to navigating the Isotope Program through a period of substantial transition, she also led the R&D activities of the Lab’s effort through dramatic growth, establishing the program as an internationally recognized, premier capability in the use of high-energy accelerators for isotope research and production.
About Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is managed by Triad, a public service oriented, national security science organization equally owned by its three founding members: Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), and the Regents of the University of California (UC) for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.
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