The event, which had been scheduled for March 2022, has been postponed indefinitely
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has postponed its next open house event. It had been scheduled for March 2022. The laboratory’s open house events have been put on hold since 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Jefferson Lab’s free open house events give people of all ages an opportunity to explore its world-class research facility. Highlights of the event include tours of the lab’s unique research facilities, hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations with the people behind Jefferson Lab’s technologies and research.
“The decision to postpone the event was not taken lightly,” said Lauren Hansen, Jefferson Lab’s chief communications officer. “Our staff, scientific users and research partners look forward to our open houses. We enjoy welcoming our friends, our neighbors and members of our community onto the lab campus for an informative, fun and safe day of exploring the discovery science that is taking place right here in Hampton Roads.”
Throughout 2021, Jefferson Lab has offered additional opportunities for members of the public to learn about its people, science and technologies. Over the summer, the Bite-Size Science lecture series included a half-dozen 30-minute virtual lunchtime presentations. These presentations featured lab-related science, engineering and technology topics presented by leaders in their field and with interactive Q&A. The Fall for Science virtual field trip event in September provided students and their families a peek inside the lab’s research areas. It also featured a Q&A with the lab’s scientists and engineers in addition to a raft of newly created educational resources.
The laboratory also continued to offer many of its outreach programs in virtual formats. Undergraduate internships, teacher training programs, and virtual classroom visits all continued.
Meanwhile, members of the Jefferson Lab community still look forward to the next time they can welcome visitors to the lab campus.
“We are optimistic that we will be able to schedule the event at a future date both when it is safer for our staff and visitors to do so and when it will not negatively impact our research schedule,” said Hansen.
The laboratory plans to announce the next open house event once scheduled. For up-to-date event information, visit the website. Additionally, visitors may email openhouse@jlab.org for specific information.
Contact: Lauren Hansen, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, lhansen@jlab.org, 757-269-7689