“I like working with smart people to solve difficult problems”

…and other anecdotes from seasoned Jefferson Lab employees.

Jefferson Lab recently recognized and honored lab employees on their fifth, tenth, fifteenth, twentieth, twenty-fifth and thirtieth work anniversaries. Eighty lab employees gathered to celebrate the occasion during an ice cream social, a brunch and a luncheon on lab campus during a three-day span, sponsored by JSA. Casual conversation, words of congratulations and deep discussion about complicated science “stuff” filled CEBAF Center at Jefferson Lab that week.

Below are some highlights from the lab’s most seasoned employees; from how they explain to friends what they do to their favorite part of being a Jefferson Lab employee.

On work family-
“My work environment is like a working family where each person’s chores factor into a successful operation for doing Physics. My colleagues are the greatest.” – Phillip Adderley, High Vacuum Specialist, 30 years (September 1987)

On achieving the once-unthinkable-
“Providing medical services to Jefferson Lab gives me the opportunity to interact with just about everyone who works here. I am able to learn more about the amazing research and talented employees who bring these incredible ideas to fruition.” – Johnie Banks, Occupational Medicine Administrative and Medical Assistant, 15 years (April 2004)

On collaborating with industry leaders-
“I find it surprising that many of the scientists and engineers at the lab, who are the leaders in their fields, are also very humble about their work. There is an abundance of knowledge at the lab and people from many varied backgrounds but everyone is always willing to pull together at any time to help each other solve problems and move the lab forward.” – Jonathan Creel, Cryogenics Engineering Department Head, 20 years (June 1998)

On limitless opportunity-
“There are a number of opportunities to work on interesting projects. There are a lot of cool things you can work on, so you have to limit yourself since you can’t do every interesting thing that comes along.  Working at the lab is challenging, but rewarding. It’s a place where you can feel like you’re playing a small part in something very substantial.” – David Lawrence, 15 years (Started in 1996 as a graduate student, became a staff member in (April 2004)

On growth and work benefits-
“I have learned so much in the time that I have been here. I absolutely love what I do and the fact that I get to interact with people daily. Jefferson Lab provides a fast-paced environment with flexible schedules and great benefits.” – Tara Tyndall, Human Resources Assistant, 10 years (October 2008)

On describing what it’s like to work at the lab to a friend-
“I have been asked by friends to describe our lab, and I usually describe it as creating a controlled lightning bolt, equivalent to 12 billion volts, contained in a vacuum line where we can put information on electrons within the bolt and watch for interactions.  I usually pick up a [soda] can or something and spin it while describing the electron spin and the conservation of momentum when it interacts with a target.

“The general public is not aware of terms like megahertz, so when I describe the laser systems I like to put it in terms of times per second. I’ll say the lasers running at 1,497 megahertz are firing 1.5 Billion times per second. I’ll share they fire for 50 picoseconds, and follow that up with an explanation that 50 picoseconds is to a second as one second is to 16,000 years.

“Then, I just stand back and usually watch their jaw drop in awe.  It is fun to talk about.  At the same time, I still tell them my disappointment; I had expected to have a Jetsons flying car by 2020. I am losing faith in the scientists’ ability to deliver on anti-gravity engines.” – John Hansknecht, 30 years (November 2008). John is retiring June 5, 2019.

Whether an employee has been here for five years or 30, the Jefferson Lab community is thankful for these dedicated individual’s commitment to exploring the unknown while serving the lab’s mission.

Be sure to congratulate the following employees on their service awards!