Jessie Butler likes to analyze technologies and figure out how to make complex systems work together. As the work coordinator for Jefferson Lab’s Experimental Hall A, Butler leads a team of four electro-mechanical technicians who are responsible for maintenance and upkeep of experimental equipment and electronics in the hall, ensuring that they will work properly and deliver on the scientific mission of the lab.
Juggling Physics research and Hollywood consulting was bound to have its terrifying moments. James Maxwell, on-call physics advisor for the 2016 “Ghostbusters” film, was buried in research on high field polarization of Helium-3 when his cell phone rang. He stepped outside of a lab at Brookhaven National Laboratory to answer a call from Ghostbuster’s actress Melissa McCarthy. But “the call dropped!” Maxwell recalls, wide-eyed, as if reliving the shock and horror of a moment which later earned him a joking punch in the arm from McCarthy.
Scientific discoveries require more than just science; they require tools, equipment and resources to enable scientists to conduct their research. That’s where Renee Carter comes in. As a procurement administrator, Carter is focused on securing the tools, materials and devices that Jefferson Lab researchers need to fulfill every aspect of their work.
Researcher Relies on Jefferson Lab’s Powerful ‘Microscope’ to Study Weak Forces
Krishna Kumar has made it his life’s work to study the space within atoms. He pursues answers to life’s basic questions: Where did we come from? How are we put together? What happened right after the Big Bang?
Scientists from across the country and around the world come to Jefferson Lab to advance mankind's understanding of the atom's nucleus. To probe nuclei, scientists use continuous beams of high-energy electrons from the lab's Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility, or CEBAF, as well as technologically advanced targets, unique particle-detection systems and ultra-high-speed data acquisition equipment in CEBAF's four experimental halls.
New Accelerator Director Follows Technology, Oversees Accelerator Operations
Eduard Pozdeyev has made a career out of responding to the call for his expertise in designing and building equipment when an accelerator facility has required a large-scale equipment upgrade. Now, he is settling into his new, long-term role at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility on the other side of the project life-cycle—as the director of accelerator operations for the lab’s Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF).
A strong force in physics shows impact beyond the lab
With a passion for understanding how the universe works and a curious desire to unfold theories with logic, it’s no wonder that Patrizia Rossi ventured into physics and is now the deputy associate director for Experimental Nuclear Physics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. With more than 35 years of research experience, her contributions to the scientific field are just as impactful beyond the lab.
Postdoctoral research associate builds on paradigm-shifting experiments
Burcu Duran is no stranger to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. She conducted research at the lab as a Temple University graduate student while working toward her Ph.D. in nuclear physics. Now, Ph.D. in-hand, she is continuing her research at Jefferson Lab as a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the University of Tennessee.
