2017 Brookhaven Award Recipients
August 7, 2017
Brookhaven Awards are given to recognize key contributors in support functions whose performance and achievements represent outstanding service to the Laboratory. The 2017 Brookhaven Award recipients are:
Scott Bronson, Office of Educational Programs
Scott Bronson's efforts have helped position the Laboratory as a top performer for science education and workforce development, increasing science literacy and enhancing the Lab's reputation as a community asset.
Bronson has an exceptional ability to assess cutting-edge science, translate it, and work with scientific staff. This has resulted in commercially available science education kits based on Brookhaven research. He has developed numerous science education programs for students and teachers in the region, as well as opportunities for them to conduct research from their classrooms with remote access to the world-class facilities at Brookhaven. As manager of the Lab's K–12 programs, Bronson oversees the staff and programs for approximately 30,000 participants each year. Bronson also made important contributions to strengthen Brookhaven's relationships with organizations including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Stony Brook University, and Consolidated Edison.
The Laboratory's science education programs have grown considerably—in terms of reach, impact, and recognition internally and externally—thanks in large part to Bronson's grant-writing abilities, his talent, and his passion for sharing science.
Roy Lebel, Quality Management Office
For 22 years, Roy Lebel has been a trailblazer in diversity and inclusion at Brookhaven Lab, raising awareness among staff and fellow leaders of the benefits to be gained from a diverse workforce.
Lebel has provided guidance to many—including individuals with different abilities, backgrounds, and ideas so they may be successful at the Lab. He has hired people with physical differences and helped develop accommodations and resources that remove barriers to their success. And he encouraged Lab leaders and staff to step up so Brookhaven benefits from all its employees' ideas.
Lebel's service as chair of the Lab's campaigns for the United Way from 2012 through 2015 resulted in a strengthening of the Lab's relationship with the charity and our Long Island neighbors.
Lebel stands by his convictions, enables others to demonstrate the content of their character in the workplace, and helped others to understand the full breadth of what diversity means, helping Brookhaven be its very best.
Dan Lehn, Collider-Accelerator Department
During the course of his career at Brookhaven Lab, Dan Lehn has always been focused on the support of the ever-growing scope of collider and accelerator facilities.
Lehn supervises a large technical group with diverse skills that range from high-precision machining to vacuum, high voltage, motion control, cryogenics, high frequency RF, and electronic systems. Under Lehn's leadership, his team assembles, tests, and maintains many systems that are critically important to the Lab's physics programs.
Lehn has overseen the successful installation of many mechanical and electrical fabrications for the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron, linac and booster systems, injection and extraction kickers for the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the on-site NASA Space Radiation Laboratory, and countless upgrades to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—including for the electron beam ion source, energy recovery linac, stochastic cooling, electron lenses, and coherent electron cooling.
Lehn's dedication, accurate communications, professionalism, outstanding safety record, and work ethic have earned him respect from his colleagues. His hard work has been instrumental in establishing RHIC as a world-class research facility.
Jason Remien, Environmental Protection Division
Pursuing operational excellence is at the core of Jason Remien's approach to his work for the Environmental Protection Division. For 23 years, he's made important contributions to the Lab's operations and science mission, providing workable solutions while assuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
He brings an extensive knowledge of environmental regulations and requirements, and pairs that knowledge with an untiring and enthusiastic work ethic. This has served him well, as he's been recognized with accolades and promotions throughout his Lab career, starting as an environmental field engineer, and being promoted to project manager, then environmental compliance group manager, and now manager of the Environmental Protection Division.
Remien cares about the Lab and its neighbors, often volunteering for community outreach programs to educate and foster trust among some of Brookhaven's most important stakeholders. He challenges and supports his staff to be their best, and the entire Lab community benefits from his commitment and leadership.
Sushil Sharma, NSLS-II Accelerator Division
For nearly 40 years, Sushil Sharma has been a distinguished leader and innovator.
Sushil established and managed the diverse mechanical engineering group that was essential for getting the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) project from conception in 2006 to the start of operations in 2015. Finding mechanical engineers with the experience needed for NSLS-II was no easy task, but Sharma met this challenge head-on, assembling a team of engineers with solid, varied engineering backgrounds and mentoring them on light source engineering and design requirements. Sharma also guided the research and development activities for many areas of the NSLS-II project, resulting in improved designs and procedures that were incorporated into the facility's construction.
Sharma's latest invention is a high-conductivity, water-cooled vacuum sealing flange that significantly reduces both the cost and time required to produce numerous accelerator components.
Sharma's innovations and willingness to share his knowledge and experience have not only benefitted the NSLS-II project. He has inspired engineering professionals advancing capabilities at light source facilities around the world.
2017-12411 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
