A Season of Science and Community

NSLS-II Director Elke Arenholz highlights the power of collaboration, reflects on summer outreach and education, and shares her vision for the facility's future

September 25, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

This past summer at NSLS-II was filled with discovery, community, and fun. From students taking their first steps into research, to educators bringing world leading science back to their classrooms, to families exploring our facility during the Summer Sunday Open House, we welcomed the next generation of scientists and our neighbors. These moments remind us that NSLS-II is more than a scientific facility — it is a place where curiosity drives research, partnerships enable progress, and the future of science takes shape.

Behind the scenes, teamwork among scientists, engineers, technical staff, safety professionals, administrators, and many others keeps the facility running safely, reliably, and efficiently. Multimodal and multidisciplinary studies bring together staff and visiting researchers with diverse expertise to tackle complex scientific challenges.

Our strong partnerships with agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) provide the resources to expand NSLS-II’s capabilities and modernize the facility to take on future challenges.

As a hub where ideas converge into groundbreaking research, we value the unique perspectives, expertise, and creativity every individual brings to the table. In that spirit, we are hosting the NSLS-II Strategic Planning Workshop Series, running September 16 – October 29. These 10 in-person workshops will explore pressing challenges facing the scientific community today and help guide the design of the next generation of beamlines and a potential accelerator upgrade. While some sessions have already begun, several exciting topics are still ahead — I hope to see many of you here!

Finally, congratulations to the many of you whose research at NSLS-II has been featured on journal covers this year. We are proud to highlight these recognitions. If your work has appeared on a cover, please share it with the User Office at NSLS2User@bnl.gov.

Summer outreach and events

This summer, more than 40 high school and undergraduate students joined NSLS-II for internships and research programs with mentors across the facility. The students made meaningful contributions to science through their research here and shared their results at a vibrant symposium attended by peers, staff, and family. They also brought creativity and enthusiasm to their time here, including designing a stylish new NSLS-II shirt together. We look forward to welcoming them back as future users one day.

We also welcomed another 40 community college students and high school teachers for two DOE- Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists funded schools: the Brookhaven User Facility Summer School (BUFSS) and the Student Partnerships for Advanced Research and Knowledge (SPARK) Educator Institute. BUFSS was an opportunity for community college students in STEM to perform research at three Brookhaven user facilities — the Tandem Van de Graaff facility, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and NSLS-II. The science theme this year was assessing space radiation damage to microelectronics materials. The SPARK course taught local high school and community college teachers how to train their students to do hypothesis-driven research. Both programs were done in close collaboration with the Workforce Development and Science Education team at the Lab.

I want to give a very big thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Summer Sunday Open House at NSLS-II on July 13th. The event brought in over 1,400 community members to the laboratory and NSLS-II hosted 49 tours of the experimental floor. The event also featured interactive activities, packed science talks from Pete Siddons and Mike Drakopoulos, and a liquid nitrogen show. We saw support from nearly 100 dedicated volunteers. Thanks to their efforts, the event was a great success!

NEXT-II and NEXT-III project updates

We recently wrapped up the accelerator readiness review for the new Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI) beamline, part of the NEXT-II project, and excitement is building as we get closer to its launch. Work is also moving forward on two other beamlines in this project — the ARPES and RIXS Nanoprobe (ARI) and the Soft X-ray Nanoimaging (SXN) beamline. Key components have arrived and are being prepared for installation in winter and spring.

Looking ahead to NEXT-III, design plans are coming together for the next group of beamlines, which will enable Quantitative Cellular Tomography (QCT), High Resolution Diffraction (HRD), Advanced Nanoscale Imaging (ANI), and Tender X-ray Nanoprobe (TXN) imaging. Designs for the supporting infrastructure are also progressing and we are continuing to work with advisory teams to refine plans and schedules.

Safety update

At NSLS-II, safety is at the core of every experiment. Our Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality (ESHQ) experts work hand-in-hand with users to ensure that even the most challenging and highly regulated research can be carried out smoothly, safely, and securely.

Recently, two groups brought in samples containing very small quantities of plutonium, a rare, toxic, and radioactive material, to study at NSLS-II. Our ESHQ staff, together with the Lab’s Radiological Control Division and facility management, provided critical oversight to ensure all risks were understood and controlled. The team used custom built triple-containment systems to safely enclose the samples while maintaining X-ray transparency, enforced strict material accountability, and implemented rigorous monitoring throughout the experiment. With real-time camera surveillance and carefully engineered shielding, the study was conducted both safely and efficiently, demonstrating how NSLS-II empowers users to tackle complex science without compromising safety.

Maintenance period update

We had another very productive shutdown this summer. In addition to progress on the NEXT-II beamlines, we prepared space for the upcoming Infrared Near-Field Nanospectroscopy (INF) beamline by clearing out older utilities and equipment.

The team also began installing a new back-up power supply for the storage ring, which will help reduce downtime in case of an equipment issue. Updates were also made to our safety systems to minimize unnecessary interruptions.

As NSLS-II continues to grow, so too does our community of users, partners, and collaborators. I look forward to seeing you around the ring.

— Elke Arenholz, NSLS-II Director