For release: April 6 , 2007

Contacts: 
Steve Karsjen , Public Affairs, 515-294-1405

AMES LABORATORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS SHINES AT

CASE DISTRICT COMPETITION

AMES, Iowa -- Ames Laboratory Public Affairs staff won two awards in the 2007 CASE District VI awards competition. 

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is an international association of professionals who advance educational institutions. 

The first award, a Silver award for Excellence in Institutional Relations, was won for the Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Middle School Science Bowl.  The award took into account the Public Affairs Office’s overall communications effort for the event, which included a Web page, media relations, a brochure, an event program, T-shirts and signage.  The award went to Steve Karsjen, Deb Samuelson, Saren Johnston, Kerry Gibson, Robert Mills, Grant Luhmann, Rocky Dunkin and Brandy Rowe.  The Middle School Science Bowl is an annual competition begun in 2004 that brings 16 teams of students (Teams consist of four team members and an alternate.) to Iowa State University for two days in April.  While at ISU, the students race hydrogen fuel-cell cars they’ve built, go on tours and participate in an academic competition.

The second award, a Bronze award for Excellence in Writing, was won by Saren Johnston for the story, “Fast Backward Motion,” which appeared in the 2006 issue of Inquiry, Ames Laboratory’s science magazine.  The story focused on the development of metamaterials, exotic artificially created materials that can help scientists manipulate light.     

Ames Laboratory, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2007, is operated for the Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

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