The honor is made yearly to technical staff members who sustain a high level of excellence in programs important to the Laboratory's mission, make important scientific discoveries that lead to widespread use, or are recognized as leaders in their fields both within and outside of the Laboratory.
"I'm pleased to recognize these distinguished members of our technical staff," said Browne. "It gives us pause to reflect that, despite recent challenges, our technical and scientific excellence continue to serve the nation."
The new Fellows are Lee Collins of the Atomic and Optical Theory Group in the Theoretical Division; Richard Hughes of the Neutron Science and Technology Group in the Physics Division; Chris Hammel in the Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group in the Materials Science and Technology Division and Michael Nastasi of the Structure/Property Relations Group also in the Materials Science and Technology Division.
Collins received the title of Laboratory Fellow in recognition of his status as a much-published, heavily cited author and innovator of several widely used techniques in the computation of electron-molecule interactions and properties of dense plasmas. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, Collins has been an Associate Editor of Physical Review A since 1994 and is a driving force behind the Los Alamos Summer School in Physics, serving as its director since 1992.
Hughes was named for having attained international recognition in the field of quantum information science. A Fellow of the American Physical Society known for his efforts in quantum cryptography and quantum computing, Hughes received the Los Alamos Fellows Prize in 1997 for his quantum information research, which brought quantum cryptography from a laboratory curiosity to a fieldable demonstration.
Hammel was recognized for his creative, highly regarded research in the competitive field of high-temperature superconductivity. Also a Fellow of the American Physical Society, Hammel received the Los Alamos Fellows Prize in 1995 for his frequently cited work elucidating the microphysics of copper-based high-temperature superconductors.
Recognized for his outstanding research, Michael Nastasi has developed a new method for surface modification of materials called plasma immersion ion processing, and received, among other awards, the 1995 Los Alamos Fellows Prize for his extensive research on ion-solid interactions. Nastasi is co-author of a widely used textbook, "Ion Beam Processing: Fundamentals and Applications", and edits a handbook on ion beam materials analysis.
Only two percent of the Laboratory's current technical staff members can hold the title of "Fellow" at any one time. Fellows are expected to continue to play an important scientific or technical role in the Laboratory and to contribute in significant ways to Laboratory programs and initiatives. Fellows are often called upon to provide analyses of significant issues affecting Laboratory programs and the workforce, particularly any highly technical issues.
Nineteen nominations were submitted for the rank of Fellow during this year's competition. The 15 members of the Fellows Screening Committee reviewed the nominations and submitted their recommendations to Director John Browne. The Director selected the top four candidates for the honor.
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