We have heard many positive comments about the most recent Community Leaders Breakfast held in Los Alamos. I am pleased with the large attendance and people's willingness to participate in the tours.

These meetings were begun to provide an opportunity for Lab and community leaders to exchange information. The briefing format was designed to meet the request that LANL provide more information about the direction the Lab is heading and also provide an opportunity for us to hear your thoughts and ideas. The opening poster session and the tours on June 18th provided an extended time to hear from many of you. Thank you for your active participation.

We are part of the community and the community is part of us, and we need to make sure that the relationships are beneficial to both parties. The breakfasts aren't the only way that we seek public input. Every year we, as an office, participate in outreach activities such as regional fairs and events, like the July 4th Pancakes on the Plaza (see article below), where we get to interact with community members and hear their questions and concerns. We also have a third-party research organization conduct a survey each year to gauge satisfaction with the Laboratory's performance in various areas, the results of which are available on our website. In addition, I'm also about to embark on a "listening tour" where I'll be getting together with small groups of people in the community to learn even more about what people are thinking. One of my roles as head of this office is to serve as a conduit to Lab management on community issues as we define our course for the future. The better informed I am, the better I can perform that role. I look forward to listening to many of you.

The computer, developed in partnership with IBM, LANL, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, uses commercially available hardware that helped cut the cost of the one-of-a-kind, $120 million machine. It is expected to begin its first computing applications in January 2009 once all integrative testing is complete. Click here to view a video clip regarding the computer.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $6 and are on sale at most banks and credit unions in Santa Fe, the United Way of Santa Fe County office, PNM Customer Service, Beaver Toyota, and the Lab's Community Programs Office. Tickets may also be purchased at the event for $7. For more information, visit the United Way's website.

This year, in honor of Senator Pete Domenici and his wide-ranging contributions to northern New Mexico, the Foundation is establishing an endowed scholarship fund in his name. The fund will create seven new, yearly scholarships, one for each of the counties the Foundations serves. Individual tickets are $150. For more information about the event or to learn about other sponsorship opportunities, go to the LANL Foundation website.

The Los Alamos team won its division in the academic competition and came in 10th in the fuel cell presentation competition while the Challenger School from Newark, California, won the overall Science Bowl. The Treasure Valle Math and Science Center from Boise, Idaho, won the overall fuel cell competition. To obtain more information about this year's science bowl, or learn about entering a team next year, contact the Community Programs Office at 665-4400 or toll free at (888) 841-8256.

Not only did the students have an opportunity to learn more about what it's like to work as a scientist, one student even identified an insect not previously categorized and will have his name forever associated with its discovery. The Lab's Tribal Relations Team coordinates the program with help from the Pueblos, the Valles Caldera, the Department of Energy, and a number of organizations within LANL. For more information about the program, contact the Tribal Relations Team at (888) 691-0598.

This employment provides students with relevant experience while they pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees and is designed to complement the students' education direction with work experience related to their chosen field of study. Many of the students who begin as students eventually become full-time Laboratory staff.

The Springboard process brings together high-tech companies that need assistance in reaching their next level of performance with a team of experts who have both the knowledge and connections to assist the businesses. This assistance is free to the organizations and ultimately helps build a diverse economic base in northern New Mexico.

To learn more about the services provided by Northern New Mexico Connect, visit their website.

• Kudos to Savvas Koushiappas, who is the 14th recipient of the Leon Heller Postdoctoral Publication Prize in Theoretical Physics.

• Kudos to Big Jo True Value Hardware that won the City of Santa Fe's Small Business of the Year Award.

• Kudos to Eldon Reyer, President of the Northern New Mexico Horsemen's Association, who is the recipient of the American Horse Council's 2008 Van Ness Award.

• Kudos to David Loaiza, a LANL technical staff member who was selected by President Bush as a White House Fellow.