At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, the 2024 Science & Technology Awards were presented to recognize distinguished contributions to the Laboratory's science and technology objectives. The recipients included individuals from various departments who have made significant advancements in their respective fields.
Michael Begel from the Physics Department has been recognized for his contributions to particle physics and advanced detector technology. He has played a crucial role in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, focusing on detector operation, jet physics, and searching for new phenomena beyond the Standard Model. Begel pioneered components like the Global Feature Extractor (gFEX) and was part of developing a new readout platform known as FELIX. His leadership extends to mentoring scientists who have received Early Career Awards from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
Yoshitaka Hatta, also from the Physics Department, contributed significantly to understanding proton structure through theoretical studies within Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). His work on orbital angular momentum provided new definitions and proposed experimental observables sensitive to this aspect. Hatta's research is integral to programs at facilities like the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and Electron-Ion Collider.
Chang-Yong Nam from the Center for Functional Nanomaterials has impacted materials synthesis and electronic device fabrication. His work focuses on hybrid materials research applied to microelectronics areas such as energy-efficient computing and extreme ultraviolet lithography. Nam has established partnerships with institutions like Samsung Electronics and IBM, contributing over 5,000 citations and securing 13 patents.
Edward ‘Ed’ O’Brien has led nuclear physics research at Brookhaven Lab through his involvement in flagship experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). As operations director of PHENIX, he oversaw upgrades that expanded its capabilities, resulting in numerous published papers. He also directed sPHENIX through its design and construction phases.
Deepak Raparia from the Collider-Accelerator Department strengthened Brookhaven Lab's capabilities in accelerator physics over three decades. His expertise was critical for delivering high-intensity ion beams for research at RHIC and designing transfer lines for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source.
These awards highlight each recipient's vital contributions to advancing scientific knowledge across various domains.