LBL Currents

April 7, 1995

Table of Contents

• Engineering Division's new mentoring program aims high
• Harvard biochemist says genes, social policy a dangerous mix
• Operations makes organizational changes
• LBL Open House date set
• Women in Science & Engineering Seminar
• International Women's Month: Wife, mother, scientist - or the other way around?
• Women can be leaders
• Patent Department
• Metric notes
• Oops!
• Human Resources Corner
• LBL welcomes new employees
• Calendar of Events -- April 10 to 21
• F l e a M a r k e t

Engineering's new mentoring program aims high

Mechanical technician Donna Jones would like to develop more career flexibility. "I like my job, and I want to stay with survey and alignment," she says, "but the workload varies, so I want to be more flexible."

Currently a surveyor for the ALS, Jones started out at LBL 26 years ago as a scanner of bubble chamber photographs. Eventually, with the help of some informal mentors, she became a technician.

"There were some people along the way who were nice enough to teach me things to get the job done," she says.

Now she is participating in the Engineering Division's new mentoring program to learn specific skills. "The mentoring program is a little more planned and complete," she says. "You set up an action plan and decide what your specific goals are."

Informal mentoring goes on all the time at the Laboratory. But as Harry Reed, head of LBL's Workforce Diversity Office (WFDO) points out, it can be "a relatively closed process that excludes most employees and often does not reflect diversity."

With the help of Reed and WFDO's Gail Kato, the Engineering Division established a formal program that recognizes diversity issues. "It takes the informal aspects of mentoring--which have always been invaluable--to a more formal level, which allows us to maximize the Lab's diverse population," Reed says.

The new program involves the creation of protege/mentor pairs in which less experienced employees are teamed up with more skilled or experienced employees. The goal is to transfer some of the skills and knowledge and help proteges become more competitive and productive, Reed says. "Over all, this will help the division remain technically strong and competitive."

The protege/mentor teams were selected through a process in which some people volunteered, some were solicited, and all were matched according to the proteges' goals. Team members come from a cross-section of administrative, technical, and professional positions in the Engineering Division.

Division Director Burgess says the mentoring program is a step toward reversing a downswing in the division's morale, brought about by budget cuts and lay-offs. He says he expects the program to result in measurable improvements in employee performance and skills.

"I look at it as making available to the employees one mechanism for pursuing their career objectives," Burgess says. "This is one thing we are doing to show a specific commitment to our employees. We can't promise any promotions, but if the opportunity arises, an employee should be in a good position to move to a more complex job assignment."

The mentoring program resulted from a recognition that people sometimes lack exposure to new skills and career possibilities.

"You can be in an assignment for years and years and never change," says Vicky Donelson-Jared, staff development coordinator for the division. "This can be true for engineers as well as clerical people. We kept hearing people all across the board saying, `We want career opportunities. How do we get career advancement?' The mentoring program is an opportunity to enhance their skills or learn a new skill through on-site training."

Jones, for example, has decided to learn ultrahigh vacuum technology. John Thomson, a lead technician in the mechanical engineering group at the ALS, has been assigned as her mentor.

"Since we work on the same project, it's going to work out easily for us," Thomson says. "I'll be able to give her opportunities to implement some techniques, once she takes some courses in vacuum science. Then I'll show her how we use vacuum science pertinent to the ALS."

Thomson, who has been at the Lab for 11 years, says he is enthusiastic about the mentoring program. "It makes people feel they have some direction and control over their career."

At the end of February, 16 mentor/protege teams met for an all-day orientation session at the Clark Kerr Campus. Participants began the process of constructing written agreements about skills to be learned and deciding how to conduct their mentoring relationships. Beyond the orientation session, mentoring activities take place on the employees' own time--before or after work, or during lunch.

According to protege Carolyn Rossington, the feeling at the meeting was anticipation and curiosity mixed with some shyness about what was to come. "We were all excited to be there," she says, "because it represents potential."

Rossington is a materials scientist who heads a research project to develop x-ray detectors for synchrotron applications such as the ALS. "I want to get more into managing technical projects," she says. "I'm excited about having a way to learn project management tools, rather than feeling I'm asking someone for a favor."

If successful, the Engineering Division's mentoring program could serve as a blueprint for other divisions to follow. Donelson-Jared will monitor the program carefully, holding periodic meetings with proteges and mentors. "Both parties have to be committed," she says. "Otherwise, it isn't going to work."

Harvard biochemist says genes, social policy a dangerous mix

There is no place for nature-versus-nurture research in decisions about social policy, Harvard biochemist Jonathan Beckwith told a capacity crowd in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium last week. The scientific evidence linking our genes to our behavior is too weak, and the potential for serious social consequences too great.

Yet that is exactly what is happening with books such as the recent bestseller "The Bell Curve," he said, which argues that, because intelligence is inherited, programs such as welfare are doomed to failure.

Such accounts misrepresent the connection science has found between genes and behavior, he said. They lead to inaccurate stories about biological determinism in the media, and provide dangerous ammunition for those using genes-as-destiny arguments to curb social programs.

Beckwith, a member of the DOE/National Institutes of Health Human Genome Project's Working Group on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues, was invited by LBL's Human Genome Program to give the talk on March 28.

The biotechnology revolution, he said, puts human behavioral genetics in a vulnerable position. "The tremendous advances in genetics, and the existence of things such as the Human Genome Project, creates an environment where extreme claims about genetics and behavior might be accepted," he said.

The media's fascination with genetic explanations for how we act means researchers have to be on their guard, he said. "Geneticists must take care in publishing and talking about their work, and word their conclusions carefully. A single sentence in a paper can have a tremendous impact."

Beckwith emphasized that he isn't arguing for science to stop examining the role genes play in behavior. He said there are instances where good science has yielded important facts about genetic links, for example with mental illnesses such as manic depression and Tourette's syndrome. But it has been with studies of traits such as intelligence, aggression, and criminality--where evidence has been much less convincing--that genetics has had a tremendous social impact.

Beckwith cited studies in the late 1960s that linked the I.Q. test score gap to race, and studies in the 1980s that linked math ability to gender. The flurry of articles in the popular press that often follow the publication of such research often exaggerates the gene-behavior connection, he said. Displaying a Newsweek article entitled "Born Dumb" about genes, intelligence, and education, he asked, "What kind of effect do you think that has on a student who reads it?"

He also cited as a recent example "The Bell Curve," in which, he said, the authors misuse the same types of studies to make sweeping claims about social policy. The book's authors begin with the premise that intelligence is mostly inherited, and go on to conclude that the I.Q. score gap they see between upper and lower classes in society is practically unchangeable. They recommend that social programs be re-evaluated in this light.

"The Bell Curve" authors rely on evidence from genetic studies of families, Beckwith said, such as those charting the development of twins as compared to normal siblings. Because of the complexity of our environment, he said, family studies are no sure measure of the extent to which genes determine our behavioral fates. Such complex, long-term studies are also of limited use, since other researchers cannot accurately repeat them.

Beckwith said he is optimistic that with geneticists now focusing on recombinant DNA techniques to match genes with traits, studies of genes and behavior will be more sound. Unlike generation-long studies of families, scientific peers can easily repeat genetic comparisons in test tubes.

He warned, however, that there will always to be the issue of personal bias in a science as politically charged as human behavioral genetics. He cited several recent high-profile studies that linked genes to homosexuality. Some authors of the studies, he said, have admitted to having a strong political agenda--linking sexual preference to biology, the authors hoped, might provide evidence for fighting discrimination.

Scientists can never completely separate personal bias--noble as it may be--from research like this, he said. "The best we can do is be aware of our biases and be open about them."

The Human Genome Program plans to host more lectures in the future. Look for details in Currents.

Operations makes organizational changes

"In seeking to achieve my goal of providing seamless, effective Operations Support to the Laboratory," Berkner said, "I have been reviewing the functions of various support units to configure the organization for optimal interactions. Our goal is to improve services and reduce costs--this restructuring is hopefully one move closer to reaching our objective."

In a move to "integrate similar functions and achieve efficiencies," the Materiel and Site Logistics Department has been realigned with other Operations organizational units. The changes are as follows:

• The Procurement and Property Management functions will be transferred to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer under Charles Courey.
• The Transportation, Stores, Mail Services, Warehouse and Receiving functions will be transferred to the Facilities Department under Robert Camper.
• The Reception Center and Site Access Services Department will now report to the Human Resources Department under Walter Blount, and the department has been reconfigured to include the Conference Coordination Group. The Bus Services function has been transferred to the Facilities Department and the Protective
• Services activities have been transferred to the Environment, Health and Safety Division under David McGraw. Louise Millard, formerly of the Information and Computing Services Division, will head up the Reception Center.
• Copies of the new organizational charts reflecting the changes are being distributed to employees.

Metric notes

• Mathematics and science education, including the metric system of measurement, will be strengthened throughout the system, especially in the early grades;
• The number of teachers with a substantive background in mathematics and science, including the metric system of measurement, will increase by 50 percent.

Open House date set

Planning has begun for a day of tours, demonstrations, exhibits, and activities as LBL welcomes East Bay communities, laboratory employees, and their families and friends to visit the lab and experience its many facets. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Open House Steering Committee, chaired by Michael Chartock, head of Planning and Communications, has set the schedule parameters and established a management mechanism to guide the planning. The structure will feature an overall project manager and five project leaders for planning of the program, site and logistics, external relations, education programming, and publicity and promotion areas. Individuals who fill those roles will be announced soon.

Division directors and program heads have been asked to identify planning coordinators within their units to develop and convey information about their particular Open House activities. An initial meeting of these coordinators has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium.

A preliminary program will be assembled by the end of May, so that participating units can begin work on their respective projects. A final program should be completed by August.

-- Contributed by Ron Kolb

Patent Department: In answer to your question

• Where can I obtain the latest revision of the Patent Department's Disclosure and Record of Invention form?
• The Patent Department recently moved to Building 90, and is now located in Suite 1136. Hard-copy forms can be obtained by calling Karen Drew, X7058, who will forward the forms to you. Electronic versions (Word 5.1) may be obtained from the Patent Department public folder (Patent Dept, Karen Drew), in zone Net B12.
• Do researchers at LBL ever get to patent their own inventions?
• Yes, under certain circumstances. The patent process at LBL starts with an inventor filling out an invention disclosure form, which is sent to the Patent Department. Almost every week members from the Patent Department and the Technology Transfer Department meet to discuss the latest inventions and to decide whether LBL should obtain patents for them. If LBL (the Regents) elects to obtain title, a letter stating this is sent to the inventor(s), and LBL starts preparing an application. If LBL does not elect to patent the invention, the Department of Energy takes title. If inventors then wish to patent their inventions themselves, they must petition DOE for the right to do so.

Women in Science & Engineering Seminar

Shoaf, who is an Associated Western Universities Distinguished Lecturer, will discuss biotechnology and bioprocess engineering from the following perspectives: the traditional applications of this technology and the benefits to industry; changes and new paradigms that are required to achieve the potential benefits; and examples of activities and programs at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. (Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company contracts with DOE to manage INEL). She will also address career opportunities in this area, and factors that students might consider as they face the challenges of a changing marketplace.

Shoaf has 21 years of experience in microbiology, enzymology, and molecular biology in the academic, industrial and government sectors. In addition to her achievements in science and engineering program development, she is active in science and engineering education from kindergarten to graduate levels.

International Women's Month

Wife, mother, scientist - or the other way around?

In Mina Bissell's experience, women scientists have an image problem, and the problem is not simply in the minds of men.

"Women don't think of the woman scientist as a really attractive woman," declares Bissell, director of LBL's Life Sciences Division. "It is the image of someone who couldn't find a man."

Introduced by LBL Deputy Director Pier Oddone as a "force of nature" who has done "an amazing thing with science," Bissell wrestled with the image and roles of the woman scientist in a lively address entitled, "Wife, Mother, Scientist or Is It the Other Way Around?" She spoke to a noontime gathering in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium on March 27 in honor of International Women's Month.

A native of Iran, Bissell observed that "women grow up in this country with self doubt and questioning. It's transmitted to them through their parents."

Everybody has a certain amount of self doubt, Bissell said. "The problem that women have is they think they're the only ones. But everybody that is any good, including men, doubt themselves."

Bissell said she was fortunate to have had an extremely supportive family that always expected her to excel. "I'm stubborn, I think I'm good, and I have a certain amount of self-confidence," she said. She has excelled in her endeavors, starting out as the top high school student in Iran, going on to Bryn Mawr, Radcliffe, Harvard, and Berkeley, making a name for herself as a cell biologist.

Even so, she said she has struggled with the societal perception of the woman scientist as someone isolated and on the fringes. Like other women in a male-dominated setting, she has had to deal with the question, "How do we become part of the crowd and interact in a way that makes sense for us?"

For those not fortunate enough to have had supportive families, the help of mentors can make a big difference. But sometimes mentors are not available to women. Bissell told a story of eight women who met regularly over the years to support each other and had all become successful in their fields, most of them as professors.

"The group made for them the family they never had," Bissell said. "If you don't have the mentorship from your bosses, professors and others, make your connections, make these groups."

Bissell, who has two grown children, urged women to stop vacillating about what they are doing with their lives, thinking that they have a choice about whether to make a career or make a family.

"Lots of people think that women have a choice," she said. "They could stay home, garden, work, etc. But I don't think women have a choice. To feel good about yourself, you have to make something of yourself."

As well-established as she is as a scientist and a leader, Bissell said she still has to struggle with her image. "I'm still defensive," Bissell says. "When things go wrong, I really take it personally."

As for the title of her talk, "I don't know which way is right," she said. "I know that all is integrated, all is together, and that's the way it should be."

Women can be leaders

Cynthia Palmer, a chemist from LLNL and head of their nuclear waste technology program, gave a brief presentation at LBL's March 27 International Women's Month seminar. She contrasted leadership with management, both of which, she said, have their place in an organization.

"Management is a process that produces order and consistency," she said. "Leadership is a process of producing useful change. Organizations need both."

A leader establishes vision and direction, aligns people to the vision, and motivates them to stick with it. Establishing a vision can be a long process, taking anywhere from three to 20 years, she said, and requiring organizational knowledge, input from colleagues and subordinates, and an understanding of the current situation. To get people going in the same direction and keep them motivated to stick with it, a leader communicates the vision clearly and often, leads by example, involves people in decisions, and recognizes and rewards success.

The traits that people say they want their leaders to have--honesty, competence, vision, and the ability to inspire--are most often embodied by women, Palmer said. "There is a tremendous opportunity for women to be leaders," she concluded. --DL

Oops!

Our apologies, Glenn. You're not the heavenly body we said you were!

Human Resources Corner

Get fit for spring

Strawberry Canyon Recreation Area has swim memberships available for $75 for April through October. Call 643-6720 for more information. These rates are available by showing your LBL employee ID.

If you are enrolled in the Health Net group insurance plan, the Benefits Office has discount cards available for 24 Hour Nautilus. With the discount cards memberships are $79 for enrollment and $29 per month facility fee. To request a card, send an e-mail request to Benefits@lbl.gov or call X6403. Leave your name and LBL mail stop.

Employee picnic

AFSCME bargaining concludes

Lab elects Employee Activities Association Advisory Panel members

• Recreation Club representatives:

• Mary Clary -- 3-year term

• Sandy Goss -- 2-year term