ACADEMIA

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today presented the Secretary's Gold Award to eight current and former directors of Department of Energy national laboratories. The award is the Energy Department's highest honorary award and includes a plaque with citation, a medallion and a rosette. "I'm proud to recognize the people whose hard work and dedication contribute so much to the Department of Energy's vital missions," Secretary Abraham said. "Our world-class laboratories are a marvelous resource and have made far-reaching contributions - not only to the Department of Energy, but to our Nation and indeed the world. The incredible work done in the laboratories is made possible by the strong, steady, and responsible leadership of these directors." The Secretary's Gold Award recipients are: * Hermann Grunder, director, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill., and former director, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Va.; *William Madia, former director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash. and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn.; *John Marburger, former director, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y.; *Lura Powell, former director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash.; *Charles Shank, former director, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif.; *Bruce Tarter, director emeritus, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.; *Richard Truly, director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo.; and *Michael Witherell, director, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Ill. Secretary Abraham presented the awards at a luncheon at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The awards ceremony preceded a symposium on the late Edward Teller's legacy to the U.S. science community and U.S. national security. Teller was assistant director at Los Alamos National Laboratory and co-founder of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Secretary Abraham presented Teller with the Secretary's Gold Award in November 2002. The Teller symposium was sponsored by the department's Office of History and Heritage Resources, Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration and was co-organized by DOE and the Woodrow Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Project.