Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 1 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Communication Issues - Brant Johnson, BNL Part I: General Issues of User Communication User Questions and Concerns Partners in Communication (internal and external) Methods of Communication (push, pull, and respond) Part II: My Brief History as a User and User Rep. Part III: A Specific Example (RHIC & AGS) Reorganizing a Users’ Executive Committee Startup and Evolution of a Users’ Center
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 2 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Part I: User Questions and Concerns As a user, how do I understand: What is expected of me. (regulations, procedures, dos and don’ts) What has changed. (regulations, procedures, dos and don’ts) Who can help me. (site access, lodging, remote computing, etc.). To whom to report problems and suggestions. How to convey the importance of my work.
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 3 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Partners in Communication: User Administrators (the “go to” people who are there to help me). User Organization or Executive Committee (elected and appointed liaisons). Experimental Research Team (a few, formal group, or large collaboration). Facility Administration (scheduling and operational issues). Laboratory Administration (environment, safety, security, and health). Stakeholders in Washington (must know rules of engagement).
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 4 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 PUSHing information to users: web pages (news, information, announcements, changes) (to individuals, distribution lists, or list servers) face-to-face (open forums and other meetings) telephone, paper mail, FAX, telegraph, pony exp. (rarely or never used)
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 5 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 PULLing information from users: (sending out requests for feedback or surveys) web pages (comment boxes, interactive forms for surveys face-to-face (walk-ins, open forums, and other meetings) telephone, paper mail, FAX, telegraph, pony exp. (rarely or never used)
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 6 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 RESPONDing to user concerns: (receive concern, investigate, reply, follow-up) telephone (real time answers or follow-up later) face-to-face (walk-ins, open forums, and other meetings) web pages (updates and acknowledgements) paper mail, FAX, telegraph, pony express (rarely or never used)
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 7 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Part II: My brief history as a user A local user (atomic, plasma, beam physics): EN tandem at Univ. of Texas at Austin dual MP tandems at BNL National Synch. Light Source at BNL A visiting user (atomic and plasma physics): 1977 EN Tandem at Oak Ridge Natl. Lab 1979 Super HILAC, Lawrence Berkeley Natl. Lab 1980 Triumf Cyclotron, Vancouver, Canada 1984 Max Planck Inst. tandem,Heidelberg,Germany 1984 GSI, Darmstadt, Germany A local user (nuclear and particle physics): 1992-pres. RHIC and AGS at BNL
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 8 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Part II: My brief history as a User Rep Representative, Special Interest Group on AMO Science to NSLS UEC Chair, NSLS Subcommittee on Beam Line Operation & Safety Awareness 1992-pres.Principal Liaison (now Official Host) for 500 users on PHENIX Experiment at RHIC Elected Member, RHIC & AGS Users’ Executive Committee (UEC) Chair-Elect, RHIC & AGS UEC Chair, RHIC & AGS UEC Past-Chair, RHIC & AGS UEC Elected Member, RHIC & AGS UEC
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 9 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 UEC Chairs in the Era of RHIC Succession of Chairs for 3 year termsunchanged Jim Thomas, LBNL Chair Rich Seto, UCR Chair , Past Chair Vicki Greene, Vanderbilt Chair-Elect , Chair , Past Chair Gary Westfall, MSU Chair-Elect , Chair , Past Chair Brant Johnson, BNL Chair-Elect , Chair , Past Chair John Hill, ISU Chair-Elect , Chair , Past Chair
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 10 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Users’ Group Ex-Officio Members BNL employees holding the following positions are registered as Ex-Officio members of the Users’ Group: Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) BNL Deputy Director for Science and Technology Associate Director for Nuclear and Particle Physics Chair of the Collider-Accelerator Department Chair of the Physics Department Accelerator Division Head Experimental Support Facilities Head Director of Users’ Center (and GUV Center).
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 11 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, Discussion on working groups Vision: 1.Reorganize previous UEC Committees into four Working Groups to cover broad areas of UEC concern. 2.Carry out the “work” of the UEC through active engagement of 6-10 members “working” together in each Working Group. 3. Charge each UEC Member to concentrate their efforts as a Convenor of one Working Group or as a member of only one or two Working Groups (except Ex-Officio). 4. The Working portion (10:00 to 11:15) of each monthly UEC meeting shall be devoted to reports from each Working group on outcomes of previous ACTIONS, status of current ACTION ITEMS, and initiation of new ACTION ITEMS.
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 12 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 UEC Working Groups (UWG) Brookhaven Site Access Physical Access (Visa, Guest Appointment, Gate Access) Computer Access (Cybersecurity, Scientific Computing) Safety, Training, Scientific Computing and data transfer issues Funding and Political Action Funding: Facility Operations, Research, and User Support. Political Action: Interactions with DOE, OSTP, OMB, Congress Meetings and Open Forums Annual Users’ Meeting and semi-annual Users’ Group Meetings Quarterly Open Forums and Monthly UEC Meetings. Quality of Life Housing and Transportation; Recreation and Socialization Site Enhancements (better lighting, foot paths, maintenance) Agenda input for Open Forums at BNL and User Group Meetings Liaisons to Association for Students And Postdocs (ASAP)
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 13 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Ex-Officio Conveners of Working Groups Brookhaven Site Access Director of Users’ Center (user administrator) Funding and Political Action UEC Chair Meetings and Open Forums UEC Chair-Elect Quality of Life UEC Past-Chair
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 14 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, 2008 Major Concerns of RHIC User Community 1.FUNDING for Research (groups and nations) FUNDING for RHIC and Detector Operations FUNDING for RHIC and Detector Upgrades FUNDING for long-term future (RHIC II, e-RHIC) 2. Visa Issues and Approval for BNL Site Access: Of 1030 RHIC Users, only 319 are U.S., while 711 (69%) are non-U.S. Currently 230 RHIC “sensitive” country users: Russia (113), China (62), India (43), Israel (4), Taiwan (4), Pakistan (2), Georgia (1), and Ukraine (1). 3. Safety, Training, and Quality of Life at BNL. 4.Staying abreast of changing rules and regulations. e.g., Homeland Security Presidential Directive, HSPD-12
Brookhaven Science Associates U.S. Department of Energy 15 Communication Issues -- Brant Johnson, BNL NUFO Meeting, PNNL, April 25, List servers and web pages List servers: The Users’ Center has developed and maintains several list servers to communicate with the general user community and specific subsets (e.g., RHIC-AGS, NSRL, ATF, tandem, UEC members).