Project update for MSU's Construction Junction meeting
Recently I had the chance to speak about the FRIB project at the MSU Construction Junction meeting, hosted monthly by MSU Physical Plant. The open meeting is a chance for people on campus and in neighboring communities "to learn all about engineering and architectural services projects in design and under construction," according to the description on the meeting's Web site.
I was happy to oblige and to emphasize once again our two overarching objectives about FRIB project communication. First, we are committed to openness and transparency. The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for the the FRIB project by way of a Cooperative Agreement to achieve a public good. This broad context in which we are supported by DOE, and ultimately by taxpayers, impels us to listen and respond to the public at all stages of the project.
Second, whenever possible we are working to reinforce existing relationships between campus stakeholders and the wider community rather than to establish new relationships on our own. This not because we don't want to be helpful. On the contrary, we think that utilizing these existing relationships is the most efficient means of keeping the most stakeholders informed about the project.
In terms of size (annual budget: $1.7 billion+; number of students: 46,000+; number of faculty/staff: 11,000+) MSU is one of the United States' mega-universities, and accordingly has many points of connection with people and institutions around the state of Michigan, the nation and the world.
When I presented a project update to local, state and federal law enforcement officials a few months back, I stressed that their point of contact for FRIB, as for all law enforcement matters that touch MSU, is MSU Police Chief Jim Dunlap. I encouraged local economic development officials I spoke with a few weeks later to direct FRIB questions to MSU's Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Steve Webster, whose office counts among its responsibilities the coordination of MSU's relationship with the local governments. And so not surprisingly, one of my messages at the meeting last week was that all questions relating to engineering, architectural services and construction should first go through MSU Physical Plant. They know best who to contact on the FRIB project and how to get back to you quickly with an answer.
As part of the ethic of openness, we recorded the presentation and are making it available on YouTube. (See below.) The slides are available here (PDF, 3.72 MB), given that they are tough to read as captured by the camera. If you have questions about FRIB that you'd like to see answered, post them on YouTube or send a note to me at glasmacher@frib.msu.edu. I will be happy to address them on this blog, as a brief video update, or in whatever manner is most appropriate.
Part 2: FRIB Construction Junction Update
Part 3: FRIB Construction Junction Update
As for other project updates: we successfully completed the combined FRIB Collaboration Meeting and 2009 User Workshop, held Aug. 10-11. Attendance at the User Workshop was the highest ever, with more than 60 researchers from 30 institutions in six countries coming to East Lansing to participate. The State News, MSU's student run campus paper, covered the workshop. Aside from misstating the name of the current nuclear science user facility at MSU -- it's "National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory" or "NSCL" not "the Cyclotron;" we've tried somewhat futilely to emphasize the latter is merely the machine that accelerates nuclei, not the entire laboratory -- the paper did a good job capturing the spirit of these meetings. We appreciate the coverage.
During the meetings, Rick Casten, D. Allan Bromley Professor of Physics and Director of the A.W. Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory, was among the users who made time for brief Q-and-A interviews about big-picture issues in nuclear science. Casten, who as chair of the FRIB Science Advisory Committee will play an important role in optimizing the scientific potential of the new facility, is featured below.
