An experiment that will contribute vital knowledge about something deceptively simple – a proton’s spin – will soon come online at Fermilab. The experiment may either begin to validate the “potato salad” model of proton spin or force scientists to develop a new model entirely.

No aspect of Fermilab, past or present — the accomplishments of the Tevatron, the popular Arts and Lecture Series, the education efforts, the world-leading neutrino program — would be what it is today without the contributions of women. This International Women’s Day, we honor their contributions.

In honor of International Women’s Day, Fermilab engineers Mayling Wong-Squires and Farah Fahim share their experience taking part in the laboratory mentorship program. Their ongoing mentor-mentee relationship has bridged the gap from colleague to friend, and that perhaps even wider chasm — from electrical to mechanical engineering.

From the Department of Energy, Feb. 25, 2021: Jennifer M. Granholm was sworn in on Feb. 25 as the 16th U.S. secretary of energy. She is only the second woman to lead the U.S. Department of Energy.

Previously vice provost for undergraduate education and professor of physics at the University of Illinois, the new chief research officer will lead research on the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, advancing scientific excellence.

From UChicago News, Feb. 26, 2021: The University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees has named Paul Alivisatos as the university’s 14th president. An accomplished leader in higher education and a world-renowned scientist, Alivisatos is currently executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a professor and the former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Fermilab Deputy Director of Research Joe Lykken and Fermilab Neutrino Division Head Steve Brice, recognized for their service to DOE’s mission and the benefit of the nation, earn among the highest honors a Department of Energy employee or contractor can receive.

Asymmetry in the proton confounds physicists, but a new discovery may bring back old theories to explain it.

Protecting particle accelerators and developing technology for addressing environmental issues, Arden Warner loves solving problems. He’s also chair of the Fermilab Summer Internships in Science and Technology committee, where he champions mentoring young scientists and working towards a more inclusive culture in science.

The prodigious amount of data produced at the Large Hadron Collider presents a major challenge for data analysis. Coffea, a Python package developed by Fermilab researchers, speeds up computation and helps scientists work more efficiently. Around a dozen international LHC research groups now use Coffea, which draws on big data techniques used outside physics.