The newest flagship building on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory campus, the Integrated Engineering Research Center (IERC), has been officially named the Helen Edwards Engineering Center in honor of the late Dr. Helen Edwards, a particle physicist at Fermilab for 40 years.
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., along with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster, D-Ill., and Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., introduced the bicameral resolution to name the building for Edwards as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The act was approved by Congress on Dec. 19 and signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23, 2024.
Helen Edwards was a towering figure in the world of accelerator science, renowned for leading the design, construction, commissioning and operation of Fermilab’s Tevatron accelerator. The Tevatron held the title of the world’s most powerful particle collider for 25 years and discovered the top quark in 1995 and the tau neutrino in 2000 — two of the three fundamental particles identified at Fermilab. Edwards passed away in 2016.
“As a leading force on the Tevatron, Helen Edwards inspired so many people at Fermilab with her dedication and resolve,” said Fermilab Chief Research Officer Bonnie Fleming. “Her legacy is a shining example to students, researchers and engineers today on the importance of working together to advance accelerator research. It is an honor to have one of the landmarks at Fermilab named after her.”
The Helen Edwards Engineering Center is an 80,000-square-foot, multi-story laboratory and office building adjacent to Fermilab’s iconic Wilson Hall. The new space is a collaborative laboratory where engineers, scientists and technicians tackle the technical challenges of particle physics and pioneer groundbreaking technologies. The building boasts operational efficiencies and supports the ongoing research and planning for the premier international experiment hosted by Fermilab, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
The state-of-the-art building was recently recognized with a U.S. Department of Energy Sustainability Award in the category of Outstanding Sustainability Program/Project. The award highlights the building’s eco-friendly design, which incorporates numerous features to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution and increase water efficiency. It has also won industry awards for the building’s design and engineering.
The engineering center was funded by the Department of Energy’s Science Laboratory Infrastructure program and is intended to meet current and future needs for research performed at Fermilab for the DOE Office of Science.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on social media.
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