Peter Nugent, Elizabeth Bautista and Maria Maroudas Honored for Exceptional Achievement

Peter Nugent of the Computational Research Division, Elizabeth Bautista of the NERSC Division and Maria Maroudas of the Computing Sciences Human Resources team have been recognized with Director’s Awards of Exceptional Achievement. The awards were presented Aug. 8 in a ceremony in the Bldg. 50 auditorium.

Nugent, co-leader of the Computational Cosmology Center, was honored for scientific achievement in helping create the Palomar Transient Factory, a scientific pipeline of images from the universe, streamed from the Palomar Observatory in Southern California and then archived at NERSC and made available to scientists around the world as they seek to increase our understanding of supernovae. In presenting the award, DOE Joint Genome Institute Director Eddy Rubin called Nugent’s work “groundbreaking” and setting a new standard for supporting scientific research.

Bautista was recognized for her work in diversity, particularly her efforts to encourage students to pursue careers in computer science and to give the students hands-on experience through expanded internship opportunities. As she presented the award, Associate Laboratory Director for Computing Sciences Kathy Yelick said that Bautista has “made the lab a better and friendlier place to work.”

Maroudas was one of nine members of the Affiliate/Recruiting & Hiring Process and Technology Improvement Team honored for their work to upgrade the lab’s software infrastructure for recruiting and hiring new employees.