Awards

Valerie Roberts, area integration manager of infrastructure for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), recently was named Outstanding Woman in Construction, an award cosponsored by Arizona State University and the Greater Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction.
Roberts is a 1987 graduate of the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. She received her M.S. in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico in 1991. Her experience in engineering and construction includes industrial as well as defense and large Department of Energy projects. For NIF, she has successfully managed the construction of the conventional facility and the design, fabrication, and installation of the laser beam-path infrastructure.

The Livermore Chamber of Commerce has honored Karen Kiernan with its 2001 Education Award. The award is given to a business, individual, or organization that contributes to the “excellence of education” in Livermore.
Kiernan is the special projects manager for Public Affairs. She was recognized for a long history of promoting education activities from grade-school levels to community college. She was cited for her development, implementation, and management of the Tri-Valley Science and Engineering Fair, now in its sixth year.
Of the honor she received, Kiernan said, “I’ve always been a big believer in education–business partnerships, so it is especially rewarding when the community finds my work valuable. I also appreciate Laboratory management recognizing the importance of LLNL contributing to the community and supporting my endeavors.”

Paul R. Dickinson, assistant director for program development in the University Relations Program, was elected president of Keep California Beautiful, a statewide nonprofit environmental education group that promotes individual responsibility for California’s environment through community-based litter prevention and recycling programs. He has been a member of this group for about 7 years.
For 10 years, Dickinson had served as executive director of the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, a nonprofit organization that he founded. With support from the Laboratory, he is now applying his experience in program development to expanding the influence of Keep California Beautiful.