I am a first-generation college student. As a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. Instead of space exploration, I became a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow and some of my research takes me on expeditions deep underground or deep underwater. I have always been inspired by the synergy of science and technology, so synchrotron research fits well into my overall interests. Currently, I am a Professor in the Department of Soil, Water & Climate at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. I am the 2nd woman to be promoted to 'full' Professor in the history of my department. 

My scientific discipline is geochemistry and my research addresses the speciation and mobility of metals in the environment. I am a frequent user of North American synchrotron facilities for soft, tender, and hard X-ray applications for nanoprobe, microprobe, and bulk analyses of natural samples. I have been a frequent user of the ALS over the past ~ 20 years. I have served on the ALS User Executive Committee, Proposal Study Panel, and Science Advisory Committee, as well as a variety of ad hoc and programmatic review panels related to ALS-U and beamlines serving the geoscience community. I recently joined the National Science Foundation’s “Synchrotron Earth and Environmental Science (SEES)” Infrastructure and Facilities project as a Co-PI. My responsibility within SEES is promoting capacity, accessibility, and training for soft and tender X-ray nanoprobes at the ALS for geoscience applications. I have been and will continue to be actively engaged with the ALS.

Dr. Alexander Laskin is a Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University whose research focuses on the analytical and physical chemistry of atmospheric aerosols. His group is renowned for developing and applying novel analytical techniques for comprehensive chemical characterization of aerosols, including chemical imaging of individual particles using Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) 5.3.2 and 11.0.2 beamlines. His group maintains an active portfolio of collaborative user projects with the ALS/LBNL and the Canadian Light Source.  Additionally, his group has a long-standing relationship with the DOE’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where they have conducted extensive research on multiphase particle chemistry. At Purdue, Dr. Laskin’s projects are supported by research grants from the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Science Research Program (DOE OBER), NOAA’s Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle and Climate Program, NSF’s Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry programs (AGS and CHE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His work spans fundamental questions related to atmospheric composition, climate, and environmental impacts. Dr. Laskin’s background includes nearly two decades (1999-2017) as a staff scientist at EMSL/PNNL, where he hosted and mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, research staff, and collaborating faculty from across the world. This experience allowed him to cultivate a unique perspective on collaborative research within the DOE user facilities, developing from a postdoctoral researcher to an independent principal investigator within this environment. This dual perspective, gained from working within the DOE system and as an external faculty collaborator, equips Dr. Laskin with a deep appreciation for the mission and community of DOE user facilities. With his “insider” and “outsider” experience, Dr. Laskin is well-positioned to serve as an advocate for the ALS, particularly in the DOE OBER domain. He looks forward to supporting the ALS’s mission beyond his own research, lending his expertise and commitment to advancing the facility’s contributions to science and to the broader research community. Dr. Laskin would be honored to continue working with ALS scientists and management, and to contribute wherever his knowledge and experience might be of benefit.

I am a Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, with an adjunct appointment in Material Science and Engineering. I study the mechanical properties of materials under extreme conditions. For earth sciences this helps us to understand dynamic processes like plate tectonics and mantle convection as well as transient processes like meteor impacts.  In addition to earth science, I also study deformation metals and nano materials as well as the effects of radiation damage on mechanical properties.   My first synchrotron experiments were at the ALS as a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, 20 years ago. Since then, I have used the APS, the NSLS, the ESRF, and PETRA III.  However, ALS remains a special place for me and I keep coming back beamline 12.2.2. for high pressure work. I have also collaborated on projects at the 12.3.2. and 8.3.2. beamlines. I have served on the ALS General Sciences Proposal Study Panel, and I also served on the facilities committee for the NSF-funded Consortium for Materials Properties Research in the Earth Sciences (COMPRES), which had an Approved Program at 12.2.2. for many years.  In that role I reviewed the effectiveness of the various COMPRES supported facilities, (including the AP program at 12.2.2)  in serving their user base.

I am interested in serving on the UEC because of the ongoing and upcoming changes to the ALS and its users.  In the near future, as the upgraded APS comes online and soon after as the dark period for the ALS upgrade (ALS-U) begins, it will be vital to maintain our connections with the ALS user base.  Most importantly we need to ensure that the new ALS-U provides better scientific and technical capabilities as well as an enhanced user experience. I see the ALS User’s meeting as an ideal venue in which to maintain and cultivate our ties with the ALS user base during the ALS upgrade. To that end, I have the experience of having served for 3 years on the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting Program Committee. In summary, my motivation to serve on the UEC is to help ensure a smooth and successful transition for the user community during the ALS-U.

In March 2020, my first trip to the ALS was cut short due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I lost a few shifts of beamtime and missed a concert in SF, but I knew I wanted to return to Berkeley. Performing remote experiments at the ALS and NSLS-II during graduate school was valuable, but it wasn’t until I started as a postdoc at the ALS that I came to fully appreciate the beamline life. During my 2.5 years at the ALS, I was fortunate to work at several x-ray scattering beamlines (7.3.3, 11.0.1.2, 5.3.1), among other spectroscopy/imaging beamlines (5.3.2.2, 8.3.2), to study polymer membranes used for water purification. Now, as I begin a faculty position in environmental engineering at Arizona State University, I look forward to bringing my students to the ALS to explore new research challenges and make use of this unique facility. 

My goal as a member of the UEC will be to enhance the overall user experience at the ALS, particularly in light of the upcoming upgrade. I will advocate for improved user accessibility – for instance, taking the dark period to develop user friendly beamline programs and open source analysis workflows – and I will foster new networking opportunities, in particular for early career researchers and new users of the ALS. In my role on the UEC, I will represent several scientific communities, including environmental sciences, energy sciences, and soft matter/polymers, and I look forward to working with and learning from the rest of you. Thank you for your consideration.

I am an Assistant Professor of Physics at Northeastern University in Boston. My research encompasses photoemission, diffraction, and both elastic and inelastic scattering in and out of equilibrium. I have been an ALS user since 2019, primarily working at beamline 4.0.2, but I have been a user at other synchrotron and free-electron lasers since the beginning of my scientific career. Additionally, I serve on the users’ executive committee at CHESS and the Inelastic X-ray Scattering review panel at the Advanced Photon Source.

As we approach the APS-U upgrade, I am excited to join the ALS User Committee and support our community through this important period of transition. I believe that my multifaceted approach to condensed matter physics supports a broad, community-centered vision that aligns with the evolving needs of ALS users. I am dedicated to gathering feedback from users to improve the ALS experience and ensure a smooth return to full operation. Additionally, I aim to broaden the ALS user community by promoting its unique research opportunities and helping new and existing users navigate these expanded capabilities.

I am excited to begin my postdoctoral research at the ALS, where I will be working with the X-ray Microscopy Group, primarily utilizing the STXM beamlines 5.3.2, 7.0.1, and 11.0.2. Although I am new to the ALS, I bring extensive experience from my time at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). I first conducted high-energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) experiments at the APS as an undergraduate in 2017 and 2018, and remained a frequent user throughout my graduate studies at UCSB. My thesis work involved developing low-temperature dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM) at the APS’s 6-ID-C beamline to explore complex phase transitions in quantum materials. This technique-driven approach allowed me to collaborate with scientists across diverse disciplines, fostering a deep appreciation for interdisciplinary research and teamwork.

Currently, my focus is on advancing X-ray optics and microscopy techniques to push the boundaries of resolution and expand in-situ experimental capabilities. I am particularly excited by the opportunities that the increased brightness and coherence from the ALS-U upgrade will bring. As this upgrade progresses, I plan to stay engaged with APS and other synchrotron facilities to remain at the forefront of state-of-the-art synchrotron research.

I believe that open communication between users and ALS management is crucial for the facility’s continued growth and success. By listening to users' needs and advocating for their interests, we can ensure that the ALS remains a leading research facility. My motivation for joining the UEC is driven by a commitment to supporting users in achieving their experimental and research objectives. While I may not have the same level of administrative experience as some of the other candidates, I am eager to learn and contribute meaningfully to the ALS community through this role by prioritizing communication and adapting to users’ changing needs in the wake of the upcoming upgrade.

I am a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA in structural biology and my research focuses on therapeutic development for the rare genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I use X-ray crystallography to study the structure of nucleic acids and interactions with potential drugs. As a graduate student I determined the structures of small regulatory RNAs known as microRNAs. Through these studies I have performed experiments at every synchrotron facility in the country and worked extensively at ALS beamline 8.3.1. I look forward to contributing back to the ALS user community as a member of the User Executive Committee. I served as an invited UEC member for the 2024 term and helped to coordinate the awards for this year’s user meeting. As a representative on the UEC I am excited to organize future meetings and to advocate for the needs of users of the biological sciences.

Since starting my position at the ALS, I have noticed there to be a social gap between those of us in the bioscience division and those in materials-related divisions. If elected, I will be a UEC member who closes that gap and engages the biosciences community with the other divisions. Having come from a materials background and currently working at a biosciences beamline, I understand the differences that users have in both fields in terms of incoming knowledge and expectations from the beamline staff. In order to reach out to early career researchers and the greater scientific community, I believe it is important that the UEC itself has a diverse background in research topics. Most of all, I am enthusiastic to serve the facility which has, for many years, fostered my career as a scientist. 

I am currently a postdoc at the SIBYLS beamline (12.3.1) at the ALS, working on solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of biomolecules. I have been a general user at ALS since in 2019, when I was in grad school at Penn State. I mainly utilized 7.3.3 (SAXS/WAXS) and 11.0.1.2 (Resonant soft X-ray scattering). My research experience is centered around X-ray scattering of biological systems, which have included plant cell walls, proteins, and lipids. I greatly enjoy working at the ALS and plan to continue pursuing an X-ray scattering-oriented research career. In particular, I am excited for the ALS-U upgrade and hope to gain as much experience as I can as we deconstruct and rebuild the X-ray scattering beamlines.

I am a graduate student at Washington State University and currently a doctoral fellow in residence at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). My research focuses on utilizing theoretical calculations and modeling to enhance the use of resonant soft X-rays for characterizing organic materials. Primarily conducted on the Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering (RSoXS) beamline at the ALS—where our group previously held an approved program—my work relies heavily on the unique capabilities of this facility. The RSoXS beamline is the only one of its kind in the United States that meets the specific needs of my research, making the ALS an indispensable resource for my studies.

In recent years, our research has expanded to include facilities like NSLS II and the Australian Synchrotron to take advantage of their specialized instruments. However, the ALS remains central to our work due to its unparalleled capabilities in resonant soft X-ray applications. My deep investment in the ALS stems from a commitment to ensuring that its unique facilities continue to lead in advancing research within the user community. As a member of the Users' Executive Committee, I aim to advocate for the needs of users like myself and contribute to the ongoing excellence and accessibility of the ALS.

I am a Ph.D. candidate specializing in condensed matter physics, focusing on using synchrotron X-rays to investigate the electronic properties of quantum materials. In addition to being a user of the ALS, I have attended and presented at the recent ALS User Meeting, which sparked my interest in contributing more actively to the community. Recently, I became a Doctoral Fellow at ALS in the Photon Science Development Group and closely collaborate with coherent beamlines 7.0.1.1, 7.0.1.2, 12.0.2, and 5.3.2.1. My work aims to develop novel methods for employing coherent soft X-rays, aligning with the upcoming coherence upgrade of ALS-U and potentially benefiting the X-ray community in general.

As both a graduate student researcher and an ALS affiliate, I bring a unique perspective to contribute to building a collaborative environment for our user community. I am committed to enhancing accessibility to online resources by ensuring that beamline instrumentation details are comprehensive and regularly updated. Additionally, I advocate for upgrading user interfaces at beamlines to be more user-friendly—such as implementing Bluesky—to align with other advanced synchrotrons. Improving accessibility for in-person users is also important to me, including addressing parking availability and providing transportation over weekends. As an international student and employee, I am dedicated to promoting ALS's strong practices in inclusion and diversity. Most importantly, with the major upgrades toward ALS-U approaching, I believe that clear communication between ALS and its users is vital to keep everyone informed and engaged throughout the transition.

I am a graduate research assistant at Washington State University and over the last 2 years I have put hundreds of hours into the 7.3.3 and 5.3.2.2 beamlines at ALS as well as at the SST-1 7-ID-1 beamline at NSLS-ii. My research is primarily to investigate the morphological mechanisms of organic solar cells which allow us to reach record high energy conversion efficiencies. We accomplish this through analyzing many different x-ray scattering, microscopy, and spectroscopic techniques that synchrotrons can provide.

I have come to understand the instruments that I use by running each experiment completely remotely, so I want to be a member of the UEC as a voice for those who, like me, have never set foot inside the physical facilities themselves. I would like ALS to connect more to the online world to offer posts or web pages with insights and advice from beamline scientists about the different instruments available, and virtual tours (both VR and 2D).  I want to make it clear to groups who don’t have plentiful resources for travel that synchrotron science is accessible no matter where they are, and I want to make the process of learning the instruments remotely more streamlined, clear, and unintimidating for new users.