Fermilab center renamed after late particle physicist Helen Edwards
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s Integrated Engineering Research Center, which officially opened in January 2024, is now known as the Helen Edwards Engineering Center. The name was changed to honor the late particle physicist who led the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the lab’s Tevatron accelerator and was part of the Water Resources Development Act signed by President Biden in December 2024, according to a Fermilab press release.
Edwards
Shining legacy: Edwards, who worked at Fermilab for 40 years (1970–2010) before her death in 2016, was “a towering figure in the world of accelerator science,” the release said. Because of her efforts, the Tevatron became the world’s most powerful particle collider, holding that distinction for 25 years while it was used to discover two of the three fundamental particles that have been identified at Fermilab: the top quark and the tau neutrino. The collider was shut down in 2011.
Fermilab chief research officer Bonnie Fleming said that Edwards’s “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.”
Collaborative laboratory: The 80,000-square-foot, multistory Helen Edwards Engineering Center was created with funds from the Department of Energy’s Science Laboratory Infrastructure program. The center was designed to meet the research needs of Fermilab and the DOE Office of Science.
Fermilab describes the center as “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.”
Sustainability Award: In November, the center was honored with a DOE Sustainability Award in the category of Outstanding Sustainability Program/Project. The award recognized the building’s “eco-friendly design, which incorporates numerous features to achieve reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, waste, and pollution and [to] increase water efficiency.”
