2026 Events:
January 13, 2026
Our speaker, Shaun Stephenson, LLNL’s Veteran/Military Strategic Program Manager, has, in only a few years, doubled the percentage of veterans employed at LLNL. He shared his moving story of how his family’s long dedication to military service and his brother’s death while serving in Kuwait motivates him in his role.
February 10, 2026
Ross Gaunt, LLRA member and co-coordinator and board member of the Tri-Valley Stargazers club, shared his passion for astronomy and some of the odd, unusual, and little known aspects of our solar system. While not all attendees received passing grades on his quizes, his enjoyable presentation was well received.
March 10, 2026
Caspar Donnison and Cindy Gonzalez opened our eyes to the opportunities and risks that AI presents. Their fun quizzes showed us how much there is to learn about this fast-moving sector of the economy. No one knew that the largest use of AI is for therapy and companionship. We saw how their work with the California legislature has helped formulate new approaches to controlling the risks and enhancing the opportunities for use of AI.
April 14, 2026
Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) Board Chairperson Dona Crawford and Executive Director Sally Allen shared the great work that the Foundation has done in 10 years since its inception. Dona answered the question “Why does the Lab need a philanthropic foundation?”. We learned that the LLF helps LLNL scientists be more nimble as they can provide funds quickly and as a non-profit, can accept funding from larger non-profits that wish to work with LLNL scientists. LLF support research, student fellows, STEM outreach, education and community initiatives. See livermorelabfoundation.org for more information.
May 12, 2026
“Once upon a train” sounds like the start to a fairytale. While it is the name of Michael Campbell’s YouTube channel about Walt Disney’s trains, it also captures the fun and wonder of Michael’s talk. We heard how Walt Disney first drew the image for Mickey Mouse while on a cross country train trip to how Walt’s backyard train, that he used as a form of relaxation, grew into the idea for Disneyland. We thank Michael for letting us raffle off a copy of his book “Walt Disney’s Trains: A grand circle through is life and legacy”.
June 9, 2026
Robin Wong’s presentation on the Livermore Institute for Fusion Technology explained how they are aiding the ‘patient investors’ who wish to partner with LLNL and DOE to make fusion energy a reality as the power source of the future. The delicate balance between encouraging private entities and investors but not ‘telling’ them what to do or where to invest requires knowledge of the current technology, the possibilities for the future and a lot of diplomacy. She talked about how ‘nimble’ some of the private sector companies have proven to be and how welcome they are to have this opportunity.
September 8, 2026
October 13, 2026
November 10, 2026