In their element: Spotlight on student fellows at Livermore Lab Foundation 10th anniversary showcase

This region’s commitment to scientific discovery and innovation is typified by the success of the Livermore Lab Foundation. 

Established in 2016 as the primary philanthropic partner of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (a novel concept in the industry at the time), the foundation has raised more than $11 million and provided some 175 fellowship awards to undergraduate and graduate students – and its sights are set on even greater achievement in the next decade and beyond. 

“LLF plays a vital role in bridging the gap between visionary philanthropy and world-changing science, helping advance research, education, and innovation that benefits our community and beyond,” Executive Director Sally Allen told me after last week’s 10th anniversary showcase event.

“What makes me most proud is that LLF’s impact extends far beyond dollars raised,” she said. “We’ve opened the door to new opportunities and pathways for STEM students, advanced scientific knowledge locally and nationally through new partnerships, and helped demonstrate how private philanthropy can complement investments into national laboratory science and innovation.” 

“Our first decade proved what is possible when people come together around a shared belief in the power of science solutions for a better tomorrow,” Allen added. 

I attended the foundation’s “Decade of Impact Celebration” at Garré Vineyard and Winery on Aug. 5, an evening dedicated to recognizing the 28 projects by fellowship recipients this year and highlighting the foundation’s journey to date. 

“One of the lab’s great strengths is taking deep science and technology expertise and bringing it to bear where it can make a real difference. But how research is funded is changing, with philanthropy and industry playing increasingly important roles,” LLNL Director Kim Budil said in a video played during the gala. 

“The foundation gives us flexibility, the ability to explore, to experiment, and to apply our capabilities to new and emerging problems that matter,” added Budil, who played a key role in establishing LLF.

Livermore became only the third of the 17 national labs to create an affiliated, independent nonprofit when LLF was founded in 2016.

“The foundation has also helped us invest in the future. by bringing students to the lab and supporting early career researchers. The future of our lab depends not only on great facilities and great science, but on people – on building pathways to individuals we might not otherwise reach,” Budil said. “Some of those early career researchers will be the leaders of the future. That pipeline is one of the most important things we can build.”

Sitting at my table was London Starks, a Florida A&M University grad headed to pursue her master’s in physics at Illinois State University. 

Her project, “From Sphere to Oblate Star: Simulating the Effects of Rapid Rotation on Stellar Structure”, centered on summer research on visualization of differential rotation (slow, moderate and rapid), visualization of gravity darkening in a solar mass star and analysis of convection zones. 

Others’ research included “Lithium Isotope Separation” by Zaara Bhatia, “Undocumented Well Detection” by Vrishan Inukollu, “Image Analysis of Addictive Manufactured Polar Direct Drive-Wetted Foam Capsules for Inertial Fusion Energy” by Olive Colfelt and “Improving Nuclear Data for Core-Collapse Supernova Research” by Aryanna Leilani Perez.

You understand probably about as much as I did. 

While I was out of my element during many of the technical conversations that night in Livermore, the fellows seemed right at home describing their work for movers and shakers in a community whose scientific reputation is well-established – the home of two national labs, an epicenter of fusion energy, the namesake of No. 116 on the periodic table … the list goes on.

“Watching our fellows share their research with donors, community leaders, and LLNL leaders was one of the most rewarding moments of the evening,” Allen told me. “Seeing the students grow from researchers-in-training into confident scientific contributors is a powerful reminder that investing in people is one of the most important investments we can make.”

Allen said she was struck by the “incredible range” of the students’ research in Livermore – “from artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to fusion energy, materials science, bioscience, and data science applications”. 

“Our fellows gain hands-on research experience, build technical skills, and discover how science can address some of society’s greatest challenges,” she added. “Our fellowship program would not be made possible without the generous support of our donors and dedication of our LLNL mentors who ensure that the impact of today’s research continues into the future innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders who will carry science forward.”

The sold-out dinner event offered foundation leaders and their supporters the chance to celebrate their past, present and future. 

“It was incredibly rewarding to reflect on what we’ve accomplished while looking ahead to what is still possible,” Allen said. “Science matters now more than ever, and together, we will reach our goal and achieve even greater impact in our next decade.”

To that end, LLF recently launched its new $1 million fundraising campaign “Science Today, Science Tomorrow”, which aims to “ensure critical research and student pathways continue to thrive, fueling the discoveries of the next decade and beyond”, according to Allen.

They’ve already raised more $330,000 toward their goal. 

The foundation is also gearing up to help its partner, LLNL, commemorate its 75th anniversary next year. 

“Science is advancing at an extraordinary pace, from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to fusion energy, and the need to invest in research and future scientific leaders has never been greater,” Allen told me.

“We want the Livermore Lab Foundation to continue serving as a bridge between visionary philanthropy and groundbreaking discovery,” she said. “Through the power of science philanthropy the LLF has the capability to invest in high-risk high-reward research today that can lead to tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”

And from Budil’s perspective at the lab, the foundation represents “a meaningful way to bring together philanthropy, local leadership, education partners, and lab priorities in service of our missions. As the challenges facing our country grow more complex, partnerships like this are becoming more important.” 


“Even with everything we have here at the lab – the science, the facilities, the people – we can’t meet those challenges alone. We need strong partners, strong communities, and a shared commitment to the mission,” she said. “I helped start this particular partnership because I believed in it, and I believe in it even more now.”


For more information about LLF and its “Decade of Impact”, go to livermorelabfoundation.org. 

Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What A Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.

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