This year’s Tim Renner User Services Award for Outstanding Support to the ALS User Community was awarded to ALS User Services Group Leader Sue Bailey “for her leadership in developing the ALS User Portal—ALSHub—and its associated software suite.” ALSHub has been a major focus for Bailey in recent years, and follows along in her long career of managing scientific computer programs and databases.
“Most of my career has been a combination of doing my own science and managing computer projects,” says Bailey. In Bailey’s scientific career she’s explored the structure of a variety of proteins, with a focus on molybdenum enzymes.
Bailey started at the ALS as a beamline scientist back in 2001, working on protein crystallography beamlines at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology for 2.5 years. She says having her own experience as an ALS user and a long career in synchrotron science and project management uniquely prepared her for her current role, which she moved into in 2007.
“I’d always had a background in synchrotron science—I’ve worked at synchrotrons since I was in my 20s in the UK,” says Bailey. “I also managed a large computer project, CCP4, for protein crystallography in the UK, so I had the combination of science and project management experience.”
Bailey sees her major accomplishment in her current role as upgrading business software for users and staff, providing an integrated, user-friendly system. Rolling out ALSHub was the first step, followed by a centralized beamline scheduling tool. A new safety software program that will be introduced in 2018 will be the next evolution.
Tim Renner was a beamline scientist at the ALS who died at an early age, and who during his career touched everyone that knew him with his caring attitude to others and his larger-than-life personality. This award recognizes the services of others across the ALS organization who, like Tim, have made outstanding contributions to the ALS User Community.