On May 16th, Robert Hamilton was recognized by Chancellor Dirks and other senior administrators in a ceremony celebrating the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Awards. Mr. Hamilton has served as technical lead for the Marvell NanoLab for more than thirty years, beginning at its predecessor the Berkeley MicroLab—birthplace of numerous paradigm-shifting technologies, including MEMS, FinFET transistors, and micro-fluidic self assembly.
UC Berkeley’s Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Jeannine Raymond, wrote that “since 1988, the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award (COSA) has been presented to staff members and teams who have demonstrated exceptional initiative in contributing to the UC Berkeley campus community. The Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award is among the highest honors bestowed upon staff by the Chancellor, acknowledging the great distinction and excellence achieved by Berkeley staff through their daily contributions to the campus and beyond.”
Read more about Mr. Hamilton’s nomination and accomplishments:
As the NanoLab Equipment Manager, Bob has been a leader in innovation, adaptation and efficiency for years; his recent efforts highlight his outstanding creativity and exceptional initiative. Noting opportunities for significant cost-savings, Bob implemented several key initiatives to better serve the needs and budget of the lab. This included an evaluation and plan for the use of compressed air instead of nitrogen in select pump systems resulting in annual savings of approximately $50,000. Bob the encouraged senior staff to write up these conversion efforts and present at a national conference, which lead to other labs following this example. As the lab’s technical lead for more than thirty years, Bob’s dedication to creativity and academic excellence is demonstrated by the ongoing success of the NanoLab and his efforts to improve its operations.
Mr. Hamilton shared his reflections on the award:
“What makes us great is carrying on the UC Berkeley precedent and tradition of running a shared research facility. This concept was established by E.O. Lawrence and was unique for its time. The success of the NanoLab, and my success, result from adhering to a mission of providing talented young student researchers with an extraordinary set of research tools and the collective knowledge of how to use them.
I cannot think of a better or more exciting job! I get to participate in a creative process, witness great new things, see students fulfill their goals, and get to rub elbows with extraordinary faculty. There are also the benefits of working with and seeing colleagues develop their talents and careers.
And…after being around here for a long time, I get to meet the grandchildren of some of our graduates. I feel very fortunate.”
– Robert Hamilton, Marvell NanoLab Equipment Manager
Congratulations, Bob! We are honored to work with you.
See the full list of 2016 Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Awardees. Read more about the Marvell NanoLab, a unique and historic resource located at CITRIS headquarters on the UC Berkeley campus.