JBEI’s Blake Simmons and Robert Haushalter are among the 2026 Berkeley Lab Director’s Awards honorees. This annual program recognizes the significant achievements of Lab employees. A complete list of winners can be found here.
Blake Simmons, Chief Science & Technology Officer and Vice President for Deconstruction, received an award for Exceptional Achievement in tech transfer. He was cited for pioneering scalable biomass deconstruction technologies and exemplary contributions in technology transfer through patents, startups, and Lab leadership roles, translating Berkeley Lab innovations into sustainable, commercial solutions that advance the US bioeconomy.
Robert Haushalter, Director of Outreach and Deputy Director of New Pathway Development, received an award for Exceptional Achievement in outreach. He was cited for greatly improving JBEI’s Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) program.
A ceremony honoring all of the 2026 recipients will be held on Thursday, October 22nd, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM in B50 Auditorium. The event will also be streamed live at streaming.lbl.gov.