Experience Committee: Details that make a difference
With the aim of improving the day-to-day lives of those who work at ALMA, the Experience Committee was formed in 2023, a working group that arose from an agreement between the organisation and both unions during the last collective bargaining negotiations. This committee aims to ensure a good work...
“Doctor, we’re ready to operate”: WSU’s first PDR
The Advanced Technology ALMA Correlator (ATAC), the centerpiece of WSU's new era, has just passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR). This means that the observatory's new brain, which will be able to analyze more data from the antenna receivers, is going from strength to strength for...
Ensuring good treatment: the new features of the Karin Law
The newly enacted Law 21.643, also known as the Karin Law, aims to eliminate workplace harassment, sexual harassment, and violence in the workplace. This law came into effect on August 1 in Chile. The regulation, in line with Convention 190 of the International Labor Organization (ILO)...
Do you Recommend?: Andrea Araya
With 12 years at ALMA, you'd think Andrea had seen it all. But when she received one of the awards at the last Fundamental Statements 2023 awards, that changed: "It was a mix of feelings that included surprise, gratitude, and excitement". Those were the emotions that...
From ALMA to the world: our speakers at the SPIE conference
When Emiliano woke up, his curtains were open and the sun was already up. He got up ready to have breakfast, until he realized that no one was awake because it was five o'clock in the morning. Of course, he was about to participate in the...
Meeting Tahirih Varner, the new Ombuds
She has been in Chile for a little less than a month, but claims to bring a little Spanish with her from Atlanta, USA. A mother of two university-educated children, a lover of swimming and being in nature, Tahirih Varner, the new ESO Ombuds (80%) and...
The return of the twin: how the LORE transporter was repaired
Each observation carried out involves reconfiguring the antennas across the Chajnantor Array. This is done by Lore and Otto, our twin transporters, which have to operate at an altitude of 5,000 metres. But for almost a year now, Otto has been taking all the load, after...