2022-Jan-20: The VERITAS Collaboration is pleased to recognize the recipients of the 2021 "Outstanding Contribution Awards". Each year the collaboration recognizes exceptional work by two individuals - a graduate student (the Simon Swordy Outstanding Contribution Award) and a postdoctoral researcher (the Trevor Weekes Outstanding Contribution Award), to "...formally recognize the significant contributions of more early-career members of the collaboration in the critical service work that enables scientific publications of VERITAS, but do not result in any scientific publications directly".
This year's recipients are:
Deivid Ribiero (Simon Swordy Award) - Awarded for "wide-ranging service contributions to both the pSCT and VERITAS". For VERITAS, these include contributions to VEGAS development - most importantly, he implemented a necessary new feature: telescope-dependent handling of noise for lookup tables in order to remove a road block from the VEGAS GT factor implementation. In 2020, SAO developed a remote observing capability to cope with the pandemic, and Deivid worked to set up and configure VNC for remote observing for both the VERITAS control room and the pSCT trailer. Deivid has also worked on three critical areas of the pSCT optics: Mirror panel edge sensors, software and alignment. He has been actively involved in mentoring, by helping to host a VEGAS analysis bootcamp in Summer 2019 and working with undergraduates at Barnard and Columbia. Deivid has also contributed to outreach efforts, including taking photos that often make it to press releases and cover pages.
Qi Feng - (Trevor Weekes Award) - Awarded for "Numerous contributions to the success of ongoing observations of the VERITAS Observatory, and multiple innovations in the commissioning of the optics system for the prototype SCT Telescope". Qi implemented ongoing critical upgrades to the VERITAS DQM software and Quicklook analysis that ensured VERITAS observations for the entire collaboration. Qi also made vital contributions to the pSCT optical alignment and flasher systems, and was one of the key people to get the pSCT operational, leading to the successful publication of the instrument's detection of the Crab nebula. Qi's leadership in the Muon Hunter project which brought gamma-ray science to tens of thousands of members of the general public as well as his role as a mentor at all levels were also highlighted.
Congratulations to Deivid and Qi!
Deivid Ribiero 
Dr. Qi Feng
2021-Feb-03: The VERITAS Collaboration is pleased to recognize the recipients of the 2020 "Outstanding Contribution Awards". Each year the collaboration recognizes exceptional work by two individuals - a graduate student (the Simon Swordy Outstanding Contribution Award) and a postdoctoral researcher (the Trevor Weekes Outstanding Contribution Award), to "...formally recognize the significant contributions of more early-career members of the collaboration in the critical service work that enables scientific publications of VERITAS, but do not result in any scientific publications directly".
This year's recipients are:
Alisha Chromey (Simon Swordy Award) - Awarded for Alisha's role in the Analysis and Callibration Working Group (ACG) and observing shifts: "Her work focused on CARE simulations processing at Georgia Tech and on NERSC, developing and testing the NERSC production pipeline, developing a set of updated and improved data/MC comparison scripts... data/MC comparison studies to validate CARE, newer versions of VEGAS, the GT factors, and the ITM... Alisha has performed outstanding service to the Collaboration through her work."
Mireia Nievas Rosillo- (Trevor Weekes Award) - Awarded for "... leading the effort over the past 12-18 months to understand the change in response of the VERITAS instrument to Cherenkov light. She studied and implemented a solution and provided therefore to the VERITAS collaboration the necessary means to continue publishing results. ... The impact of her work extends to any ongoing and future analysis of VERITAS data and cannot be understated...".
Congratulations to Alisha and Mireia!
Alisha Chromey 
Dr. Mireia Nievas Rosillo
2021-Jan-12: It is with great sadness that the VERITAS Collaboration notes the passing of Steve Criswell on 3 January 2021 in Tucson, Arizona. Steve had been a Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory employee for 53 years (1962-2016), during which he served many roles including Facility Manager at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory and Project Manager for VERITAS during its critical planning, construction and commissioning phases. Steve was a most talented person who never courted the limelight, preferring always to work away quietly and efficiently in the background on the myriad of SAO/FLWO projects. Steve's outstanding organizational and management skills played a vital role in the successful development of the field of TeV gamma-ray astronomy at the Whipple Observatory. Steve was also wonderfully supportive of the many visiting researchers and students to FLWO, and provided a welcoming environment with advice and mentorship. His loss is strongly felt by the VERITAS Collaboration, and we extend our condolences to Steve's family and friends.
2020-Jan-11: The VERITAS Collaboration is pleased to recognize the recipients of the 2019 "Outstanding Contribution Awards". Each year the collaboration recognizes exceptional work by two individuals - a graduate student (the Simon Swordy Outstanding Contribution Award) and a postdoctoral researcher (the Trevor Weekes Outstanding Contribution Award), to "...formally recognize the significant contributions of more early-career members of the collaboration in the critical service work that enables scientific publications of VERITAS, but do not result in any scientific publications directly".
This year's recipients are:
Alasdair Gent (Simon Swordy Award) - Awarded for Alasdair's role in ACG/VEGAS and simulations production: "...managing production of simulations on the Open Science Grid (OSG) is his biggest contribution to VERITAS. While it seems like a trivial task, managing several million jobs and data files is not... Alasdair stepped forward and volunteered."
Dr. Greg Richards (Trevor Weekes Award) - Awarded for his role as calibration "czar": "He has been serving as Calibration Czar since April 2016, a role which includes scheduling and coordinating all of the regular calibration measurements for VERITAS, providing instruction to the observers, as well as following up on the subsequent analysis, and maintaining the associated wiki pages. In addition, after serving as a TAC member for a year, Greg took on the role of TAC Chair in summer 2018. This is a service-heavy role which is usually given to a more senior member of the collaboration - not a first-year post-doc!"
Congratulations to Alasdair and Greg!
Alasdair Gent 
Dr. Greg Richards
2020-Jan-11: The VERITAS Collaboration is pleased to recognize the recipients of the 2018 (inaugural) "Outstanding Contribution Awards". Each year the collaboration recognizes exceptional work by two individuals - a graduate student (the Simon Swordy Outstanding Contribution Award) and a postdoctoral researcher (the Trevor Weekes Outstanding Contribution Award), to "...formally recognize the significant contributions of more early-career members of the collaboration in the critical service work that enables scientific publications of VERITAS, but do not result in any scientific publications directly".
This year's recipients are:
Tony Lin (Simon Swordy Award) - Awarded in part for Tony's stint as a long-term FLWO visitor in Fall 2018. Tony's citation reads, in part, "...it is to the observing burden for the season that his most significant service came; if it were not for his contributions at (seasonal) start-up and selflessly taking on czaring duties on three further occasions, often at short notice, VERITAS would not have met its minimum observing yield in what was a very challenging season..."
Dr. Ralph Bird (Trevor Weekes Award) - Awarded in part for Ralph's of VERITAS' Data Archive and VEGAS analysis code. The citation reads, in part, "He maintains the data archive at UCLA... He maintains and leads the efforts for the VEGAS standard analysis package both in terms of contributing software and in performing the verification tests of each release. He has led the effort to extend the archiving computing environment... He has also found the time, as a new father, to come to site and observe on two separate occasions last season."
Congratulations to Tony and Ralph!
Tony Lin 
Ralph Bird
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