Cian Dawson
As ESnet User and Outreach Lead, Cian Dawson (he/him) works with ESnet staff, DOE, and our partners to build and support active and engaged ESnet scientific and networking user communities through strategic and timely events, knowledge transfer, and information sharing.
As part of this work, Cian:
- Coordinates hybrid user conferences and other events for ESnet Site Coordinators Committee (ESCC) members from across DOE, including the Office of Science National Laboratories, National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratories, and other ESnet sites.
- Collaborates on scientific data networking needs assessments for DOE Office of Science Programs, collaborating with domain scientists and synthesizing outcomes to inform ESnet planning to meet DOE Office of Science mission.
- Leads strategic design and implementation of Confab, ESnet’s largest user meeting for ESnet scientific and networking engineering users.
- Collaborates within ESnet to promote coordination of user-centered communication and outreach.
Background
Cian joined ESnet in October 2023 with over 30 years of professional experience in science communication, training, and technology transfer, including more than 20 years working with federal scientists. His work has included coordination of formal and informal communities of practice and in-person and virtual events, always with a commitment to integration of inclusive and accessible practices into everyday STEM work. Cian's most recent applied research focused on development and testing of drone-based sensors and methods for hydrologic monitoring and hydrogeophysical surveys across the Nation.
Cian has a B.S. in Geological Sciences, and an M.S. in Geological Sciences (Geophysics), focused on the geophysical characterization and monitoring of the fate and transport of contaminants in the shallow subsurface. Prior to joining ESnet, most recently he was a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, with over 23 years of federal service.
Reports
Jason Zurawski, Ben Brown, Gulshan Rai, Eli Dart, Cian Dawson, Carol Hawk, Paul Mantica, Spyridon Margetis, Ken Miller, Nathan Miller, Andrew Wiedlea, “Nuclear Physics Network Requirements Review Final Report”, Report, July 26, 2024, LBNL LBNL-2001602
- Download File: 20240725-NP-RR-Final.pdf (pdf: 5.9 MB)
The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is the high-performance network user facility for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) and delivers highly reliable data transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of data-intensive science. In essence, ESnet is the circulatory system that enables the DOE science mission by connecting all its laboratories and facilities in the US and abroad. ESnet is funded and stewarded by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program and managed and operated by the Scientific Networking Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). ESnet is widely regarded as a global leader in the research and education networking community.
ESnet interconnects DOE national laboratories, user facilities, and major experiments so that scientists can use remote instruments and computing resources as well as share data with collaborators, transfer large datasets, and access distributed data repositories. ESnet is specifically built to provide a range of network services tailored to meet the unique requirements of the DOE’s data-intensive science.
Between July 2023 and October 2023, ESnet and the Nuclear Physics program (NP) of the DOE SC organized an ESnet requirements review of NP-supported activities. Preparation for these events included identification of key stakeholders: program and facility management, research groups, and technology providers. Each stakeholder group was asked to prepare formal case study documents about its relationship to the NP program to build a complete understanding of the current, near-term, and long-term status, expectations, and processes that will support the science going forward.
