New ILC communicator Min Zhang at LCWS10/ILC10 meeting held in Beijing. Image: IHEP/Jie Liu.

Barry Barish met with three of the four ILC communicators (Min Zhang, Rika Takahashi and Perrine Royole-Degieux) in March at Beijing. Image: IHEP/Jie Liu.

The ILC community welcomed a new ILC communicator from China at the Linear Collider Workshop 2010. “I feel so lucky to become an ILC communicator and to work with the other communicators,” said Min Zhang. Zhang, based at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science (IHEP), will be sharing the Asian communication duties with Rika Takahashi (KEK) and will closely collaborate with her European colleagues, Perrine Royole-Degieux (CNRS/IN2P3) and Barbara Warmbein (DESY).

Zhang is currently working as an academic secretary in the administration office of Scientific Research and Planning of IHEP. Her work includes arranging scientific research activities or meetings for certain projects. The administration office of Scientific Research and Planning is also the experts advisory office affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology of China for international cooperation of high-energy physics. Therefore she is used to communicate frequently with the government. She obtained her master's degree in Particle Physics at IHEP as a theoretical physicist in 2008. “For a long time I haven't found any appropriate candidate, and now I am convinced that Min Zhang is the right person for the job,” said Jie Gao, professor at IHEP who recommended her to join the communicator's team. “Min is a talented, dynamic, cooperative and dedicated person. Her theoretical physics research background will induce her interests and beliefs in high energy physics large facilities, such as the International Linear Collider. I believe that she could play her role well in good accordance with the other ILC communicators and contribute to our community as a new communicator for Asia,” he said.

After obtaining her master's degree in theoretical physics at IHEP, Min Zhang dedicated her research in particle physics and nuclear physics on SU(3) quark model and she then switched to start working in the administration office. “I feel this communication work is full of challenges, because I have so many things to learn and reinforce. I hope my colleagues will help me and give me support to do this new work well,” Zhang said.

She enjoys a variety of hobbies, including travelling, singing and swimming. She will definitely have chances to travel around the world to attend ILC related meetings, and meet community members. As an ILC communicator, she will write stories for ILC NewsLine and take care of general communication business at the regional and global level, making sure that colleagues, decision makers and eventually the public will be well aware of the exciting studies and results in the ILC community.

-- Rika Takahashi