It's finally happened. After extensions and delays, hand wringing and anxiety, the contract between Stanford University and the Department of Energy was signed on December 18, 1998 in a ceremony in Burton Richter's office at SLAC.

Burton Richter, Nobel Prize laureate and a pioneer of the colliders that now dominate high-energy physics, announced today that he will step down Aug. 31, 1999, as director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center after 15 years in the position.

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson today joined leading scientists from around the world at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to dedicate a state-of-the-art research facility called the B Factory.

A sophisticated new "particle smasher" at Stanford University built to explore the difference between matter and antimatter came to life this week with the successful achievement of its first collisions.

An experiment and a detailed design study recently have opened the way to the development of an x-ray laser.

Jonathan Dorfan, associate director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and head of its B-Factory project, has been named SLAC's third director, President Gerhard Casper announced Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Dr. Lev Okun will receive a special award created by the Open Society Institute (George Soros, Chairman) in recognition of his work in support of scientists in Russia. Sidney Drell will present the award on behalf of George Soros.