PHOTOS: Peters Concludes 10th and Final Motorcycle Tour in East Lansing

EAST LANSING, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) toured the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU) during his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan. Peters highlighted his bipartisan efforts to secure more than $2 billion in public investment for FRIB during his time in Congress.

"The opening of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams has been a groundbreaking success for Michigan State University and our entire state," said Senator Peters. "In addition to its contributions to science, FRIB is furthering our state's economic competitiveness on the national and global stage. That's why supporting FRIB's work has been so important. It will continue to spur transformational innovation, strengthen our national security, and create high-paying jobs for future innovators in Michigan."

During the event, Peters toured FRIB and its new K500 Chip Testing Facility with MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz, FRIB Laboratory Director Thomas Glasmacher, and MSU Professor Dr. Artemis Spyrou.

"Because of sustained bipartisan support in Congress-including the leadership of Senator Peters-MSU designed, built and now operates the premier rare isotope research facility on the planet," said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph. D. "FRIB firmly anchors Michigan State as a global epicenter for nuclear science, elevating our university's standing among the top research institutions in the world. That global standing allows us to attract, retain, and activate extraordinary talent. Through FRIB, we are training the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators in high-demand fields."

"We are honored to welcome Senator Peters back to FRIB as he concludes his career in the U.S. Senate, and we thank him and the entire Michigan delegation for their steadfast support of FRIB for two decades," said FRIB Laboratory Director Thomas Glasmacher. "We are privileged to operate FRIB as a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility that enables scientists to make discoveries, while also leveraging technical capabilities in service to the nation-such as our heavy-ion chip-testing facilities."

"Fundamental basic science, like the experimental nuclear astrophysics research my group conducts at FRIB, is the foundation for innovations that directly improve our daily lives," said Artemis Spyrou, professor of physics at FRIB and in the MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy. "Through sustained federal support, our research unlocks the mysteries of the universe while building a highly skilled STEM workforce. By coupling world-class science with hands-on training and public engagement, we are actively inspiring and developing the next generation of science and technical leaders."

To view photos from Senator Peters' stop in East Lansing, click HERE.

Peters has been a champion for FRIB and Michigan's world-class research institutions like MSU. In 2015, Peters held a roundtable discussion with academic leaders and researchers from MSU to help craft legislation that was signed into law to strengthen federal investment in U.S. research and development.

FRIB houses the most powerful heavy-ion linear accelerator, which accelerates heavy ions and produces rare isotopes, short-lived atomic nuclei that cannot be found on Earth. FRIB allows researchers to study the properties and fundamental interactions of rare isotopes and nuclear astrophysics and their impact on medicine, national security, and industry, including diagnosing diseases, improving next generation nuclear reactors for energy, and finding processes to destroy nuclear waste. FRIB's heavy-ion chip-testing facilities-the FRIB Single Event Effects Facility and the K500 Chip Testing Facility-address the national shortage of testing capacity for advanced microelectronics used in industries like spaceflight, wireless technology, and autonomous vehicles. FRIB employs approximately 460 scientists, engineers, and staff, as well as more than 200 students, and brings together over 1,800 scientists to conduct cutting-edge research in Michigan.

Peters - an avid and longtime motorcycle rider - kicked off his "Thank you, Michigan" tour in Bay City. He then made stops in Alpena, Marquette, Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and East Lansing. He rode more than 1,000 miles across the state on this year's tour - which is Peters' 10^th and last official motorcycle tour.

"I've always said the best way to travel across our state is on a motorcycle," Peters said. "Representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate has been the absolute honor of my lifetime. So, this year's tour is about saying thank you to all of the amazing people and communities I've been able to partner with during my career to help make Michigan an amazing place to work, live, and raise a family."

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