For 75 years, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and its predecessors have drawn people from all over the world to the ever-growing community of southeastern Idaho. The laboratory has also brought opportunities to families already living within that community.
For the Corsberg family, working at the INL complex throughout its many name changes, different contractors and unique missions has become a tradition spanning four generations, starting with John Corsberg in 1955. He worked at the Site for two years as a chemist for the Materials Test Reactor.
Thirty years later, John Corsberg’s son, Dan Corsberg, followed in his father’s footsteps when he started working at the lab as a software engineer for alarm filtering systems. He previously served in the Navy on the USS Sam Rayburn nuclear submarine. Dan Corsberg stumbled into his INL work after being hired into the Artificial Intelligence Unit following his graduation.
“I enjoyed working at the lab because I got to be involved in a variety of leading-edge projects that were challenging and pushing technical envelopes,” said Dan Corsberg. “The people were great, and I appreciated the opportunities to explore new software technologies and applications.”
What Dan Corsberg likely couldn’t have envisioned all those years ago was that his future grandchild would also enjoy work at INL. In 2018, Alana Haack started a job as a tour guide at the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I (EBR-I) Atomic Museum. EBR-I, the world’s first breeder reactor, operated from 1951 until 1963, when it was decommissioned and set up as a National Historic Landmark and museum. INL interns lead guided tours there every summer, emphasizing the early nuclear history of the INL site.
Haack interned at EBR-I for three summers. Her last summer was in 2020, when the museum was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, she followed another passion by working with INL’s Archives and Special Collections. After graduating from college, she got her master’s degree in Archives and Records Administration and became a full-time archivist for the laboratory.
“I think it’s awesome that my granddaughter is involved in capturing the site’s rich history,” said Dan Corsberg about Haack’s work.
Since Haack joined the lab, she has brought another generation of the Corsberg family into the INL family.
Her mother, Dan Corsberg’s daughter, Christy Haack, started working at the lab last year as an administrative support professional for Human Resources and Diversity. She currently supports compliance and immigration, inclusion and collaboration, and labor relations.
After working at the College of Eastern Idaho for over ten years, Christy Haack accepted a special assignment in Richland, Washington. There, she served as deputy director of operations for the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments in the Tri-Cities area. When she returned from this assignment, she looked for something new that complemented her strengths and talents while positively impacting the future. She had witnessed the benefits that INL and its sister lab in Richland, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, have on their communities and wanted to be part of it.
Christy Haack credits her daughter for inspiring her to pursue opportunities at INL. “Initially, I attended the museum tours to see Alana in action, but my visits quickly turned into a fascination with the lab’s history as I walked through the exhibits,” she said. “I am certain that my fascination is partly due to Alana’s passion for the history and contributions the lab has made to the world.”
Christy and Alana Haack are proud to be part of Dan and John Corsberg’s legacy. “I couldn’t be more proud and excited that Alana and I have the opportunity to contribute in our own ways to help INL continue its mission and have such a positive influence on the community and the world, just as my grandfather and father did,” Christy Haack said.
