For release: September 8, 2004

Contacts: 
George Kraus, 515- 294-7794
Tom Barton, 515-294-2770
Steve Karsjen, 515-294-5643

KRAUS NAMED ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AMES LABORATORY BIO-RELATED INITIATIVES

AMES, IA – Ames Laboratory Director Tom Barton today announced the appointment of Dr. George Kraus as assistant director for bio-related initiatives at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory. Kraus becomes only the second person to hold the position of assistant director at the Laboratory. The first was Michael Crow, who currently is president of Arizona State University.

Kraus is a professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, director of Ames Laboratory’s Biorenewable Resources Consortium (BRC) and ISU’s Center for Catalysis. Kraus received his bachelor’s degree in 1972 from the University of Rochester and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1976. He joined the faculty at ISU that same year. Kraus has been a fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and a recipient of a DuPont Young Faculty Award in 1976, a 3M Young Faculty Award in 1981, and a Frasch Award in 1987. In 2002, he was appointed director of Ames Laboratory’s BRC. The goal of the BRC is to develop agricultural alternatives to fossil resources and petrochemicals. Kraus is the author of 235 publications.

In making the announcement, Barton said, “George’s appointment to this important post will greatly assist Ames Lab in adding biocomponents to most if not all of its existing and future programs.” Kraus’ appointment was effective September 1, 2004.

Ames Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

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