"Science is the heart of this Laboratory," said Anastasio. "In the long history of Los Alamos, innovation by the technical staff has served the nation in providing solutions to some of its most difficult challenges - I am confident Terry will provide the kind of leadership required to enable the Laboratory to continue to deliver scientific excellence in the future."
"Los Alamos National Laboratory is the premier science laboratory within the NNSA complex and has a rich and remarkable history of providing the nation with the best technical solutions for its most important problems. I am proud to be a part of the laboratory and to work with such a fine scientific and technical staff," said Wallace.
"LANL's excellence is in using interdisciplinary teams and advanced technologies to solve complex problems. Some of the recent accomplishments include development of models and technologies for identifying, tracking and containing pandemic-capable diseases; fundamental understanding of high temperature superconductivity which will revolutionize energy efficiency; and growing carbon nanotubes that are millimeters in length that can be used to produce materials that are several orders of magnitude stronger than steel but as light as cotton.
"What we do at Los Alamos can help the lives of all Americans. The opportunities for new discoveries at Los Alamos are great and, in my new role, I will work to ensure the people, facilities, resources, and collective vision of the laboratory create a climate for future success."
Wallace joined the technical staff at Los Alamos in May 2003. He was then named Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Leader in November 2003 and in February 2005, became the Associate Director for Strategic Research. Prior to his arrival at LANL, Wallace was a professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona. In addition he was an associate in the Applied Mathematics Graduate Program, Curator of the University of Arizona Mineral Museum, and Director of the Southern Arizona Seismic Observatory.
Wallace holds doctoral and master's degrees in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology and bachelors degrees in geophysics and mathematics from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He is a 1974 graduate of Los Alamos High School.
Wallace is an expert in seismology including ground-based nuclear explosion monitoring, plate tectonics, regional structure, and forensic seismology, and the co-author of Modern Global Seismology, a widely used college textbook on seismology. Wallace is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and was the recipient of the AGU's Macelwane Medal in 1992. He has served and chaired numerous national committees for the National Academy of Sciences, the United States Air Force Technical Applications Center, and filled elected positions as the President of the Seismological Society of America and the Chairman of the Incorporated Research Institutions in Seismology.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.