Los Alamos Associate Director for Strategic Research Thomas J. Meyer announced the selection today ending an extensive national search, saying, "In her capacity as acting division leader, Donna demonstrated all the qualities we were looking for in this position. Given her record of success and service to the Laboratory, I expect her to continue to make valuable contributions to the future of IBD."
Prior to being named acting IBD Division Leader in 2001, Smith had served in various leadership positions within IBD. She came to Los Alamos in 1984 as a technical staff member working first in the Economics Group and later with the Military Systems group. Smith joined the Industrial Partnership Office in 1994 after serving as Project Leader for the Technology Modeling and Analysis Group.
"One of the greatest challenges in business today is integrating new technology and science into the corporate environment and identifying new business opportunities. I think my background provides the ability to make connections between these sometimes disconnected realms and will help me understand and address many of the pressing technology transfer issues facing the Laboratory today," Smith said.
Smith received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Finance at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia in 1980 and 1981 respectively. In 1984 Smith received a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics from The Pennsylvania State University.
According to Rich Mah, head of the IBD leader search committee, Smith's selection was made from a number of excellent candidates and based on the valuable counsel provided by a selection committee made up of representatives from several Laboratory divisions. The committee not only considered the stringent requirements of the Los Alamos position, but also the overall needs, interests and well-being of the northern New Mexico business community.
IBD works with Laboratory inventors and authors, as well as Laboratory Counsel, to identify, protect and manage the Laboratory's intellectual property through patents and copyrights. IBD also negotiates and executes the Laboratory's commercial, noncommercial and government-use licenses and partnerships agreements. The division develops and nurtures strategic relationships with industry and develops mechanisms to stimulate high-technology business start-ups, create job opportunities and attract entrepreneurs, businesses and business investment capital to northern New Mexico using Laboratory technologies.
Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories in support of NNSA and its mission.
Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, developing technical solutions to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.
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.