Beason takes top threat reduction post at Los Alamos

Contact: Nancy Ambrosiano, nwa@lanl.gov, (505) 667-0471 (05-004)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 27, 2005 -- Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Peter G. Nanos this week announced the selection of J. Douglas Beason as associate director for Threat Reduction. Beason's appointment was approved by the University of California Board of Regents Jan. 20 and became effective Jan. 24.

Beason joined Los Alamos in 2001 after a distinguished career in the US Air Force. His three assignments at the United States Air Force Phillips Lab at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque included performing research on nuclear effects in the 1970s, plasma physics in the 1980s, and later as commander of the Phillips site from which he retired as colonel. His doctorate from University of New Mexico was garnered from work done at Los Alamos on simulating explosive iodine lasers.

In two assignments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, Beason worked on peer review design analysis of the W76 nuclear weapon, and with his collaborators developed a closed solution to relativistic Compton scattering for radiation transport codes that is still in use today; the latter led to his election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Beason served on the White House staff in the Office of Science and Technology Policy and taught as an associate professor of physics at the USAF Academy.

Beason has served at Los Alamos as deputy associate director for Threat Reduction, and division leader of the International, Space and Response Division. As associate director for Threat Reduction he will oversee the execution and development of Los Alamos programs to eliminate threats from weapons of mass destruction and to defeat new and emerging threats. The Threat Reduction organization, with a current budget of approximately $500 million, oversees some 1,200 employees and their unique facilities. Four science divisions fall under Threat Reduction: Bioscience; Decision Applications; International Space & Response and Nuclear Nonproliferation.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos develops and applies science and technology to ensure the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent; reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and terrorism; and solve national problems in defense, energy, environment and infrastructure.

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