"I believe Susan Seestrom will do an outstanding job as the Physics Division director. She brings an excellent background in experimental science and has developed a strong appreciation of the role of experimental physics in our national security programs," said Laboratory Director John Browne.
"I am really excited about having the opportunity to lead a division of such tremendously talented people," said Seestrom. "The Physics Division has had a remarkable past and has an exciting future. I'm proud to be part of it."
Seestrom came to Los Alamos as a Director's Funded Post-doc in 1981 and joined the Laboratory as a staff member in 1986. Seestrom earned her Bachelor and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from the University of Minnesota in 1976 and 1981 respectively. She was named Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1994 and is a key collaborator in pioneering neutron experiments at Los Alamos.
Seestrom takes over management of Physics Division from John McClelland who led the division as acting director since August. McClelland took over for Don Rej who was named director for the Spallation Neutron Source Division, a scientific collaboration involving Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley, Brookhaven and Argonne national laboratories and Jefferson Laboratory in Newport News, Va.
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 the Washington Division of URS 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.