Eric Isaacs appointed Argonne National Laboratory’s Deputy Laboratory Director for Science Programs

ARGONNE, Ill. (May 2008) – Eric Isaacs, director of the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, was appointed Argonne’s deputy laboratory director for science programs.

Isaacs will lead the laboratory’s comprehensive strategic planning effort and oversee the laboratory-directed research and development program and the Division of Educational Programs.

In his new position, Isaacs will work closely with laboratory scientists, engineers, senior management, the Argonne Board of Governors and the University of Chicago in charting and implementing the laboratory’s future directions in science and technology. As he leads the strategic planning efforts, Isaacs will work to ensure engagement at all levels of the laboratory and to build consensus among DOE, area research universities and other critical stakeholders.

The position reports to Argonne Director Robert Rosner.

In order to devote full attention to his new role, Isaacs will take a leave of absence from his position as director of the CNM. Stephen Streiffer, currently associate division director for science for the CNM, has been named acting director of the facility during Isaacs’ absence.

For the last five years, Isaacs has distinguished himself both as director of the CNM and as professor of physics in the University of Chicago’s James Franck Institute. During his 13-year tenure at Bell Laboratories, he was a member of the technical staff, director of the Materials Physics Research Department and director of the Semiconductor Physics Department.

He received a Ph.D. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988 in the area of magnetic semiconductors and was a postdoctoral fellow at Bell Laboratories (1988-1990) studying magnetism and correlated electronic systems, mostly with synchrotron-based X-ray techniques.

He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and served on a number of national scientific advisory committees, including the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee.

Argonne National Laboratory brings the world’s brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America ’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.