Alan Bishop selected to lead LANL Science, Technology & Engineering directorate

LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, August 17, 2012—Los Alamos National Laboratory Director Charles McMillan announced today that after a yearlong, nationwide search, Alan Bishop has been selected to be the Laboratory’s next Principal Associate Director for Science, Technology, and Engineering (PADSTE). Bishop has been acting in that role since Aug. 29, 2011.

Over the course of a distinguished 30-year career as a research scientist and leader, Bishop has more than 700 publications in archival journals and has served as a guest scientist, guest scholar and visiting professor. He has received Distinguished Fellow awards from the American Physical Society, Humboldt Foundation, the Institute of Physics, American Association for the Advancement of Science and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“Alan is uniquely qualified to help shape the Laboratory’s future. He has skillfully guided this critical and complex organization through challenging and uncertain times,” said McMillan.

Bishop came to Los Alamos in 1979 and has been a group leader, division leader and finally associate director for Theory, Simulation and Computation before being named acting principal associate director for Science, Technology and Engineering last year. He is an internationally recognized authority in theory, modeling and simulation for condensed matter, statistical physics and nonlinear science.

As PADSTE, Bishop oversees directorates of Chemistry, Life, and Earth Sciences; Engineering and Engineering Sciences; Experimental Physical Sciences; Information Technology; and Theory, Simulation and Computation.

“As we move forward, I am confident that we’ll continue as a stellar center where our great mission and science, technology and engineering frontiers meet. Our record of scientific discovery, innovation, and societal impacts is one that resonates with the challenges that the nation—and indeed the world—face now and in coming decades,” said Bishop.

“It is my huge honor to serve Los Alamos as PADSTE. The Laboratory is a unique institution in the national STE infrastructure, serving national security missions proudly and excellently from its broad and deep STE base.”

Bishop is an internationally recognized leader in theory, modeling and simulation for condensed matter, statistical physics and nonlinear science. He has made major contributions in the areas of soliton mathematics and applications, quantum complexity, structural and magnetic transitions, collective excitations in low-dimensional organic, inorganic and biological materials and complex electronic and structural materials with strong spin-charge-lattice coupling. His appointment is effective Aug. 27.