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Inqui r y I s sue 2 | 2014
and some biology, tremendous collaborative opportunities exist
to continue building upon our strengths.
2. Is there anything about the Lab, the DOE or
the job that’s been a total surprise or something
you didn’t expect?
Absolutely! There have been surprises everywhere. Most
at the Laboratory have been pleasant surprises and some of
them have been more, “Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way”
revelations. I’ve worked in the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA) system for 20 some years and this is
different. More than anything, Ames Laboratory has its way
of doing business and doing science, and in some cases, it’s
just new. And many times that difference is better and other
times, it’s just as good as what I’m used to, merely different.
Coupling that NNSA experience with the Lab’s very
successful 67-year history invites opportunities for continued
progress. The Ames Laboratory does so many things right,
and we definitely don’t need to change just for the sake of
change in leadership.
On the DOE side, coming from NNSA, I’m aware
of their method of doing business and general budget
challenges. The Office of Science has similar operational
and budget challenges. Overall, the Ames Laboratory is in
solid shape. We’ve done extremely well with both equipment
procurement and the CMI. I do worry some about our core
research budgets and am putting much attention into that.
3. Are there any particular areas that are a
priority,either near-term or long-range?
That’s something that the Executive Council and I have
been spending a good deal of time on. Our top priority is safety
as it always has been and as it always will be. The Laboratory
has a wonderful safety record, but we’ve had a few chinks in
that armor recently – seven incidents over a period of months
– some of them very serious. I’ve instituted safety awareness
discussions and I think it’s a timely reminder to everyone
working here that safety is our highest priority. It’s always a
good time to ‘Stop, Think and Check Your Equipment’ and to
rethink what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
Our next priority is setting our priorities. There are so
many options out there in science. Ames Laboratory is
positioned to contribute in so many different areas of basic
science and applied science or technology development and
choosing which areas to focus on is really hard. Funding, of
course, is limited. We received important feedback from
the Lab Plan review in June and need to include that in
our preparation for the triennial review of all Division of
Materials Sciences and Engineering FWPs and a number
of Chemical and Biological Sciences FWPs next summer.
It’s a critical juncture for the DMSE and CBS programs.
Successful reviews position the Laboratory to continue on
SchwartzReflects onTimeatAmesLaboratoryHelm
dam Schwartz officially took over as Director
of Ames Laboratory on June 2, 2014. Prior to
coming to Ames, he served as division leader of
the Condensed Matter and Materials Division
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and also
coordinated LLNL’s projects for the Critical Materials
Institute, a $120 million DOE Energy Innovation Hub led by
the Ames Laboratory.
Schwartz sat down in late October with Inquiry editor
Kerry Gibson to reflect on his first few months on the job, to
share his insights on a variety of topics, and offer his vision
for the coming months and years.
1. You’ve been on the job for roughly five
months (six by the time this comes out). What’s
your impression of the Ames Laboratory now
and has it changed in that time?
I’m more impressed than ever with Ames Laboratory as
well as the Iowa State University. When I came out here to
work with Ames Laboratory on the proposal preparation for
the Critical Materials Institute and then as part of the CMI
leadership team, I got to know a relatively small subset of the
Lab staff well. Since coming here, I’ve been getting out and
about meeting with people, particularly the FWP (field work
proposal) leads, in order to get a much better understanding
of the science they’re doing and direction they’re headed.
I’ve also met with many operations and scientific teams,
seen equipment, done safety walk-throughs, and represented
the Lab in Washington, D.C. The Ames Laboratory leaves a
positive impression in the science we do, how we conduct
operations, and in the direction we are headed.
The interface and extent of focused interaction with ISU
also gives a good impression. With a focus on physics, chemistry,
materials science and engineering, some chemical engineering,
A
