UC President Dynes' Remarks to the Media Upon Steven Chu's Appointment as Director
First, I want to thank Chuck Shank for his 15 years of dedicated service and leadership to the Berkeley Laboratory, the University and the nation. He has set the bar very high for his successor.
It’s a pleasure to be at the laboratory and to introduce Dr. Steve Chu as the newly appointed Director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dr. Chu will join the laboratory as director on August 1.
Dr. Chu is an extraordinary candidate to lead this institution. He is a winner of the Nobel Prize, he is an internationally acclaimed professor of physics at Stanford University, and he got his own Ph.D. in physics right here at UC Berkeley.
Dr. Chu was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 along with Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and William D. Phillips “for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light” -- a subject upon which I’m sure he’s happy to expand.
But he is a scientist of extraordinary breadth. Since receiving the Nobel Prize, he has expanded his research scope to include polymer physics and biophysics at the single-molecule level.
His areas of current research also include parity non-conservation in atoms, excitons, energy transfer in solids, Anderson localization, and picosecond spectroscopy.
Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Chu served as head of the Quantum Electronics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, where he performed the first laser spectroscopy of positronium.
Chuck Shank and I both knew him there, and it was there that we first witnessed his leadership and managerial skills. He is a natural manager, someone with a very human touch.
Dr. Chu has been a visiting lecturer at institutions all over the world and is currently the 2004 Hitchcock Lecturer at UC Berkeley. He has won dozens of international and national awards in addition to the Nobel Prize.
Steve brings to this position outstanding leadership qualities and a record of superior achievement in science. His combination of skills is precisely what we need to keep the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the forefront of scientific excellence and to guide the lab wisely through the upcoming potential contract competition.
The work of the national laboratories is critical to our nation. I strongly believe that the cutting-edge scientific and technological work at our labs is critical to meeting the economic, scientific and homeland security needs of our nation. Steve’s skills and leadership abilities will ensure that Berkeley Laboratory remains at the forefront of scientific excellence.
Berkeley Lab Welcomes the New Director
The Chu Appointment
'The Ideal Match'
A Variety of Leaders in Science, Education and Politics Remark On the Chu Appointment
- “Chuck Shank and I both knew (Chu) there (at Bell Labs), and it was there that we first witnessed his leadership and managerial skills. He is a natural manager, someone with a very human touch.”
University of California President Robert Dynes***
“He is a world-class scientist and an inspiring leader and manager who is wonderfully qualified to guide Berkeley Lab into the future.”
DOE Office of Science Director Ray Orbach***
“I am confident that Dr. Steven Chu, Nobel Prize winner and scientific pioneer, will continue the 60-year tradition of excellent UC leadership at the Berkeley Lab and I look forward to working with him in that capacity.”
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, 10th District, California***
"I have known Steve since he was a graduate student, and I had the distinct privilege of working with him at Bell Laboratories. Early in his career it was clear that in addition to being a brilliant scientist he was also gifted leader.”
Berkeley Lab Director Charles Shank***
"It’s nice to have him back where he belongs. This is a wonderful appointment. The lab and campus are so closely connected that what is good for the lab is good for the campus, and vice versa."
Chancellor Robert Berdahl, UC Berkeley
***
"Steve’s appointment is a big deal because it means that LBNL and the campus will be able to branch out and become a more dominant force in the broader area of science. He will solidify and build upon the strong connection the campus already has with the Berkeley Lab. He will both influence the research and the education on campus."
Marvin Cohen, Berkeley Lab materials scientist and University Professor
***
"This is an absolutely wonderful thing for Berkeley in every respect. He is an ideal match for the lab and campus because of his strength in both biological and physical sciences."
Mark Richards, UC Berkeley Dean of Physical Sciences
***
"I had the lab next door to his at the time he was doing his Nobel-prize-winning research. I remember when his discoveries were made, he came by and grabbed me and said, 'Here, look at this!' He was that kind of guy, always excited about what he was doing."
Jeff Bokor, Berkeley Lab materials scientist and Cal professor
***
“We not only consider him a first-rate scientist, but also a friend and colleague. Steve has a broad and interdisciplinary scientific perspective, which makes him an excellent choice for the LBNL directorship.”
Marjorie Shapiro, Berkeley Lab physicist and Cal Physics Department chair-elect
