On 24 May, Jonathan Dorfan, director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), announced a complete reorganization of the structure and senior management of the laboratory, which Stanford University has operated for more than 40 years for the US Department of Energy. The new organizational structure is built around four divisions: Photon Science, Particle and Particle Astrophysics, Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) Construction, and Operations.
“One thing that is recurrent in world-class scientific research is change,” Dorfan said. “Recognizing new science goals and discovery opportunities, and adapting rapidly to exploit them efficiently, cost-effectively and safely is the mark of a great laboratory. Thanks to the support of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Stanford University, SLAC is ideally placed to make important breakthroughs over a wide spectrum of discovery in photon science and particle and particle astrophysics. These fields are evolving rapidly, and we are remodelling the management structure to mobilize SLAC’s exceptional staff to better serve its large user community. The new structure is adapted to allow them to get on with what they do best – making major discoveries.”
Two of the new divisions – Photon Science, and Particle and Particle Astrophysics – encompass SLAC’s major research directions. As director of the Photon Science Division, Keith Hodgson has responsibility for the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, the science and instrument programme for the LCLS (the world’s first X-ray-free electron laser) and the new Ultrafast Science Center. Persis Drell, director of the Particle and Particle Astrophysics Division, oversees the B-Factory (an international collaboration studying matter and antimatter), the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, the International Linear Collider effort, accelerator research and non-accelerator particle-physics programmes.
Construction of the $379 million LCLS, a key element in the future of accelerator-based science at SLAC, started this fiscal year. A significant part of the laboratory’s resources and manpower are being devoted to building LCLS, with completion of the project scheduled for 2009. Commissioning will begin in 2008 and science experiments are planned for 2009. John Galayda serves as director of the LCLS Construction division.
To reinforce SLAC’s administrative and operational efficiency, and to stress the importance of strong and effective line management at the laboratory, a new position of chief operating officer has been created, filled by John Cornuelle. This fourth division, Operations, has broad responsibilities for operational support and R&D efforts that are central to the science divisions. Included in Operations will be environmental safety and health, scientific computing and computing services, mechanical and electrical support departments, business services, central facilities and maintenance.
