Three new Senior Fellows named
Contact: Ed Vigil, edvigil@lanl.gov,
(505) 665-9205 (03-004)
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 13, 2003 -- Los Alamos National
Laboratory has named three long-time Lab researchers as Senior Laboratory
Fellows. They are Greg Canavan of the Physics Division, Hans Frauenfelder
of the Center for Nonlinear Studies and Geoffrey West of Los Alamos’
Elementary Particles and Field Theory group.
Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Director John Browne personally
selected the three Los Alamos staff members for senior fellow recognition.
The honor is given to technical staff members who sustain a high level
of excellence in programs important to the Laboratory's mission, make
important scientific discoveries that lead to widespread use, or are recognized
as leaders in their fields both within and outside the Laboratory.
"I'm pleased to recognize these distinguished members of our technical
staff," said Browne. "It is valuable to note some of the best
researchers who serve our nation and the world with such technical and
scientific excellence."
Canavan was named senior fellow for having attained national recognition
for his research in the areas of remote sensing, missile defense systems
and issues related to national security. “Greg’s appointment
to this select group of senior fellows recognizes his significant talent
and expertise in those fields,” said Browne.
Canavan’s expertise in remote sensing for defense, civil and scientific
applications has put him in demand as a technical expert and consultant
to numerous private and government agencies. Canavan’s many contributions
to national security and defense programs include providing technical
advice to Presidents Reagan and Bush on the Strategic Defense Initiative
and Theater Missile Defense initiatives. He also has consulted with industry,
working with Motorola Corp. to develop their Iridium satellite-based mobile-phone
system.
“His contributions to improving military science and technology
as well as his leadership in transferring remote-sensing and communications
technologies to the scientific, civilian and commercial sectors have made
Greg a valuable asset to the Laboratory and to the nation, and I am very
pleased to have Greg as a new senior fellow” said Browne.
Canavan joined Los Alamos in 1981 as a group leader in the Physics Division
doing research in lasers, pulse power and inertial fusion. During his
two decades at Los Alamos, he has held leadership positions in that division
as assistant and associate division leader and scientific advisor. Canavan
has a doctorate and a master’s degree in applied science from the
University of California, Davis as well as a master’s of business
administration from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in
mathematics and physics from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a fellow
of the American Physical Society and chair of the Hertz Foundation, which
supports graduate education in the applied sciences
Frauenfelder was named for his exceptional work in biological physics
and for his leadership of the Center for Nonlinear Science. A leader in
physics research for more than half a century, Frauenfelder came to Los
Alamos in 1992 after 40 years as a professor and researcher at the University
of Illinois. Frauenfelder initially worked for Physics Division on the
development of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center.
In 1995 he became the director for CNLS and has continued in that role
for the past seven years.
“Since he joined the Laboratory, Hans has provided valuable leadership
for the Center for Non-Linear Studies much as he has been a leader for
more than 50 years in the field of physics research,” said Browne.
Recognized internationally for his research on Mossbauer Effect and its
application, as well as the study of biological physics––most
notably the physics of protein––Frauenfelder has worked and
collaborated with numerous colleagues from around the world. He continues
that collaboration in his role as leader for CNLS.
“Hans’ contributions to science have been over a broad range
of fields in his work at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility, in the
initial start-up of the Physics Division many years ago, before he joined
the Laboratory, and as director of CNLS. These are just a few of the reasons
I am pleased to appoint Hans to this prestigious group,” said Browne.
Frauenfelder received his doctorate in physics and his undergraduate
degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
Frauenfelder has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academy Leopoldina and the
American Philosophical Society. He also is the recipient of numerous prestigious
scientific fellowships and honors.
West was recognized for his many contributions to the study of high-energy
physics and the study of universal scaling laws in biology.
“Geoff is not only a high-energy physicist in Los Alamos’ Theoretical
Division, he also is a part-time resident faculty at the Santa Fe Institute,
and for almost three decades he has made many significant scientific contributions
throughout his career,” said Browne.
West’s biological scaling research has involved studying the extraordinary
diversity and scalability of living organisms. Looking at everything from
microbes to whales, over a remarkable 21 orders of magnitude in size,
West has been able correlate how surprisingly simple scaling laws related
to metabolic rate, lifespan, heart rate and size, amongst others, are
universal to most organisms over the entire spectrum of life. West’s
research has led to breakthroughs in understanding that life at every
scale, driven by natural selection, is sustained by a hierarchical, fractal-like
branching network whose universal characteristics determine many of the
most fundamental and universal properties of living organisms.
“Geoff’s achievements reflect a caliber of science that I am
most proud of and I am delighted to have Geoff as a new Laboratory senior
fellow,” said Browne.
West was on the faculty of Stanford University before coming to Los Alamos
in 1974 when he joined Los Alamos as a group leader in the High Energy
Particle Physics group. West received his doctorate in physics from Stanford
University and his bachelor’s in physics from Cambridge University.
He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and has received several
honors for his work including many distinguished lectureships.
Only 15 current and former technical staff members hold the title of
"Senior Fellow." Ten are retired and the other five remain active
employees. In addition to the title and honor, senior fellows have an
important scientific and technical role and contribute in significant
ways to Laboratory programs and initiatives. Senior fellows also are called
upon to provide technical advice to the director concerning new or ongoing.
The director has sole discretion in the selection the senior fellows.
Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California
for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department
of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore
national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.
Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability
of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats
from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy,
environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.
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