Lester Schmerr, Iowa State professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, has been named interim director of the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation.

Schmerr, who has been associate director of the center since 1989, said a nationwide search is being conducted to find a permanent director to replace the former director Don Thompson. Thompson, who began phased retirement at the end of February, had been the director of the center since it began in 1984.

Schmerr said he will be “serving as a bridge” between the past director and the new director.

“Schmerr has proven himself to be a capable administrator,” said Joel Snow, director of CNDE’s parent organization, the Institute for Physical Research and Technology. “We are pleased that he has consented to continue to keep this world-renowned center moving forward during this transition period.”

Schmerr has been at ISU since 1969 and is also the program manager for CNDE’s National Institute of Standards and Technology Program for Integrated Design, Nondestructive Evaluation and the Manufacturing Sciences. He is a member of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

CNDE evaluates the quality of parts and materials using nondestructive methods. Techniques, such as X-ray and ultrasound, are used to look for cracks or flaws in things such as aircraft engine parts.

“We work with space companies and power companies where safety and reliability are important,” Schmerr said.

Schmerr said two candidates for the director position will be on campus to interview next week. They are Donald Boyd of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bruce Thompson, deputy director of CNDE, assistant director for science and technology at Ames Lab and a professor of aerospace and engineering mechanics.