Karl Mueller, current director of the Program Development Office for the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate (PCSD) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has been named as the next director of Ames National Laboratory. Mueller’s tenure will begin June 1.
The announcement follows a previous release by Ames National Laboratory stating the intentions of the current director, Adam Schwartz, to step down into a part-time role when a successor has been named. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory, located on the Iowa State campus, has been operated by the university since 1947, according to the Lab’s website.
“What we do at Ames Lab is a lot of interesting work all the way from the atomic scale of chemicals and materials–how those are all arranged together to be able to make sure that our energy systems and our material supply chains are all strong and vital,” said Mueller.
In a press release, University President Wendy Wintersteen stated that Ames Laboratory “[has produced] scientific breakthroughs that have shaped history and addressed society’s most pressing challenges.” Wintersteen also cited her faith in Mueller to lead the laboratory.
Jason Keith, senior vice president and provost, also stated his commendation of Mueller in the press release.
“Dr. Mueller has outstanding scientific credentials and a clear vision for the future,” Keith said. “He will provide strong leadership in fulfilling the lab’s mission to deliver critical materials solutions and support national energy security.”
According to Mueller, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester. As a Churchill Scholar, he pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge through the Winston Churchill Foundation. He later earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of California Berkeley.
Muller said that he comes from a background of not only science, but also scientific management.
“My scientific career was built around a technique called magnetic resonance,” Mueller said. “I did a lot of work and published a lot of papers in that space, but along the way, becoming part of a national laboratory, I got to learn about this larger complex of national labs, including Ames Lab.”
According to the press release, “Mueller’s scholarly record includes more than 195 peer-reviewed papers detailing the development of magnetic resonance methods and applied studies in natural and engineered systems.”
Mueller’s background in relevant scientific spaces to the work done at Ames Laboratory ignited his interest when the opportunity became available.
“I got really excited about this opportunity at Ames lab when it came up to help the laboratory and set its visions and goals for the next foreseeable future,” Mueller said. “Ames Lab has an amazing reputation in the fields of chemistry, materials sciences and especially in the area of critical materials–it’s an area that is very vital for our nation.”
Mueller laid out what the beginning of his tenure will look like.
“I’ll spend a lot of my time in my first few months just getting to know the laboratory itself, getting to learn more about the current projects that are going on, helping people as they propose new project to the Department of Energy and elsewhere and making sure that I understand how the operations of the lab is integrated with Iowa State University,” Mueller said.
Mueller explained that his experience in both academia and laboratory work has set him up well for this new role. He said that he hopes to solidify ties between the laboratory, Iowa State University and academia beyond.
Mueller also believes that the Ames Laboratory is a vital hub for scientific research and innovation.
“The National Laboratory really does work for the country to be able to do that science and technology development,” Mueller said. “Ames has really wonderful skills, people, instrumentation, facilities to be able to do this science and technology work.”
In laying out further goals for the future, Mueller said that there is a shared “vision of being able to bring even stronger capabilities and stronger partnerships to the nation for solving these science and technology issues.”
Another goal cited by Mueller is engaging further with the student body.
“I want the student body to know what Ames Lab does and what Ames Lab is all about, and so I hope to be able to share that information and have venues in which I can be talking more broadly to the Iowa State community,” Mueller said.
Mueller described the ongoing transition period as a “whirlwind” which includes many meetings with Ames Laboratory staff, learning lab operations and diving into recent lab discoveries.
“At the same time, I’m winding down my work at the Pacific Northwest National Lab, where I still have a pretty busy schedule,” Mueller said. “It’s very exciting, but I think it’s going to be a lot of learning and a lot of communicating.”
Alongside taking on the director position at the Ames Laboratory, Mueller will also be joining the chemistry department as a tenured faculty member.
“I really think that the lab and myself need to make sure that we are seen quite visibly as part of the greater Iowa State University community,” Mueller said. “And I’m really excited about that.”
