David J. Dean appointed Jefferson Lab Deputy Director for Science

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has appointed David J. Dean as Jefferson Lab’s Deputy Director for Science. This key leadership position oversees the science and technology aspects of the laboratory’s mission. Dean will take on the responsibilities of this role in January 2022.

“David brings a vision and passion for Jefferson Lab and our scientific focus in fundamental nuclear physics,” said Jefferson Lab Director Stuart Henderson. “At the same time, he has a bold vision for the role that Jefferson Lab can play in the broader scientific landscape as we work to diversity the lab’s scientific mission. In particular, David is passionate about the capabilities that high-performance computation and data sciences bring to discovery science.”

Dean is well respected within the field of nuclear physics. He is a theoretical nuclear physicist by training, with a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.

"I am excited to work with JLab leadership and scientists as we continue an excellent tradition in delivering high-quality nuclear physics research," said Dean. "I am also excited by the prospect of pursuing opportunities that will establish JLab as a trusted leader in other areas of science, as well."

He most recently held leadership positions at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he served in a variety of roles for 26 years. Most recently, Dean served as the director of ORNL’s Quantum Science Center, one of the new Quantum Information Science Research Centers recently established by DOE. Before that, Dean was the associate laboratory director for Physical Sciences. In this position, he fostered a broad scientific portfolio, including fundamental physics, materials science and technology, chemical sciences, and isotope research and production. Also in that role, he emphasized the linkage of theory, computation and experimental data to advance scientific knowledge.

He also directed the ORNL Physics Division, growing its isotope and fundamental science programs, and he served as the director of institutional planning. Further, he spent two years as senior advisor to the Under Secretary for Science at DOE.

Prior to joining ORNL, Dean held a postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology and was a recipient of a Presidential Early Career Award. He has been recognized with fellowships in the American Physical Society, the Institute of Physics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also served on many advisory and review panels for DOE, the National Science Foundation and other laboratories. Notable panel memberships include the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee and its Long Range Plan committee, as well as Jefferson Lab’s Program Advisory Committee.

Resources
David J. Dean, Director, ORNL Quantum Science Center
The Race to Harness Quantum Is One the U.S. Must Win

-end-

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.