Nanoscience for Energy | |
| Harriet KungAssociate Director of Science for Basic Energy Sciences, Office of ScienceUS Department of Energy |
Dr. Harriet Kung has served as the Associate Director of Science for Basic Energy Sciences since June 9, 2008. With an annual budget of more than $1.2 billion, BES is the nation’s leading supporter of fundamental research in materials sciences, chemistry, geosciences, and aspects of physical biosciences. BES is also a major supporter of scientific user facilities, including the nation’s premier x-ray synchrotron light sources, neutron scattering facilities, electron-beam microcharacerization centers, and nanoscale science research centers. These facilities serve over 10,000 users annually, and they provide the tools for the preparation and examination of materials and the study of their physical and chemical properties and transformations.
Previously, Dr. Kung served as the Director of the Materials Sciences and Engineering Division in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) since June 2004. During her tenure as Division Director, Dr. Kung managed a broad portfolio of condensed matter physics and materials research programs with an annual budget authority of more than $250 million; led a number of Basic Research Needs workshops to define scientific research directions for science-to-technology pathways; and was instrumental in the success of interagency collaborations, DOE research integration efforts, and international coordination activities
Before joining DOE in 2002, Dr. Kung was a technical staff member and a project leader in the Materials Science and Technology Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). She conducted research in high temperature superconductivity in the Superconductivity Technology Center at LANL. She has published approximately 100 refereed papers and has given over 50 invited technical presentations. She was a guest editor for the journal Philosophical Magazine A and served as a guest editor for an MRS Bulletin issue on “Mechanical Properties of Nanostructured Materials.” Dr. Kung previously held a research fellow position at the University of Michigan. Her main research interests focused on developing novel materials through understanding their mechanical and physical behavior. Dr. Kung received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering with a minor in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the DOE Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship award and several performance and leadership service awards at LANL.
