Ross Schlueter, an accomplished engineer with the Engineering Division and currently the Magnetics Engineering Department Head, has been appointed as Interim Engineering Division Director effective July 1, 2024. An international search for the next Engineering Division Director was launched in January and is in the final stages of interviewing a strong pool of candidates
Ross has been at Berkeley Lab since 1990, leading the Mechanical Engineering Department for 7 years and the Magnetics Engineering Department for the past 10 years. Ross has deep expertise in permanent magnets and novel magnetic solutions for accelerators and other applications. Over the course of his long career, Ross has contributed to magnet systems for the ALS and the ALS Superbends, the SLAC B Factory interaction region, LCLS and LCLS-II undulators, and other applications, including NMR/MRI and transmission electron microscopes. Ross has served on many technical advisory and review committees, is a regular contributor to the US Particle Accelerator School, and has co-authored over 100 publications. He has several patents and inventions involving magnetics techniques and devices for applications, including tunability-enhanced electromagnetic undulators, rotating NMR imaging, and plasma etching. Ross holds a Ph.D. in magnetohydrodynamics and an MSME in thermal sciences, both from Stanford University, and a BSME from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Over the course of his long career at Berkeley Lab, Ross has been actively involved in recruiting and developing the Engineering Division’s strong talent pool. He has also collaborated with the Lab’s Workforce Development and Education to bring the National GEM Consortium to the lab, hosting one of Berkeley Lab’s first GEM scholars in the Magnetics Department. The National GEM Consortium seeks to increase participation of underrepresented groups in engineering and science.
Natalie Roe, Associate Laboratory Director for Physical Sciences, said, “I am very pleased that Ross accepted my invitation to serve as interim Division Director for the Engineering Division. Ross has many years of experience in both technical and management roles, and I look forward to working with him during this transition period.”
The Interim Engineering Division Director Ross Schlueter added, “The expertise, creativity, professionalism, and accomplishments of the Engineering (EG) Division’s world-class staff of engineers, designers, and technical personnel is truly inspiring. I look forward to working with scientific Division colleagues in identifying and meeting critical engineering needs and with EG colleagues to maintain the bar high in recruiting, training, and providing opportunities for our staff, trusting them to tackle ever-present engineering challenges.”
Ross will be supported in his interim Division Director role by Engineering Division Deputy for Science Daniela Leitner, Engineering Division Deputy for Accelerator Technology Alex Ratti, and Engineering Operations Deputy Mike Barry. This strong team will provide excellent stewardship of the Engineering Division while the final stages of the search are completed.
