Obama Taps Physicist To Head DOE Science Office

President Barack Obama nominated William F. Brinkman to serve as the director of the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Brinkman is currently a senior research physicist in the physics department at Princeton University. Following Senate confirmation, he will manage the nearly $5 billion science office.

Brinkman was one of more than a half dozen individuals named to fill key administrative posts ranging from a pair of Agriculture Department undersecretaries to a Labor Department assistant secretary.

"I am grateful that these fine individuals have made the admirable decision to serve their country," the President said when announcing the nominations. "Their expertise and dedication will be a valuable asset both to my administration and our nation as we work to bring about the real change that the American people need today."

Brinkman has ties to DOE. In the mid-1980s, he was the physical sciences research vice president and vice president of research at Sandia National Laboratory. He has also spent many years at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies—working there from 1966 until 1984 and again after leaving Sandia in 1987. At Bell Labs, he held various positions before becoming vice president of research in 2000. After retiring from Bell Labs, he moved to his current position at Princeton.

In his role as director, Brinkman, who holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Missouri, will report to DOE's undersecretary of science. Steven E. Koonin was tapped for the undersecretary job last month and is expected to be confirmed by the Senate later this week.