On 18 April, after a nationwide search, Argonne National Laboratory got a new director from within its own ranks. Robert Rosner, an astrophysicist, had served for three years as the lab’s chief scientist and associate director for physical, biological, and computing sciences. Rosner succeeds Hermann Grunder, who had held the directorship since 2000. “It’s time to make space for younger people who have a lot of good ideas,” says Grunder. “Bob will make sensible decisions whatever the circumstances.”
As Argonne’s new director, Rosner says the biggest challenge for him and the staff will be fulfilling under a tight budget the laboratory’s 20-year strategic plan for science and technology. Rosner was key in developing the strategic plan after joining the lab in 2002. Argonne, a US Department of Energy (DOE) research center managed by the University of Chicago, has an annual operating budget of $475 million and employs about 2700 people....
