Newswise — Dr. James Morris has been named Chief Research Officer at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ames Laboratory. His appointment follows an extensive search and will be effective June 17, 2019.

The Chief Research Officer (CRO) is responsible for initiating, developing and supervising the Ames Laboratory’s scientific divisions, institutes and programs. The CRO formulates and evaluates new initiatives in support of Ames Laboratory’s mission – to create materials, inspire minds to solve problems, and address global challenges – often emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaborations with other DOE National Laboratories, academia, and industry.

In announcing the selection of Morris, Ames Laboratory Director Adam Schwartz said, “James began his professional career as a postdoctoral researcher at Ames Laboratory, and I am thrilled to be welcoming him back. His expertise in materials science and proven track record of managing successful research teams will be a tremendous asset for our Laboratory.”

Dr. Morris is currently the Multiscale Materials Theory Group Leader in the Materials Science & Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Tennessee. His work has focused on a variety of materials science challenges, including alloy design, metallic liquids and glasses, and properties of confined fluids in porous media. At ORNL, Morris has served as Deputy Director for the DOE Energy Frontier Research Center, the Center for Defect Physics, and as Lab Coordinator for the Basic Energy Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering program.

Morris’ past experience at Ames Laboratory played a big part in his desire to return. “My earlier time at Ames showed me that their small, collaborative environment has a big scientific impact,” said Morris. “Ames Laboratory’s scientific capabilities and reputation are world-class, and I look forward to helping the Lab continue to flourish.”

Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Laboratory operated by Iowa State University. Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global problems.

Ames Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The 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, please visit https://energy.gov/science.