Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visits SLAC as part of Bay Area national lab tour
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright kicked off a tour of Bay Area national labs with a visit to the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park on Tuesday, May 27, engaging with students, staff and users of some of the world’s most advanced scientific research facilities.
Visit highlights included cutting-edge projects in X-ray and ultrafast science, fusion energy, quantum information science and microelectronics, and the physics of the universe, with key discussions on the role of artificial intelligence in these efforts.
“The work underway at SLAC exemplifies why America’s national labs continue to lead the world in science and innovation: from astrophysics, fusion energy research and ultrafast high energy X-rays, to AI-driven accelerator science and breakthroughs in microelectronics,” said Secretary Wright.
As a DOE Office of Science national laboratory managed by Stanford University, SLAC explores how the universe works, from the ultrafast motions of tiny atoms and molecules to the mysteries of our vast cosmos and its origin. Scientists around the globe come to SLAC to use advanced tools the lab invents and operates for these and other aims. Discussions emphasized the lab’s commitment to scientific discovery and technology innovation across a wide range of disciplines.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to host Secretary Wright and showcase the expertise, creativity and collaboration driving the real-world impact of our work,” said SLAC Director John Sarrao. “Through our strong partnership with the DOE and Stanford University, we enable research and technology that benefit the nation and are uniquely achievable here.”
Top photo: U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright (center) greets Jodie Collins, Jr., (right, in safety vest) in the Linac Coherent Light Source Near Experimental Hall as SLAC Lab Director John Sarrao, Elizabeth Wright and Department of Energy Chief of Staff Carl Coe look on.
Second photo: In the underground accelerator tunnel, Accelerator Directorate Associate Lab Director John Schmerge explains SLAC’s recently upgraded superconducting linear accelerator to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
Photos by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
