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Dale Knutson Named Acting Associate Lab Director for the LCLS

(Photo - Dale Knutson)SLAC welcomes its newest Associate Lab Director (ALD), Dale Knutson, who is now SLAC's Acting ALD for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Knutson will oversee the strategy and integration of the various components associated with the LCLS, while John Galayda will continue to direct the LCLS construction activity. SLAC Director Persis Drell introduced Knutson during an LCLS all-hands meeting yesterday.

"Dale comes to us with over 20 years of experience of line, project and program management at a diverse mixture of facilities," said Drell. "We are really delighted to have him at SLAC in what is going to be a very busy and exciting time."

Knutson comes to SLAC from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he spent the last two years overseeing the Capability Replacement Laboratory, which helped design updated replacement facilities for aging nuclear laboratories. Knutson also brings nearly two decades of engineering and project management experience to SLAC.

As Acting ALD for the LCLS, Knutson's primary job will be ensuring all aspects of the LCLS project becomes fully integrated. The LCLS Ultrafast Science Instruments (LUSI) collaboration, SLAC's Accelerator Systems Division (ASD) and the LCLS machine—integration of these elements is critical to the lab's mission and will take greatest advantage of SLAC's well of intellectual and technical resources.

"The most exciting thing about this project for me is the prospect of working with SLAC staff. This lab has an amazing future ahead," said Knutson. "This laboratory has its future clearly in its own hands. And that's a lot of fun."

—Brad Plummer, SLAC Today, April 8, 2008

Above image: SLAC's Acting ALD for the LCLS, Dale Knutson. (Click image for larger version.)