MSU professor to lead high-energy physics programs at Argonne

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 4, 2005) – Hendrik (Harry) J. M. Weerts has been named director of the High Energy Physics Division at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

Weerts has been a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University since 1983 and spent last year at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory doing research on the proposed International Linear Collider. He received his B.Sc., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from RWTH Aachen in Germany.

He has most recently worked on the Dzero experiment, a worldwide collaboration of scientists conducting research on the fundamental nature of matter. Located at Fermilab, the research is focused on precise studies of interactions of protons and antiprotons at the highest available energies, searching for subatomic clues that reveal the character of the building blocks of the universe. Weerts served as a spokesperson for the project and its research results.

He has been a member of numerous committees, including the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel to both the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In 2003 he became editor of Physics Letters B, a peer-reviewed journal of physics research.

“Argonne is pleased to welcome such a distinguished scholar and researcher to lead the laboratory's programs in high-energy physics,” said Argonne director Bob Rosner. “Harry's 20 years of experience of teaching and leading students in research, as well as his service to the academic and research communities make him an outstanding addition to the Argonne leadership team.”

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.