Persis S. Drell, director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California, has announced that she will step down as soon as a successor can be found to replace her. SLAC, formerly known as the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy. It is a multipurpose facility conducting research in astrophysics, photon science, and particle physics. Dr. Drell will return to teaching as a member of the faculty of Stanford University.
Steven Chu, secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, praised Drell by stating, “She is an exceptional administrator and gifted scientist. What she has done for SLAC in her tenure as director is nothing short of remarkable.”
Professor Drell joined the staff at SLAC in 2002 as director of research and has served as director since 2007. She was on the faculty of Cornell University from 1988 to 2002.
Dr. Drell is a graduate of Wellesley College. She holds a Ph.D. in atomic physics from the University of California at Berkeley.