On March 9, B. Grant Logan, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), was named director of the Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory (VNL), succeeding Roger O. Bangerter, who has retired. Bangerter will continue to engage in research part time at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Logan will be located physically at LBNL.

The Heavy Ion Fusion VNL is a collaborative venture of LBNL, LLNL and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The purpose of the VNL is to advance heavy ion fusion reserach through synergistic coordination and management of staff and experimental facilities across the three lab groups. The collaboration includes "the conduct of heavy ion driver development and related topics in the common pursuit of inertial fusion energy (IFE), and to promote more rapid progress in the development of heavy ion drivers through technical management integration of the Laboratories' scientific staff, equipment, and experimental facilities." The collaboration does not directly cover research on IFE target design, power plant chamber development, materials and target fabrication/injection R&D, which will "be carried out in a separate inertial fusion technology program for both laser and ion approaches to IFE." The VNL has an oversight board appointed by the respective laboratory directors and a program advisory committee, reporting to the oversight board.

Grant has worked in all parts of the US fusion program. He worked on both magnetic mirrors and tokamaks in the magnetic fusion energy (MFE) program at LLNL from 1975 until 1992. He received the US Department of Energy's prestigious E. O. Lawrence Award in 1980 for his co-invention of the tandem mirror. He joined the Laser Directorate at LLNL in 1992, working in support of the laser National Ignition Facility (NIF) and on both heavy-ion and laser IFE. He was a recipient of the 1999 Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership contributions to both magnetic and inertial fusion energy research.

Grant can be reached at LBNL MS-47-112 ,1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley Calif 94720. Phone: (510) 486-7206; email: bglogan@lbl.gov