LLNL honors 36 as 2026 Distinguished Members of Technical Staff

Thirty-six Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have been named Distinguished Members of Technical Staff (DMTS) in recognition of their extraordinary scientific and technical contributions, as affirmed by their professional peers and the broader scientific community. As distinguished citizens of the Laboratory and their respective fields, DMTS honorees exhibit a long-standing record of exceptional achievement, service-minded leadership, and dedication to mentoring the next generation of researchers.

DMTS is the highest technical staff level achievable by a scientist or engineer at LLNL and is a prestigious recognition on the personnel ladder.

Appointment to DMTS is reserved for Laboratory scientists and engineers who have demonstrated at least one of the following:

• A sustained history of high-level achievements in programs of importance to the Laboratory.
• A sustained history of distinguished scientific and technical achievements, having become a recognized authority in the field.
• A fundamental and important discovery that has had sustained, widespread impact.

Congratulations to all 36 honorees on their noteworthy technical achievements and their continued service to the Laboratory and the scientific community.  

2026 DMTS Cohort

Armando Alcaraz, Physical and Life Sciences

Known for establishing LLNL on the global stage as a leader in chemical weapons agent (CWA) defense and forensics, Armando Alcaraz serves as the Forensic Science Center’s (FSC’s) International Programs lead. He first created the Forensic Science Center as a top-tier organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2001, and has since then led the team in attaining continuing formal designation.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for being selected for promotion to DMTS. I am deeply honored, and grateful for the support and trust that LLNL leadership has shown me throughout the years. I look forward to continuing to contribute at a high level to the GS/FSC mission goals,” said Alcaraz.

Jonathan Allen, Computing

Jonathan Allen earned his Ph.D. in computer science from The Johns Hopkins University and serves as a senior informatics scientist in LLNL’s Computing directorate. He leads informatics efforts supporting biopreparedness through computational drug discovery, pathogen characterization, and response to emerging infectious diseases. He has contributed foundational computational tools for pathogen detection and microbial forensics, including widely adopted open-source software for agnostic biodetection and metagenomic analysis.

"Being named a DMTS is a tremendous honor,” said Allen. “This designation reflects the incredible collaborative opportunities the Laboratory has afforded me to apply cutting-edge computing to pressing health and security challenges.”

Dan Badders, Engineering

Dan Badders is a highly recognized nuclear weapons engineering analyst with a uniquely deep knowledge of weapon systems. He has served as a member of Director’s Review Teams for Stockpile Annual Assessment at both LLNL and Los Alamos National Laboratory. His knowledge of systems, advanced analytic methods, and dedication to the mission has led to significant national impact. His work has contributed to analysis methodologies for dynamics, flight, thermal response, fire response, impact, survivability and safety. 

“I am humbled and honored by this recognition. I appreciate the many ways coworkers and the institution have motivated and enabled learning, collaborating, and contributing,” said Badders.

Lorin Benedict, Physical and Life Sciences

Since joining the Physics division at LLNL in 1998, Lorin Benedict has built a 30-plus-year record of outstanding accomplishments in applied theoretical and computational materials physics, high energy density (HED) science, plasma physics, and nuclear weapons science. He is especially known for co-developing the Bethe Salpeter ab initio method of optical properties predictions and for building initial multiphase equation of state model generation tools for LLNL.

“Many of my favorite Lab employees over the years, from whom I've learned so much, have been DMTS, so it's a special honor for me to now be so named. I've had more fun working here than I could ever have imagined when I started. This is certainly due to the dedication and insight of my colleagues at all levels of seniority, and also because of the diverse areas of science that we've been prompted to explore,” said Benedict.

Suhas Bhandarkar, Physical and Life Sciences

As group leader for the Target Fabrication Science and Technology group in the Physical and Life Sciences directorate, Suhas Bhandarkar leads a team whose goal is to continue innovating and improving implosion quality to deepen understanding of the physics involved in ignition. Bhandarkar also leads Cryogenic IPT where he drives systematic improvements in cryogenic layering processes and detection and management capabilities needed for successful ignition.

“I'm honored and genuinely grateful. This award reflects not my individual efforts, but rather the collaborative spirit of the wonderful teams I have been privileged to work with,” said Bhandarkar. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to tackle meaningful real-world problems thanks to the Lab's unwavering support for what we're trying to accomplish.”

Juergen Biener, Physical and Life Sciences

Juergen Biener’s work at LLNL has covered a broad range of innovations adopted across energy, quantum, biology, and inertial confinement fusion research communities. His efforts were instrumental in the development of National Ignition Facility (NIF) target materials, enabling the breakthrough of ignition and record neutron yields. He also contributes to national security missions through development of ultra-low density foams and nanoporous materials, along with 3D-printed ion traps for quantum information science. 

“I am honored to be selected as a DMTS and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to research that has a real impact on society and supports the Lab’s missions. It is both a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside the Lab’s exceptional workforce,” said Biener.

Patrick Brantley, Strategic Deterrence

Patrick Brantley’s distinguished achievement, leadership, and service in computational transport is backed by over 25 years of expertise in Weapons Simulation and Computing (WSC). As the Monte Carlo Transport Project lead, he defines WSC program direction and has notably influenced multiple high-level code strategies. His signature impact spans across multiple codes and campaigns that include key contributions to inertial confinement fusion, HED science, and other programmatic areas.

“I’m very honored and humbled to have been selected as a DMTS. Computational physics in WSC is a team endeavor, and my contributions occur as part of WSC code teams. I’m grateful to the Lab for granting me flexibility to explore interesting research topics motivated by the national security mission and for supporting me in engaging with the external research community,” said Brantley.

Peer-Timo Bremer, Computing

Peer-Timo Bremer is an internationally recognized expert in topological data analysis, visualization, scientific machine learning (ML), and ML interpretability. Bremer is a key member and leader of several flagship projects at LLNL, including research on Autonomous Multiscale Simulations, Digital Twins, and Cognitive Simulation. His leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) is further demonstrated as the Laboratory Directed Research and Development AI Initiative lead and as the AI Innovation Incubator (AI3) director.

“I am honored to be considered in the same category as the existing DMTSs, many of whom I have looked up to over the years,” said Bremer. “I will do my best to live up to their example on how to best support Livermore’s mission and its people.”

Trent D’Hooge, Computing

As the deputy division leader for operations at Livermore Computing, Trent D’Hooge leads design and deployment of supercomputers and testbeds, ensuring LLNL remains the dominant computing center worldwide. He leads the Tri-Lab Operating System Stack (TOSS), focusing on providing a common, stable HPC operating system. In this role, he mitigated critical LC shortcomings and pushed for adoption of open-source practices that have been critical for El Capitan’s success.

“I’m grateful for the support and mentorship of many great people that made DMTS possible. I wish they were all still here to see it,” said D’Hooge.

Laurent Divol, NIF and Photon Science

Laurent Divol is a senior physicist in LLNL’s NIF and Photon Science directorate with 30 years of experience in a wide range of HED physics, both theoretical and experimental, including laser plasma instabilities, hohlraum and capsule science, and future applications of inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Divol is one of the pioneers of using low gasfill hohlraums to drive High Density Carbon capsules for ICF implosion that proved influential in NIF’s achievement of ignition in 2022.

“This is an honor. LLNL’s collaborative, multidisciplinary environment and the guidance of outstanding mentors and colleagues have made my career at the Lab so gratifying. The pursuit of fusion in the lab has been a (mostly) fun and challenging journey, and I hope to stay relevant and contribute more to new challenges,“ said Divol.  

Jon Eggert, Physical and Life Sciences

As the chief HED scientist for the Joint High Energy Density Science (JHEDS) organization, Jon Eggert leads critical efforts in laser-driven dynamic-compression diagnostics. He is a pioneer of laser-driven ramp compression at OMEGA and the NIF, transforming the study of dynamic compression science for unprecedented pressure regimes. Under his leadership, his LLNL team initiated in-situ X-ray diffraction techniques which set new standards for material characterization under extreme conditions.

“I’m extremely grateful to be designated a DMTS. My career at LLNL has empowered me to collaborate with many of the world’s leading high-pressure scientists on important and exciting HED challenges in both programmatic and fundamental science. We are uncovering so many inspiring puzzles that I wish it were possible to continue working with my LLNL colleagues forever,” said Eggert.

Daniel Faissol, Engineering

Daniel Faissol is an internationally recognized expert of AI-driven computational design of antibodies and antigens. He is currently LLNL’s program lead for Predictive Design of Biologics where he led the development of an AI-and-simulation-driven platform for accelerated antibody/protein design. This platform has been demonstrated in real-world settings of rapidly responding to emerging pathogens, preemptively optimizing antibodies for robustness to future escape, expanding an antibody’s breadth to related viruses, and improving antibody developability.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful for this recognition. I’m even more grateful for the brilliant, hard-working, and fun scientists and engineers I get to work with that have made this distinction possible,” said Faissol.

Carolyn Hall, Operations and Business

Carolyn Hall is Livermore’s Institutional Biosafety Officer and Biosafety subject matter expert, providing authoritative guidance on biosafety, biosecurity, and regulatory compliance across high-consequence research programs. Hall provides expertise on major biosafety modernization initiatives, including the design of Livermore’s institutional inspection program, the development of biosafety performance metrics, and the modernization of the biological material permit system, all of which have improved LLNL’s compliance posture and operational efficiency.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be selected as a DMTS. I have been very fortunate in my tenure at LLNL to have incredible mentors and exceptional colleagues who have taught me so much, encouraged me to explore a variety of roles, and trusted me to take on some truly challenging opportunities. I look forward to continuing to serve the Lab’s biological research programs and inspire and support the next generation,” said Hall.

Cyrus Harrison, Computing

As the Weapons Simulation and Computing (WSC) Workflow project leader, Cyrus Harrison develops and leads data management, analysis, and visualization tools that support large scale multi-physics simulations in support of national security applications. He is the project leader and software architect of the VisIt open-source visualization tool, which has broad impact internationally in commercial, government, and academic organizations. Harrison is also the creator and technical leader of several other widely used simulation tools, including Conduit, Mesh Blueprint, and Ascent.

“I am grateful that SD/WSC and Computing have provided amazing challenges, opportunities, and teams that allowed me to continuously learn and contribute to LLNL and our nation,” said Harrison.

Stefan Hau-Riege, Physical and Life Sciences

Stefan Hau-Riege is the associate division leader in the Applied Physics section of the Physical and Life Science directorate, with a research focus in converging physics models, data science, and AI methods for nonproliferation applications. He is currently the principal investigator on LLNL’s largest project supported by National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development, delivering a physics-informed AI/ML-enabled nuclear materials production ecosystem for decision support and cross-agency collaboration.

“This honor reflects the guidance of my mentors and the dedication of my colleagues. I’m grateful for their support and proud to contribute to LLNL’s mission,” said Hau-Riege.

Denise Hinkel, Strategic Deterrence

Denise Hinkel serves as associate division leader of High Energy Density-Inertial Confinement Fusion (HED-ICF) within Design Physics division of the Strategic Deterrence directorate, as well as ICF program group lead for modeling laser-driven targets. Her expertise spans theoretical analyses to massively parallel computing across ignition and HED applications. She was notably a key contributor to the NIF’s approval with her innovative laser-plasma interaction simulations of NOVA beam bending.

“Walt Disney once said, ‘It’s fun to do the impossible.’ It has been an honor and a privilege (as well as lots of fun and hard work!) to work with so many talented teams across our Laboratory on achieving the impossible,” said Hinkel.  

Doug Homoelle, NIF & Photon Science

Doug Homoelle serves as an Adaptive Optics System leader at LLNL, providing technical strategy in his field and directly enabling key performance parameters for multiple national security missions and projects. He has served as a key innovator and principal investigator in achieving beyond state-of-the-art beam quality in both continuous wave and pulsed laser systems under demanding conditions. Through his hands-on contributions and achievements, LLNL has greatly enhanced the baseline NIF-ARC beam quality performance required for HED target imaging.

“During the course of my career at the Lab I have had the great privilege to work on a variety of technically rich projects alongside extraordinary teams of collaborators. It’s this dynamic that has made my career at the Lab so enjoyable and fruitful,” said Homoelle. “I am grateful and honored to have received this recognition.”

Yongqin Jiao, Physical and Life Sciences

As the deputy division leader for Livermore’s Biosciences and Biotechnology division, Yongqin Jiao is a recognized leader in microbe-mineral interactions and has played a key role in building synthetic biology and biomanufacturing capabilities at LLNL. She designs and leads mission-driven biotechnology programs that integrate biology, materials science, and AI to address national challenges. Her work spans synthetic biology, advanced biomaterials, and biomanufacturing, with a focus on translating emerging science into mission-relevant capabilities.

“This recognition belongs to the many colleagues and teams I work with every day. Their hard work, collaboration and support make it possible to do meaningful science in service of the mission,” said Jiao.

Michael Johnson, Physical and Life Sciences

Michael Johnson joined LLNL in the 1970s in the nascent Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) program, a period when high-energy lasers were emerging as a major research focus. After twenty-five AVLIS years and as a leader in optical heterodyning, Johnson invented and implemented Phase Shifting Diffraction Interferometry (PSDI) for inspecting NIF target capsules and optics which has served as a pivotal improvement in measurement precision at the NIF.

“The DMTS designation reminds me to continue to pursue even harder the joy I get from tackling the toughest scientific problems in the enthusiastic company of (now often younger) LLNL colleagues,” said Johnson.

Ed Kokko, Engineering

Ed Kokko currently serves as the associate program leader for Innovative Technologies within N Program as well as the mission manager for Support to Operations within Z Program in Global Security, where he leads a diverse team from across the Laboratory tasked with developing technology and producing analytic products to enable and inform partner U.S. government agencies. In addition to his interagency contributions, Kokko is an expert in solid mechanics, material damage modeling, and blast/impact analyses.

“What a wonderful honor and privilege to be recognized as a DMTS. I am grateful for the opportunities LLNL has provided me over the years and for the many talented colleagues I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout my career. I remain committed to supporting and advancing the Laboratory’s important national security missions,” said Kokko.

Tzanio Kolev, Computing

As the project leader of Livermore’s MFEM finite element library and previous director of the Center for Efficient Exascale Discretizations in the Exascale Computing Project, Tzanio Kolev is helping make LLNL and DOE worldwide leaders in high-order computational methods through his expertise in mathematical modeling and high-performance computing simulations. His research focuses on the development and analysis of high-order finite element algorithms, matrix-free preconditioning, massively parallel GPU simulations, and the design and implementation of large-scale scientific software for national security applications.

“I am truly honored to receive this recognition. I have been fortunate to collaborate with many exceptional researchers and application scientists at LLNL, and I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the Lab’s mission together with my colleagues,“ said Kolev.

Sergei Kucheyev, Physical and Life Sciences

Sergei Kucheyev’s research at the Laboratory has spanned a wide range of topics, including ion implantation, radiation damage, nano-mechanics, condensed hydrogens, nanoporous and nanostructured materials, and vapor deposition of coatings. Through his work, he has led multiple innovations for target fabrication at the NIF. As the chief scientist of NIF Target Fabrication, Kucheyev continues to be a frequent leader of innovative concepts and fabrication technologies for laser targets.

“This is a great honor to me. I am grateful to many talented and supportive colleagues who are passionate about their work and with whom I have been fortunate to work during my career at the Lab. I also appreciate that the Lab continues investing in instruments, enabling experimental research like mine,” said Kucheyev.

Peter Lindstrom, Computing

Peter Lindstrom is an internationally recognized expert in visualization, data compression, mesh and number representations, and out-of-core and streaming methods. He is a recent 2025 IEEE VIS Test-of-Time Award and 2023 R&D 100 Award recipient for inventing ZFP. ZFP is a floating-point data compression algorithm and number format that makes simulation codes more accurate, faster, and more scalable, enabling existing codes to run on much larger problems.

“I am truly honored to have been selected as a DMTS. I feel fortunate to have been involved in so many exciting and challenging research projects over the years with tremendously talented collaborators. I am privileged to be surrounded by such amazing people and grateful for the support and opportunities LLNL has provided during my quarter-century tenure at the Lab,” said Lindstrom.

Pierre Michel, NIF and Photon Science

As the Laser Plasma Interactions group leader in LLNL’s NIF & Photon Science directorate, Pierre Michel provides intellectual leadership in laser plasma instabilities, enabling critical experiments that maintain machine safety while achieving unprecedented laser power yields. Michel’s research was instrumental in the discovery of beam energy transfer in NIF hohlraums, which enabled the symmetry control required for ignition. He has also been pioneering a new field of plasma and gas optics, with applications to HED science, industry, and inertial confinement fusion.

"I have benefited greatly from the mentorship and guidance of many of the Lab’s current DMTS over the years, and they have been important role models for me. I am both grateful and honored to be joining their ranks,” said Michel.

Aaron Miles, Strategic Deterrence

With 25 years of experience in U.S. science and energy policy and national security work, Aaron Miles currently serves on assignment as the coordinator for Strategic Capabilities at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He has researched and written on a wide range of science and security topics, including deterrence policy, nuclear weapons, arms control, nonproliferation, space policy, fusion and fission energy, HED and nonequilibrium plasmas, pulsed power, astrophysics, and planetary defense.

“It is a tremendous honor to share this designation with colleagues that I look up to and respect so much. And it reinforces a sense of responsibility to strive as best I can to contribute to the mission of the Laboratory and the security of the nation,” said Miles.

Christine Orme, Physical and Life Sciences

A world-renowned expert in crystal growth, nanomaterial assembly and interfacial science, Christine Orme is a pioneer of Livermore’s programmatic work on degradation science. She is currently studying dynamics at electrified surfaces with applications in batteries, catalysis, and corrosion. Demonstrating an exceptional history of leadership in the scientific community, Orme has served as a Board of Directors member on the Materials Research Society, Chair of the Gordon Conference, and Executive Committee member of the American Association of Crystal Growers.

“I am at my happiest and most productive when I can dive deeply into a problem. I appreciate that the Lab has helped me build projects around fundamental mechanistic questions that allow me to contribute in a meaningful way,” said Orme.

Catherine Percher, Operations and Business

Catherine Percher is an internationally recognized expert in nuclear criticality safety for LLNL, serving as a U.S. delegate to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency’s Working Party for Nuclear Criticality Safety and as Chair of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project. She provides national-level technical leadership through service on the American Nuclear Society Nuclear Criticality Safety Consensus Committee and the U.S. Cross Section Evaluation Working Group, with approval authority for ANS-8 standards and national nuclear data cross section libraries.

“I was sitting in a meeting during the National Nuclear Data week when I got the email from Kim congratulating me on being named a DMTS and had to stifle an audible gasp — I was both stunned and touched by the honor. I am truly lucky to have benefited from incredible mentorship and encouragement from within my division and directorate,” said Percher. “Additionally, the unparalleled ability to tap into the deep technical expertise resident at the Laboratory made the task of working on big, multidisciplinary problems (like experimental benchmarking) so much easier.”

Jennifer Jo Ressler, Strategic Deterrence

As a key contributor to Strategic Deterrence (SD) and Global Security (GS), Jennifer Jo Ressler consistently delivers high-consequence assessments and advances data-informed design decisions across both missions. She leads the nuclear science program group in SD and initiated nuclear data uncertainty propagation in GS applications, prioritizing efforts to high-impact areas. With her work institutionalizing LLNL’s nuclear data-to-application pipeline, she has successfully linked libraries, uncertainty quantification, and mission design.

“I am deeply honored to receive recognition as DMTS,” said Ressler. “This achievement reflects the shared talents and teams I have been fortunate to work with, the rewarding mission-motivated applications, and the diverse opportunities available at LLNL to forge a unique career path.”

Robert Rieben, Strategic Deterrence

Robert Rieben has led a 25-year career advancing high-order finite element methods for multiphysics simulation. He has developed novel methods for multiple LLNL simulation codes and is recognized as a pioneer in next generation high-order multiphysics code capabilities for exascale computing with significant national security applications. As lead for the Multiphysics on Advanced Platforms Project in the Weapons Simulation and Computing program, Rieben and his team provide critical computational support for major artificial intelligence efforts at LLNL, including DarkStar, ICECap, MADA and AI4NS.

“I am honored to receive this distinction and very proud to work alongside such talented and dedicated peers, LLNL is a wonderful and unique place for scientific collaboration aimed at solving incredibly challenging and important problems,” said Rieben.

Artie Rodgers, Physical and Life Sciences

As a staff scientist in Livermore’s Physical and Life Sciences directorate, Artie Rodgers has advanced the application of computational seismology and high-performance computing to nuclear explosion monitoring and earthquake hazard assessment. His Hayward Fault simulations have been seen by many in the California Academy of Sciences “Earthquake” full dome show and at the American Museum of Natural History Hall of Earth. His recent work focuses on imaging Earth’s internal structure to enable more accurate seismic simulations.

 “LLNL has provided opportunities to work on important and challenging projects. I’m grateful to colleagues and mentors for these opportunities and for making the Lab a great place to work,” said Rodgers.

Richard Seugling, Engineering

As the Manufacturing Engineering section leader in Livermore’s Materials Engineering division, Richard Seugling is at the forefront of maturing cutting-edge research and development concepts to the manufacturing of deployed and delivered systems. Serving in several target fabrication leadership positions, Seugling advanced the fabrication of both inertial confinement fusion and HED targets, in addition to planning and execution of experimental campaigns for NIF and OMEGA facilities. He also oversaw the completion of Livermore’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility within the 321 manufacturing complex.

“I am truly honored and humbled, especially knowing the caliber of people, past and present, who are part of the DMTS family. I look forward to future engagements and opportunities to contribute,” said Seugling.

Brian Spears, Director’s Office and Strategic Deterrence

Brian Spears serves as the technical director for the DOE Genesis Mission and director of the LLNL Artificial Intelligence Innovation Incubator. He also served as a design physicist and deputy for modeling and simulation in the Inertial Confinement Fusion program. Spears developed ignition metrics and AI methods that contributed to the historic achievement of ignition. Largely responsible for the vision of the Genesis AI platform, Spears applies deep technical expertise to strategic and hands-on work in AI, high-performance computing, and fusion science.

“Receiving this honor is as exciting as it is humbling. I have a deep respect for the earliest DMTS honorees, and I have set my career course by what I’ve watched them do. I now feel a huge responsibility to offer an example that might someday be equally helpful to another generation of the LLNL team,” said Spears.

Pete Supsinskas, Global Security

Pete Supsinskas joined LLNL in 2018 as a systems engineer after a career in both the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. While at LLNL, Supsinskas has made significant impacts on national space security programs in space sensing, protection, and defense mission areas. He is currently the chief technologist for Livermore’s space program, leading technical innovation, space capabilities, and systems development such as the recently launched NASA Pandora Mission in January 2026.

“I am honored to be selected as a DMTS. With great thanks, I have had the privilege to work with many gifted and talented individuals who shared their knowledge with me throughout my career. I look forward to continuing to add to our space programs innovation and capabilities and passing on what I have learned to other members of the LLNL technical staff,” said Supsinskas.

Damian Swift, Physical and Life Sciences

An internationally recognized expert in shock physics, the properties of matter under dynamic loading, and HED science, Damian Swift leads the Equation of State – Capability Development and Applications group in LLNL’s Physics division within the Physical and Life Sciences directorate. Swift has enabled innovative design and interpretation of experiments probing material properties to unprecedented pressures. His research has played a critical role in delivering high-pressure equation of state and diffraction data from the NIF.

“I deeply appreciate this honor. I'm grateful to have worked with so many talented and inspiring colleagues, and for the opportunity to use the amazing capabilities of our HED facilities, particularly NIF and Z,” said Swift. “I've always felt fortunate that LLNL has a tolerance for taking measured risks to tackle challenging problems.“

Mark Wittig, Strategic Deterrence

Mark Wittig is a nationally recognized leader in nuclear operations research where his work has profoundly shaped U.S. nuclear program advocacy in the NNSA and Department of Defense/War (DOD/W). He has successfully led and conducted nuclear force assessments on U.S. nuclear policy and force requirements across multiple administrations. These efforts have strengthened nuclear stockpile and enterprise planning, resourcing, and decision making, resulting in improved plans and increased bipartisan support and funding.

“I am truly grateful for this recognition and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of my mentors and colleagues over the years. Their support and collaboration have been instrumental in my journey, and I am honored to be part of such an exceptional team dedicated to our national defense mission,” said Wittig.

Shaocheng Xie, Physical and Life Sciences

The Climate Science Section leader in the Atmospheric, Earth and Energy division in PLS, Shaocheng Xie is a world leader in cloud processes research, observational analysis, and earth system modeling. Over the past two decades, he has led development of the first three generations of the DOE Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) atmospheric model. He pioneered the use of weather forecast techniques to evaluate Earth system models and led modeling data development for DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program.

“I am deeply honored to be named as a DMTS. I truly appreciate the tremendous support I have received from LLNL throughout my career. It is a privilege to work at such a world-class National Laboratory with incredible colleagues, and I am very grateful for the opportunities and collaborations I have had here,” said Xie.