Stephen Streiffer to depart SLAC and Stanford for Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to share the news that Stephen Streiffer, Stanford vice president and interim lab director for SLAC, has been appointed director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, effective in October. Stephen will be stepping down from his roles at Stanford, transitioning as John Sarrao joins as the new SLAC director on Oct. 2.

Stephen took on the role of Stanford vice president for SLAC in June 2022, bringing years of scientific leadership experience in the national lab complex. As vice president, Stephen provided invaluable guidance and oversight as he worked to advance innovation and discovery at the lab. He also continued to strengthen ties between SLAC, Stanford, and the DOE, including through the launch of the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, which leverages resources from the university and the lab to accelerate the research and deployment of novel energy storage technologies.

As you know, Stephen also took on the role of interim lab director this past February. As interim lab director, Stephen helped SLAC remain on track to achieve significant milestones, advanced key institutional initiatives, and ensured strong delivery on the lab’s mission at a complex and evolving time. I’m deeply grateful to Stephen for providing stability, clear priorities, and strong leadership under challenging circumstances.

Stephen is a long-time member of our Stanford community, dating back to his years as a doctoral degree candidate in materials science and engineering. While we will miss him at SLAC and at Stanford, he will always be able to call Stanford home.

Please join me in thanking Stephen for his remarkable service, and in wishing him the very best in the next steps of his career.

Sincerely,

Marc Tessier-Lavigne