For release: March 8, 1999
Contacts:
Tom Barton, (515) 294-2770
Steve Karsjen, (515) 294-5643
AMES, Iowa -- Tom Barton, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory,
has been asked to serve on the National Advisors Group for the Federal Laboratory
Consortium.
The FLC is a quasi-governmental organization involving 711 federal laboratories. FLC's
primary focus is moving laboratory research and technology into the marketplace. The
National Advisors Group is a select panel of approximately 15 people who provide guidance
to the FLC in pursuing its technology-transfer goals and making the organization more
effective. The group includes senior agency officials, laboratory administrators and
industry leaders.
Barton's appointment, which will be formally ratified by the FLC Executive Board in April,
takes effect in August. His term will last for a minimum of three years.
"This is a challenging time for federal laboratories, and I look forward to working
closely with the FLC as it helps its members strengthen ties with industry," Barton
said.
Barton became director of the Ames Laboratory in 1988. Since last April, he has also
served as director of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology -- a consortium
of 11 research and technology-transfer centers on the Iowa State University campus. Ames
Lab is the largest of the IPRT centers. Barton is also an ISU distinguished professor of
chemistry.
Ames Laboratory is operated for the Department of Energy by ISU. The Lab conducts research
into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer
design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new
materials.
Last revision: 3/8/99 sd