Kimberly S. Budil | |
|---|---|
| 13th Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | |
| Assumed office March 2, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | William H. Goldstein |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois Chicago (BS) University of California, Davis (MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | High powered lasers |
| Institutions | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory University of California |
| Thesis | High order harmonic generation in rare gases (1994) |
| Doctoral advisor | Ann Orel |
Kimberly Susan Budil (Kim Budil) is an American physicist who is the 13th and current director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,[1] making her the first woman to hold this position. She completed her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Illinois Chicago, and her master's and doctorate in applied science from the University of California, Davis. She collaborated with Nobel laureate Donna Strickland, and made significant contributions to the field of high-power, ultra-fast lasers. Starting her career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1987, she held various roles across government departments, including the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. In 2014, she managed relations between the University of California's campuses and the three Department of Energy labs it manages. Budil, who was made a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2019, has also been a prominent advocate for women in science.