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Dr. Reiner Kruecken to join Berkeley Laboratory as Division Director, Nuclear Physics

09 February 2022

After 11 years of dedicated service to TRIUMF, Dr. Reiner Kruecken, Deputy Director, Research, will be moving on from TRIUMF to join Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as Division Director, Nuclear Physics Division. Reiner will be departing to start his role at the Berkeley, California campus in May 2022. 

As Director, Reiner will lead Berkeley Lab’s research efforts in nuclear science, from inquiries into the structure and behaviour of nuclei and nuclear matter to the intersection of nuclear physics and astrophysics and beyond. The division is one of four in the Lab’s Physical Sciences Area, which brings together scientists and engineers to explore interactions between matter and energy at scales ranging from the outermost reaches of the cosmos to the innermost confines of subatomic particles. 

Berkeley Lab has a long history of leadership in nuclear sciences, from the founding of the lab in 1931 to the present day. Technetium, the first fully synthetic element, was first created at Berkeley Lab in 1937, and since then the lab has been involved in the creation and discovery of 15 more elements and over 630 isotopes. Today, the Nuclear Sciences Division has major programs in low energy nuclear science, including nuclear structure physics, studies of the heaviest elements, exotic nuclei and light radioactive beams, weak interactions, and nuclear reactions; relativistic heavy ion physics; nuclear theory; nuclear astrophysics and neutrino properties; data evaluation; and advanced instrumentation. The division also operates the 88-Inch Cyclotron.  

Kruecken departs TRIUMF with a legacy of leadership and achievement that spans more than a decade and touches on many facets of the organization. Arriving from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) (and, among other distinctions, a postdoctoral research position at Berkeley Lab), Reiner worked tirelessly to help shape TRIUMF’s contributions to research into the structure of exotic nuclei and nuclear matter, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear physics applications, and other fields. He arrived to lead TRIUMF’s Science Division before moving into the role of Deputy Director where he continued providing leadership and oversight for the lab’s expanding rare isotope beam program, commercialization initiatives, and more. This included taking a leading role in ARIEL, where he oversaw a number of important initiatives and the achievement of key milestones.  

As a major contributor to TRIUMF’s Five-Year Plan 2020-2025, Reiner played a pivotal role in guiding the lab’s path forward, now and for the future, with the Plan garnering the largest-ever federal investment in the laboratory’s history. Reiner has also led the community-wide effort towards building TRIUMF’s first 20-Year Vision, and as part of this he has provided critical insight and guidance for the continued success of TRIUMF. Further, alongside his scientific achievements and management leadership, Reiner has and continues to serve as a staunch community supporter and advocate for science, including in the areas of public outreach and equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

It has been a tremendous privilege being able to contribute to TRIUMF’s success over the last decade and work with an incredibly talented team of people,” said Kruecken. “Only though their dedication does TRIUMF continue to compete on the world stage and to reinvent itself, staying at the forefront of science and innovation. I have been humbled by the incredible support and cooperation I have received by the whole TRIUMF family during my tenure as Science Division Head and as Deputy Director. I leave with the knowledge that TRIUMF will continue to thrive in its endeavours, provide a great place to work, and be fully recognized as the crown jewel of Canadian science it is. 

“It is difficult to truly capture the depth and breadth of Reiner’s impact on TRIUMF, from the scientific achievement he enabled, to our growth as a laboratory, to the development of our community and our culture,” said TRIUMF Director and CEO Dr. Nigel Smith. “He will forever be a part of TRIUMF, and we are very grateful for his many contributions over the years. I know I speak for the entire lab in wishing Reiner well as he continues his dedicated work at Berkeley, and I look forward to our future interactions. 

Today's announcement was also shared in a press release from Berkeley Lab.