Adam Schwartz

Adam Schwartz became Director of Ames National Laboratory in 2014. He is also a professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University.

Prior to joining Ames National Laboratory in 2014, Schwartz had nearly 23 years of materials science research and management experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA that spanned physical metallurgy to condensed matter physics with a particular focus on phase transformations, phase stability, and electronic structure of actinides and lanthanides. He held leadership positions for Plutonium Aging, Dynamic Properties of Materials, and Physics and Engineering Models programs.

He led the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory team during the development of the Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub and then continued on as the Developing Substitutes Focus Area Leader. In this role, he leveraged his expertise in metallurgy, condensed matter physics, and technical management to drive the innovation of substitute materials. The Energy Innovation Hub, known as the Critical Materials Institute, is led by Ames Laboratory.

Schwartz has authored over 100 journal articles, monographs, book chapters, technical reports and co-edited two editions of Electron Backscatter Diffraction in Materials Science. Schwartz holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering and a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering, all from the University of Pittsburgh.