Denis B. McWhan, who served as the chairman of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) since 1990, assumed the position of associate director for basic energy sciences at the Upton, N.Y., laboratory on January 1. His predecessor, John Axe, who had held the job since 1990, has returned to his former position as a full-time researcher at BNL.
Basic energy sciences is the largest individual program at Brookhaven, with a budget of $68 million for fiscal year 1994. As associate director, McWhan, 59, will oversee this the program's various activities, including materials science research at BNL. He is also responsible for supervising the departments of chemistry and applied science, as well ...