For Immediate Release
20 May, 2008
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CANADIAN LIGHT SOURCE
SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – The Board of Directors of Canadian Light Source, Inc. and University of Saskatchewan President Peter MacKinnon are pleased to announce the appointment of Josef Hormes as the next executive director of the Canadian Light Source (CLS), effective August 15, 2008.
The appointment comes after an 18-month international search for the successor to CLS Executive Director Bill Thomlinson, who is retiring at the end of June.
“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Hormes has accepted the position of Executive Director of the CLS,” says Rafik Loutfy, Acting Chair of the CLS Board of Directors. “Dr. Hormes is internationally recognized, both as a synchrotron light researcher and as a science leader who builds bridges between academic and industrial research.”
Hormes, currently a professor of physics at the University of Bonn, was director of the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), a synchrotron at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge from 1999 to 2005, where he remains a full professor of research. Prior to that, he was director of the Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory at the University of Bonn, where he was also responsible for technology transfer and university/industry collaborations.
“Professor Hormes’ combination of research expertise and management experience is second to none,” notes University of Saskatchewan president Peter MacKinnon. “He is ideally suited to guide Canada’s national synchrotron as it embarks on the next phase of its life as a global leader in innovation and discovery.”
Hormes will also be appointed as a professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics at the University of Saskatchewan. He has co-authored over 200 scientific publications and is named on seven patents. Much of his recent research has focused on the study, synthesis and characterization of magnetic particles for applications in cancer treatment and nanotechnology.
“The Canadian Light Source has already developed a reputation for excellence in the synchrotron world, both for the science it is generating and its outstanding service to users from academic institutions and industry,” says Hormes. “I am looking forward to working with the outstanding staff and users from across Canada and around the globe. I am particularly excited about continuing to build strong ties and fruitful collaborations among the CLS, academic scientists and researchers from a variety of industrial sectors.”
The Canadian Light Source is Canada’s national centre for synchrotron research. Located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, the CLS is a powerful tool for academic and industrial research in a wide variety of areas including environmental science, natural resources and energy, health and life sciences, and information and communications technology. CLS operations are funded by the Government of Canada, NSERC, NRC, CIHR, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. For more information: www.lightsource.ca/media/quickfacts.php.
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Note to editors: Professor Hormes will be in Saskatoon to attend the CLS Annual Users’ Meeting and the MEDSI-SRI conference June 9 to 13. Please contact Matthew Dalzell to arrange interviews.
For more information contact:
Matthew Dalzell
Communications Coordinator
Canadian Light Source Inc
Ph: (306) 657-3739 Cell: (306) 227-0978
matthew.dalzell@lightsource.ca
Last modified: 2012-01-19 17:01:46