Experimental physicist Kathryn Ann “Kam” Moler Ph.D. ’95 will become vice president of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) Laboratory starting Nov. 1.
In her role, Moler hopes to lead SLAC in exploring biotechnology, environmental research, affordable clean energy, microelectronics, data science and artificial intelligence, she wrote in an email to The Daily.
Moler has been a professor at Stanford and a principal investigator with the Department of Energy (DOE) since 2001. She has also served in a number of administrative positions across the University, including senior associate dean of natural sciences, transition dean for the Doerr School and vice provost and dean of research.
“These diverse roles helped me appreciate both the academic and administrative aspects of a world-class research institution,” Moler wrote.
Last year, hoping to return to teaching, Moler stepped down from her role as vice provost and dean of research. Her successor, David Studdert, said in a Stanford Report article from July 2023 that Moler was an “extraordinary mentor and role model.”
Moler recently co-chaired the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee and participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) roundtable, which she wrote exposed her to “broader policy discussions and strategic priorities in science and technology, particularly in areas relevant to SLAC’s mission.”
For Moler, her fascination with science began long before her career at Stanford. Since she was a student, she has been “interested in what matter is, how it works and how it can help us to live long, live well and live sustainably,” Moler wrote.
“As my career progressed, I developed a greater sense of urgency about contributing to solutions, realizing how much the world needs something transformative and hoping that the innovation that is created by universities — and our students — could provide that transformation,” Moler wrote.
After being scouted by a search firm, Moler underwent several rounds of interviews before being selected for the position. Moler will report to University President Jonathan Levin in her new role as a member of Stanford’s executive leadership team, in addition to managing the relationship between SLAC and the University.
Moler will be responsible for “providing critical oversight over all strategic and operational elements of the day-to-day work of the Laboratory and deepening its research engagement with the University,” she wrote.
SLAC Laboratory Director John Sarrao, who has worked with Moler since they were undergraduate students at Stanford, wrote in an email to The Daily that he holds a deep appreciation for her work.
“I’m excited to be working even more closely with her for the good of SLAC, Stanford and the Department of Energy,” Sarrao wrote.
Sarrao wrote that Moler’s leadership comes at a time when several projects are coming to fruition at SLAC. This includes a high-energy upgrade of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a powerful electron laser; the operation of the world’s largest digital camera in Chile, which has the capability to identify dark matter; and the launch of Stanford’s Aqueous Battery Consortium, put forth through a partnership between SLAC and other institutions.
“I will work with SLAC, Stanford, DOE leadership and other partners to help researchers articulate their ideas and to deliver high-impact research results,” Moler wrote. “For big science, that means we need to create strong plans, secure resources, foster collaborations and support the excellent conduct of operations.”