Newswise — The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory announced today the appointment of Jeffrey L. Binder to the position of Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Global Security (EGS).

Binder joins Argonne from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he founded and served as the first director of the Illinois Applied Research Institute (ARI). At ARI, Binder focused on building relationships with federal agencies, private industry and other academic institutions for applied research efforts in support of the university's missions in science, education and economic development.

"We are excited to have Jeff joining our team," said Argonne Director Peter B. Littlewood. "His leadership and experience will bring great value to EGS while helping to strengthen the bond of cooperation and partnership between Argonne and the University of Illinois in critical research areas."

Binder began his professional research career at Argonne in 1990, where he was a principal investigator before being promoted to group leader, then department head. Binder joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2003, working his way up to Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science and Engineering in 2011.

"My time at the University of Illinois was a rewarding phase of my professional life, and I was fortunate to work with many extraordinary researchers," Binder said. "I am pleased to rejoin Argonne and lead its deep capabilities to address the biggest challenges facing our nation, while also continuing my work at Illinois to bring together the Midwestern Innovation Ecosystem."

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.