Mueller Named Director of U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory

Karl Mueller has been named the new director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory, operated by Iowa State University. His tenure begins June 1.

Since 2021, Mueller has served as the director of the Program Development Office for the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate (PCSD) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. Prior to that, he served for six years as Chief Science and Technology Officer for PCSD. Mueller moved to PNNL in 2010 after rising to the rank of full professor in the Department of Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University.

“For more than 75 years, Iowa State University has operated the Ames National Laboratory, producing scientific breakthroughs that have shaped history and addressed society’s most pressing challenges,” said President Wendy Wintersteen. “I am confident Dr. Mueller is the right person to advance this legacy of excellence.”

Mueller’s scholarly record includes more than 195 peer-reviewed papers detailing the development of magnetic resonance methods and applied studies in natural and engineered systems. In addition to serving as director of the Ames National Laboratory, Mueller will hold the rank of tenured professor in the Department of Chemistry.

“Dr. Mueller has outstanding scientific credentials and a clear vision for the future,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jason Keith. “He will provide strong leadership in fulfilling the lab’s mission to deliver critical materials solutions and support national energy security.”

Mueller earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester and completed a post graduate studies certificate at the University of Cambridge while supported as a Churchill Scholar by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

“I am honored to join Ames National Laboratory, an institution renowned for its pioneering work in rare earth elements, quantum materials, and sustainable energy technologies,” Mueller said. “The laboratory’s excellence in materials discovery and characterization, combined with its deep integration with Iowa State University, creates unique opportunities to address our nation’s critical science and technology challenges. I look forward to building on Ames’ distinguished legacy of scientific innovation to advance both fundamental research and strategic technologies.”

Mueller succeeds Adam Schwartz, who has led the Ames National Laboratory since June 2014. Schwartz previously announced his plans to step down as director and will transition to a part-time role helping to support business development for critical materials research at the lab and with its partners.