Discovery through Simulation: The Expectations of Frontier Computational Science

Biography: Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov

Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov was selected to the Senior Executive Service on August 7, 2005, as the Director for Advanced Simulation and Computing, Office of Research, Development and Simulations, Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Dr. Kusnezov joined the NNSA in 2001 after more than a decade as a faculty member in the Physics Department at Yale University and one and a half years in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Michigan State University. He is responsible for developing NNSA capabilities in computational science as a surrogate for nuclear testing, through the application of high-performance computers that integrate theory, applied mathematics and experimental data into the leading-edge simulation tools that support the Stockpile Stewardship program.

Since joining the NNSA he has demonstrated his leadership abilities by reengineering the ASC Program through development of a business plan and work breakdown structure to assure the program remains on a sound management path; laid out a strategic plan for the next ten years making use of his extensive scientific background; and worked with executives in government, the private sector, academia, and the national labs to ensure that computing capability exists and is available to meet stockpile stewardship mission critical requirements.

Dr. Kusnezov continues to provide technical direction and counsel necessary to make NNSA strategic investments and nurtures path-forward sponsored research in innovative technologies to ensure the availability of general-purpose high-end computing. He also maintains technical relationships with colleagues in the US and abroad to ensure leadership in large-scale computational science.

Education:

• BS Physics
• BS Pure Mathematics
• UC Berkeley (1982)
• Researcher, Institut fur Kernphysik, KFA-Julich, Germany (1983)
• MS Physics, Princeton University (1985)
• PhD Theoretical Nuclear Physics, Princeton University (1988)

Principal Academic Positions:

• Professor of Theoretical Physics, Yale University, 6/1991-9/2001
• Instructor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, MSU, 2/90-6/91
• Postdoc, National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab, MSU, 9/88-2/90

Visiting Professor positions include:

• University of Washington
• Keio U ( Tokyo)
• Yukawa Institute
• Kyoto University ( Kyoto)
• UERJ ( Rio de Janeiro)
• LLNL (CA)
• Australian National Univ & Univ of New South Wales ( Australia)
• Univ of Paris/Orsay (Paris)
• Technical University ( Munich)
• Max Planck Institute ( Heidelberg)

Numerous invited Talks and Lectures around the world. Publications: over 100 scientific papers; 1 book. Research areas include: theoretical nuclear physics, heavy-ion collisions, non-equilibrium transport (quantum and classical), molecular structure, statistical mechanics, stochastic methods, group theory & mathematical physics.