UC President Richard Atkinson on May 15 announced his intention to appoint George "Pete" Nanos the permanent director of the UC-operated Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Nanos has served as interim director since Jan. 6.

Nanos' leadership at Los Alamos has coincided with major reforms in the operations of the laboratory's business and administrative functions. He is credited with creating a new atmosphere of openness in communications and sound management accountability processes.

The former commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command and of the Navy's strategic nuclear program, he served as principal deputy associate director for Los Alamos' Threat Reduction Directorate before being named interim laboratory director.

Nanos graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967 and earned a doctorate in physics from Princeton University in 1974. He spent almost 10 years in the Navy's strategic weapons program including service as director of Strategic Systems Programs, responsible for U.S. and U.K. submarine launched ballistic missiles and re-entry systems.

For the past four years, he commanded the Naval Sea Systems Command, the Navy's largest major acquisition organization responsible for design, development, repair and support of all Navy ships and shipboard weapons systems.

-- Dateline staff report