2009 Event Speakers

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  Dr. George H. Miller

  Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  George Miller has played a critical role in the national security mission at LLNL since 1972 and has led every aspect of the nuclear weapons program at the Laboratory, from design through development, testing, deployment to the stockpile, and retirement. As LLNL Laboratory director since 2006, he has directed management and operations and applied the resources necessary to meet its core missions related to weapons, Nuclear Weapons Complex (NWC) integration, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and the reduction of global threats from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. He has supported the science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program, providing the annual independent technical assessment of five warheads to the secretaries of Energy and Defense, and is a leader in the development of scientific strategies and incorporation of system improvements for cost efficiencies, improved safety and security and ethical conduct. Miller is a leader in nuclear weapons design, both of the existing stockpile and the Reliable Replacement Warhead. He addresses the American Physical Society on international scientific issues, and has worked closely with British and French scientists on laser technologies and applications. He advises the commander of STRATCOM through the Strategic Advisory Group and as chair of its Science and Technology Panel.

  Throughout his tenure, Miller has tackled a variety of management and scientific challenges in the interest of national security. As LLNL associate director for NIF from 2000 to 2005, Miller successfully assembled a strong management team and brought the project on track for completion in 2009. His foresight and scientific understanding of NIF’s importance to the weapons program was the catalyst that led to the NIF success. Through his stewardship, this $3.5 billion laser, the most energetic in the world, is currently on track to begin fusion experiments in 2010. As LLNL associate director for national security from 1996 to 2000, Miller provided integrated leadership of all the Laboratory’s national security programs, serving as the single point-of-contact with DOE’s assistant secretary for defense programs.

  From 1989 to 1990, he served as an adviser to the Secretary of Energy, Adm. James Watkins, on DOE weapons laboratories and the nuclear weapons program. He played a major role in the study of the transformation of the weapons complex, including how to dismantle nuclear weapons in both Russia and the United States in a way that would allow verification without releasing classified information. Miller applied detection technologies, sensors and computation methods for use in nonproliferation. His work helped decision makers to formulate U.S. weapons policy.

  Miller received his master’s degree and doctorate in physics at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. He is a member of the American Physical Society, and the Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society.

  Video from the summit: Spawning Technological Breakthroughs & Entrepreneurship

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