John Hill Named Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory

Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) has named physicist John Hill as director of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, effective May 21. Hill is a longtime employee at Brookhaven Lab, who has served as interim lab director since September 2025.

BSA's board of directors selected Hill after a competitive international search. Hill will also serve as BSA's president. BSA - a partnership between Stony Brook University and Battelle - manages and operates Brookhaven Lab on behalf of DOE's Office of Science.

"We are delighted to have John Hill selected to lead Brookhaven National Laboratory at a pivotal moment for science and national impact," said BSA Board Chair and Battelle's Executive Vice President of National Laboratory Management and Operations Juan Alvarez. "He brings the leadership and vision needed to advance the Lab's future - delivering transformative discovery through the Electron-Ion Collider and accelerating impact across AI and embodied intelligence, distributed quantum systems, microelectronics and a future upgrade to the Lab's National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). Under John's leadership, we are confident Brookhaven will continue to expand its science-ready infrastructure and strategic public-private partnerships in service to the nation."

As director, Hill will work with stakeholders including DOE, policymakers, collaborating institutions and community members, as he leads Brookhaven toward strategic growth and scientific opportunity.

"I am thrilled that, following a very competitive international search, John Hill has emerged as the very best leader for Brookhaven National Laboratory at this exciting juncture," said BSA Board Co-Chair and Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. "John's deep expertise, vision and leadership skills will be essential as the Lab looks to usher in a new era of fundamental physics discovery at the Electron-Ion Collider, while continuing its groundbreaking research in quantum systems, AI, microelectronics, materials science and high-resolution imaging. Stony Brook is proud to co-manage and partner with Brookhaven to advance the frontiers of discovery to benefit our country's innovation, economic vitality and national security. John's leadership will be essential to ensuring the Lab's success and impact long into the future."

Hill will oversee a team of 3,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and professionals in many fields. They are supporting initiatives to explore building blocks of the universe, lead in discovery with light-enabled science and develop next-generation information science and capabilities, including AI and quantum.

DOE's Genesis Mission underpins all these efforts. The Genesis Mission is a national initiative in artificial intelligence to build the world's most powerful scientific platform to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security and drive energy innovation.

Much of Hill's attention will be focused on delivering the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) - a world-leading nuclear physics research facility being built at Brookhaven through a partnership among DOE, Brookhaven and DOE's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia, with strong support from New York State. The EIC will enable researchers to unlock the secrets of the strongest force in nature - the "glue" that binds the building blocks of all visible matter in the universe. The EIC project will draw on expertise across DOE's National Labs and from universities and research institutions worldwide.

Learn more at the BNL website.