Kathleen Amm, director of the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, will offer her experience, expertise and guidance to emerging science leaders from across the country.
Amm has been named a mentor for the Department of Energy’s 2025 Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program. In the role, she’ll coach and guide promising young leaders from the Department of Energy’s 17 National Labs.
“Mentorship, to me, is critical for the future of scientific endeavors and especially science leadership,” Amm said.
The Oppenheimer program offers emerging DOE leaders a yearlong fellowship including seminars, site visits, discussion of lab strategies and capstone projects. It’s run by the National Laboratory Directors’ Council, comprising the directors from all 17 Department of Energy National Labs. The goal is to build stronger future lab leaders.
“Mentors play a crucial role in helping these emerging leaders navigate complex issues and develop innovative ideas,” said Paul Kearns, director for Argonne National Lab and Chair of the National Laboratory Directors’ Council.
Before becoming the MagLab’s director, Amm served as director of the Magnet Division at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. She also spent 20 years as a lab physicist and project manager at GE Global Research.
“I have extensive experience leading scientific teams, and I think it’s important to pass that knowledge forward,” Amm said. “I hope that, for future leaders, I can help them out and give them some words of wisdom.”
Amm says she has benefitted from strong mentors throughout her career, including at Brookhaven when she made the transition from the private sector to a national lab. She believes it’s critical to pay it forward.
“In the scientific enterprise we are shrinking in the U.S., sadly, in terms of Ph.D.s coming out of STEM fields. And so, it becomes very important for us to mentor future leaders, to nurture and grow the scientific pipeline,” Amm said.
The mentorship will allow Amm to continue what she calls the “longtime synergy” between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, which provides core funding for the MagLab. The two agencies have collaborated on many key research and technology projects for decades.
She also sees it as an opportunity to connect with emerging scientists who could one day bring their talents and leadership to the MagLab and Florida State University.
“You just never know what impact that can have. I think mentoring and development of people is absolutely a key piece of every leader’s job. This is something we have to do to ensure the future of science in the US,” Amm said.
The Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program was developed in 2017 to introduce the next generation of Department of Energy leaders to the breadth and depth of the National Laboratory system and expose them to the broader scientific, policy, and energy ecosystem within which the Labs operate, according to the DOE.
Amm’s involvement in the program provides an opportunity to connect with a variety of scientists and leaders, aligning with the Florida State University Office of Research strategic plan and its focus on nurturing partnerships.