Dr. Thom Mason became the 12th Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and President of Triad National Security, LLC in November 2018. 

The Laboratory is a principal contributor to the U.S. Department of Energy mission to maintain the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Los Alamos uses innovative science and technology to enhance global nuclear security and protect the world. Los Alamos has an annual operating budget of $4 billion, 15,000 workers, and a 40-square-mile site featuring some of the most specialized scientific equipment and supporting infrastructure in the world. 

For the past 30 years, Thom has been involved in the design and construction of scientific instrumentation and facilities and the application of nuclear, computing, and materials sciences to solve important challenges in energy and national security. Most recently Thom was the Senior Vice President for Global Laboratory Operations at Battelle where he had responsibility for governance and strategy across the six National Laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages. Prior to joining Battelle, Thom worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for 19 years, including 10 years as the Laboratory Director. Under his leadership, ORNL saw significant growth in programs, new facilities, and hiring while achieving record low safety incident rates. Before becoming Laboratory Director, he was Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) for Neutron Sciences, ALD for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), and Director of the Experimental Facilities Division. 

Thom was active in the community during his time in Oak Ridge, serving as chair of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation and of Innovation Valley, the Knoxville‐Oak Ridge area regional economic development organization. He moved to ORNL from the University of Toronto, where he was a faculty member in the Department of Physics. Thom previously worked as a senior scientist at Risø National Laboratory and a postdoctoral researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories. 

Thom holds a PhD in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics from McMaster University and a BSc in Physics from Dalhousie University.