[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 7, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO MIKE KLUSE

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I congratulate one of my 
constituents, Mike Kluse, on being recognized as the 2012 Laboratory 
Director of the Year by the Federal Laboratory Consortium, FLC. Mike is 
the Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PNNL, 
located in Richland, WA.
  This award is a true honor and testament to Mike's leadership and 
efforts at PNNL. For the past 5 years he has guided the laboratory to 
many accolades. The laboratory has filed more than 1,000 invention 
disclosures, received more than 200 patents, and issued nearly 150 new 
licenses. PNNL has also earned 16 R&D 100 awards as well as 12 FLC 
awards for excellence in technology transfer. PNNL has the newest and 
most modern physical infrastructure in the Department of Energy, DOE, 
system. And PNNL's overall performance has been judged by DOE and other 
Federal agencies it supports as outstanding under Mike's stewardship.
  PNNL's research and development portfolio spans many missions of 
importance to our country: national security, homeland security, clean 
energy development, environmental remediation programs at the Hanford 
Site, and scientific research ranging from systems biology to 
supercomputing.
  Under Mike's leadership, PNNL has been involved in the formation of 
Innovate Washington, a nonprofit organization that aims to accelerate 
technological innovation by bringing together universities, national 
labs, entrepreneurs, and others involved in technology transfer. Mike 
is also a frequent public advocate for the strategic alignment of 
research with technology transfer and strongly supported the 
streamlining of PNNL's technology transfer operations.
  PNNL also deserves praise for the safety and excellent work 
environment it provides for its employees and the surrounding 
community. As director, Mike has sustained an exceptional record for 
PNNL and built upon its history to make it one of the region's 
strongest corporate citizens. He's also been a tireless supporter of 
community activities and programs. Furthermore, Mike's outstanding 
leadership led to DOE extending PNNL's contract in 2011.
  Therefore, it is with great pride that today on behalf of the 
citizens of Washington State I thank Mike for all his work. With that 
said, we know that PNNL's great successes could not be achieved without 
the strong support from the PNNL family, so my thanks also extends to 
the extraordinary scientists, engineers, and personnel that continue to 
make a difference in our region and the Nation.

                          ____________________