[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF DR. E. MICHAEL CAMPBELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOSEPH D. MORELLE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 13, 2022

  Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. E. Michael 
Campbell who recently retired as the Director of the University of 
Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, or LLE, in my district.
  Only the fourth Director in the 50-year history of LLE, the U.S. 
Department of Energy's largest university-based program and home to the 
most powerful lasers at any university in the world, Mike's tenure was 
marked by significant strategic growth at LLE and distinguished service 
in support of the nation's economic and national security. LLE reached 
new highs in numbers of staff, scientists, students, external users, 
academic and industry partnerships, and total research funding. He 
bolstered and expanded LLE's international leadership in inertial 
fusion, high-intensity lasers and optics, arid high-energy-density 
physics (HEDP) research. He has been an outspoken proponent of 
strengthening the US's leadership in these fields throughout his 
illustrious career. As a natural bridge-builder and advocate for 
science, Mike fostered strengthened relationships within the Inertial 
Confinement Fusion (ICF) community, including with the other ICF 
facilities, federal agencies including the National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA), Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, 
National Science Foundation and Department of Defense, academic 
collaborators and industry partners. Mike often joked about his eight 
thousand best friends, and it is an honor to be counted among them.
  Dr. Campbell is an internationally known expert in fusion, high-
energy-density science, high-power lasers and their applications, and 
advanced energy technologies. Mike helped to invent the first 
laboratory x-ray laser and was instrumental in establishing the 
National Ignition Facility and the role of lasers in HEDP research in 
support of NNSA's stockpile stewardship mission. He has won numerous 
awards including the DOE's E.O. Lawrence Award, the American Nuclear 
Society's Edward Teller Award, the American Physical Society's John 
Dawson Award, the Department of Energy's Excellence in Weapons Research 
Award, and the Leadership Award of Fusion Power Associates. He is a 
Fellow of the Optical Society of America, American Physical Society, 
and the European Institute of Physics. He has published over 250 
articles in scientific journals and holds five patents. He received his 
degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and 
the University of Western Sydney. Beyond these achievements, Mike has 
an infectious enthusiasm, especially for the scientific endeavors he 
oversaw, as well as dinosaurs and the blues. He is also a gifted 
cartoonist and has depicted multiple Members of Congress among his many 
drawings.
  Mike firmly believes in learning from history and has an amazing 
array of stories of previous giants of the field, always working to 
ensure their efforts are not forgotten but instead inspire the next 
generation. His passion for education and mentorship was a focus and 
hallmark of his leadership of LLE. I have had the opportunity to meet 
and interact with a number of LLE's talented students and was always 
deeply impressed with not only their technical knowledge but also their 
ability to clearly and concisely communicate its importance to a 
general audience. I know that our future is in better hands due to the 
future leaders Mike has promoted throughout his career. In addition, 
Mike also worked to create a more diverse and inclusive research 
environment at LLE. He established a senior-level diversity manager 
position to increase workforce diversity in STEM related positions, 
established LLE HEDP Equity Scholarships, pushed for LLE to join an 
American Physical Society program to increase diversity in physics 
departments and laboratories, and greatly expanded access to research 
opportunities and scholarships to area high school students from 
diverse, underserved backgrounds.
  Madam Speaker, although I am saddened that Mike's leadership of LLE 
has come to a close, I know that our Nation has greatly benefitted from 
Mike's service and I expect that even in retirement, he will continue 
his life's work to advance science and inspire others.

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