AMES, Iowa -- George Kraus will be the new director of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) at Iowa State University. He begins his new position July 1, 2007, and will work three-fourths time as director. He will also continue his faculty position in the department of chemistry.
Kraus has been at ISU since 1976 when he joined the department of chemistry as an assistant professor. In 1981 he was promoted to associate professor, in 1986 to full professor, and in 2004 he was named university professor. He has held several administrative positions, including department chair of chemistry from 1993 to 1999 and more recently as director of the Center for Catalysis (an IPRT center) and assistant director of the Bio-related Initiatives of the Ames Laboratory.
John Brighton, Iowa State's vice president for research and economic development, said he and the search committee were very impressed with Kraus' academic credentials and his leadership experience over a long period of time.
Kraus received his bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and his doctorate from Columbia University. He has had a strong research record with interests in new synthetic reactions and their application to the synthesis of biologically active natural products, forensic chemistry, green chemistry and biobased products.
Kraus said he is honored to become the director of this unique enterprise and looks forward to building upon the solid foundation laid by Tom Barton. Barton recently returned to the Iowa State chemistry faculty after serving as director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory since 1988 and IPRT since 1998.
IPRT was established in 1987 as a network of scientific research centers. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides a wide variety of technical assistance to Iowa companies. Its broad mission is to promote interdisciplinary research in the physical sciences and engineering and specifically to foster development of new technologies. Staffed by world-class faculty and scientists and backed by unique facilities and equipment, IPRT helps develop Iowa's economy through research, company assistance and educational programs.
