Ellen K. Cerreta
Introduction
Ellen Cerreta is the Associate Laboratory Director for Physical Sciences (ALDPS), overseeing materials science and experimental physics capabilities foundational to LANL’s national security mission. She stewards facilities and programs—spanning the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) to the Sigma Complex—that translate scientific discovery into mission impact through processing science, diagnostics, and performance-critical materials.
Background
An internationally recognized materials scientist, Cerreta’s research links microstructure to dynamic behavior. Prior to becoming ALDPS, she led the Materials Science and Technology Division and held leadership roles in explosives science and shock physics. As directorate lead, she advances manufacturing science, additive processes, energetic materials, isotope production, and prototype fabrication, emphasizing data-informed design and accelerated technology maturation. Cerreta engages extensively with professional societies, serving as the 2021 TMS President and a Fellow of ASM International, and partners with universities to strengthen the talent pipeline. Under her leadership, ALDPS elevates experimental platforms, enhances characterization, and delivers materials and nuclear physics solutions supporting weapons design agencies and broader national security missions.
Education
- Ph.D. & M.S., Materials Science and Engineering — Carnegie Mellon University
- B.S., Aerospace Engineering — University of Virginia
Area Managed
ALDPS develops and applies capabilities in materials science, manufacturing, experimental physics, and accelerator science, technology and engineering to programs and problems of national importance—stewarding facilities including LANSCE and supporting design agencies with diagnostics and processing science. The directorate drives innovation from discovery to application, enabling performance-critical materials solutions for national security.