April 17: U.S. nuclear deterrence policy, scientific needs

By Will Ferguson, College of Arts & Sciences

Donald Cook-mugPULLMAN, Wash. – A national defense official will speak about the policies and cutting edge science that drive the U.S. nuclear deterrence program at 2 p.m. Friday, April 17, in Smith CUE 518 at Washington State University. A 1:30 p.m. reception will precede the free, public Creighton Distinguished Lecture.

Speaker Donald Cook is deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Congress established the NNSA in 2000 to enhance the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S nuclear weapon stockpile to provide a credible U.S. nuclear deterrence.

The NNSA leads U.S. efforts to control and eliminate nuclear materials worldwide and is a key contributor to research and teaching initiatives at universities across the country. At WSU, the NNSA partners with the Institute for Shock Physics to provide graduate and undergraduate students valuable research experience working alongside world class scientists at prestigious national laboratories.

President Barack Obama appointed Cook in June 2010. he is responsible for managing the U.S. nuclear security enterprise of laboratories and manufacturing facilities.

Prior to this appointment, he served as managing director and chief executive officer of the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the United Kingdom. He has 28 years of experience as a lead researcher and administrator at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M.

Cook is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Institute of Physics.

The Creighton Distinguished Lecture is sponsored by the Institute for Shock Physics’ John and Janet Creighton Distinguished Professorship and hosted by the Institute for Shock Physics and the College of Arts and Sciences.

 

Contact:

Yogendra Gupta, WSU Institute for Shock Physics, 509-335-7217, shock@wsu.edu