Bruce Darling Named Executive Officer of National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council

Bruce B. Darling

Bruce B. Darling, vice president for laboratory management at the University of California, will soon join the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council as executive officer. His transition from the university to the National Academy of Sciences will occur over the next several months. He will succeed E. William Colglazier, who now serves as science and technology adviser at the U.S. Department of State.

At the University of California, Darling has been responsible for management oversight of the three national laboratories operated by the university for the U.S. Department of Energy: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for which UC is sole contractor, and Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories, which are managed by limited liability companies formed by the university and three private-sector partners.

From 1996 to 2008, Darling served as the UC system's vice president for university and external relations, senior vice president for university affairs, and executive vice president for university affairs. In those roles, he led the university's state and federal government relations; acquisition of the university's state-funded budget; communications with the news media and public; alumni relations; and fundraising initiatives. He also had primary responsibility for integrating strategic and operational matters with the university's Board of Regents. Darling directed UC's 2003 response to management lapses at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, drawing positive responses from the Department of Energy and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

"Bruce Darling is a talented and experienced analyst of science and engineering programs, of science policy, and of higher education," said Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. "His experience in managing major science enterprises for the federal government on behalf of leading academic institutions will serve us well."

"He brings leadership experience drawn from years in top positions at the University of California," said Charles Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering and vice chair of the National Research Council. "We are fortunate to have Bruce's services, and I look forward to working with him."

Darling graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 1974 and began his career as a grants assistant at the National Science Foundation. From 1978-80, he was special assistant to then NSF Director Richard C. Atkinson. In 1980, Darling moved to the University of California, San Diego. From 1993-1996, he was UC San Diego's vice chancellor for development and university relations and president of the UC San Diego Foundation.