John Byrd, Ph.D. ‘92, a Cornell University–trained physicist with more than three decades of leadership in accelerator science and workforce development, has been named director of the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS), the nation’s premier training program in accelerator science and engineering.

Byrd earned his Ph.D. in physics from Cornell and has built an internationally recognized career advancing particle accelerator research, large-scale scientific infrastructure, and education. His work has spanned major accelerator facilities and projects, including PEP-II and the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC, the Advanced Light Source, the Large Hadron Collider, Fermi@Elettra, and multiple industrial accelerator initiatives.

USPAS plays a critical role in preparing the next generation of accelerator scientists and engineers, offering specialized courses that are rarely available through standard university curricula. Its programs serve students and professionals pursuing careers in national laboratories, universities, industry, biomedical research, and medical facilities.

“Being selected as USPAS Director is a true circle-of-life moment for me,” Byrd said. “My career in accelerator science began in 1988, inspired by a USPAS course taught by Don Edwards and Mike Syphers. It is both humbling and profoundly meaningful to now have the opportunity to give back to the community and institution that helped shape my professional life.”

Byrd has maintained a long association with USPAS, having taught numerous courses and served as both chair and member of the school’s Director’s Advisory Council and its Curriculum Sub-Committee.

Cornell University has long been a leader in accelerator science and technology, anchored by major research facilities and initiatives including the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) and the Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory, both operated within the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education (CLASSE). Cornell researchers and engineers are also leading the U.S. effort on the Phase-2 upgrade of the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider, one of the most ambitious international accelerator-based science projects underway.

“John Byrd’s appointment as director of USPAS reflects both his extraordinary leadership and Cornell’s deep roots in accelerator science,” said Nigel Lockyer, Director of CLASSE. “From our national user facility, CHESS, to our leadership role in the detector upgrade at the Large Hadron Collider, Cornell is proud to help train the workforce that continues to advance accelerator research worldwide.”

Byrd’s appointment reflects the deep connections between Cornell and the national accelerator community, as well as the university’s longstanding commitment to training, operating, and advancing complex scientific infrastructure that supports discovery science and industry.

USPAS is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of High Energy Physics, and is governed by a collaboration of DOE national laboratories and universities with active accelerator programs. Its administrative office is based at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

More information about the U.S. Particle Accelerator School is available on the U.S. Particle Accelerator School website.

This story is adapted from a press release originally issued by the U.S. Particle Accelerator School.