Tim Kidd, Ph. D., has been selected as the next director of the Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering (DMSE) at Ames National Laboratory. His tenure begins April 20, 2026.
Kidd brings more than two decades of experience in materials physics, research leadership, and collaborative innovation across academia, federal science programs, and national research organizations.
As director of the Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Kidd will oversee Ames National Laboratory’s portfolio of discovery science, guide strategic research directions, and foster partnerships that advance DOE’s mission in materials innovation.
“His background in condensed matter physics, DOE laboratories, academia, and his experience in building up both programs and infrastructure uniquely positions him to lead DMSE into its next era of scientific excellence,” said Ames Lab Chief Research Officer Jamie Morris.
“Dr. Kidd’s experience with the Department of Energy and of higher education in Iowa make him an excellent fit for the strategic direction of our materials science mission,” said Ames Lab Director Karl Mueller. “We are excited to have him join the Lab.”
Kidd most recently served in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences, where he joined the Materials Sciences and Engineering Division in 2024 as Program Manager for the DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). In this role, he oversaw initiatives designed to expand research capacity across universities nationwide and managed programs supporting the development of the next generation of STEM talent.
Before joining DOE, Dr. Kidd spent nineteen years as a professor of physics at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where he established the institution’s first continuously funded scientific research program and earned the university’s Lubker Research Award (2024) and the Regent’s Award for Faculty Excellence (2019).
Kidd’s research spans a broad spectrum of materials science, including work in nanomaterials and low‑dimensional systems. His investigations into nanostructured metallic systems have produced rare and notable findings in transition metal dichalcogenides, with implications for future materials discovery and design.
His work includes more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, a patent, and contributions to advanced materials research projects with NASA and other partners. He has trained more than 80 research assistants and has been deeply involved in advancing STEM education at multiple levels.
Ames National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Laboratory operated by Iowa State University. Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies, and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global problems.
Ames Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://energy.gov/science.