In a statement to the press, Paul Kearns, director of the Argonne laboratory, said that "our laboratory has the privilege of having Kawtar El Hafidi with his remarkable experience and unique insight."

Mrs Hafidi, who currently serves as the laboratory’s Associate Chief Scientist for Laboratory-Directed Research & Development (LDRD), has 17 years of experience in leading and conducting fundamental research at major accelerator facilities in the United States and Europe.  As Associate Chief Scientist, she established transparent processes aimed at supporting Argonne’s most important scientific priorities and assuring the greatest possible return on early scientific investment.

Kawtar El Hafidi graduated in physics from Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1995 and from the Faculty of Science at Orsay in Paris. She began her career at the Argonne laboratory in 1999 and is currently a member of the American Physical Society.

Her work encompasses measurements of nuclear modification effects; three-dimensional imaging of nucleons and nuclei, the mechanisms of “vacuum” confinement and tests of charge symmetry violations.

Ms Hafidi has also received numerous awards for advocacy for increased diversity, both at Argonne and within the broader physics community. She is the author of more than 140 publications and has given more than 40 invited talks at international conferences, universities, and laboratories.

Argonne’s Physics Division includes more than 100 scientists, engineers, and staff dedicated to addressing challenges in fundamental low- and medium-energy physics, including mapping the structure of nuclei and analyzing rare isotopes.

Source : Argonne National Laboratory (https://www.anl.gov)