February 2026
Transitions in science are often marked less by endings than by changes in how attention, time, and responsibility are distributed. Roles shift, institutions evolve, and the work itself continues within larger systems that extend beyond any single position or individual.
After 29 years in the role of Director, my work as Emeritus now centers on a focused set of research projects and on contributing, in a more independent way, to the conditions that allow ambitious science to thrive. This includes engaging in dialogue where long-term responsibility, scientific independence, and international cooperation intersect, and offering perspective shaped by experience rather than by mandate.
Much of what I have been able to do has depended on the work of colleagues, engineers, students, and partners across institutions and continents. Research infrastructures, collaborations, and shared standards are not built by individuals alone, but by communities willing to invest time, trust, and care over many years.
Photo: New York City – a moment between science, institutions and what comes next.