Dr. Christopher Keane is Vice President for Research at Washington State University (WSU), Vice Chancellor for Research for the WSU Pullman campus, and Professor of Physics. He is responsible for expanding research and scholarship opportunities for WSU faculty and staff, bringing WSU innovations to the marketplace, improving the University’s research infrastructure and related operational performance, and enhancing research funding. Prior to joining WSU in 2014, Dr. Keane worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in a variety of scientific and leadership roles related to inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Dr. Keane also served at the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as a member of the Senior Executive Service, where he led the U.S. ICF Program, including construction of the stadium-sized National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser.
Dr. Keane holds B.S. degrees in Physics and Engineering from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D in astrophysics from Princeton University. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society. He is the recipient of the NNSA Silver Medal, the Defense Programs Award of Excellence, and the Fusion Power Associates Special Award.
