Brookhaven National Laboratory director JoAnne Hewett resigns

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s first female director has stepped down two years after coming from the West Coast to take the post, the Upton lab announced Tuesday.

JoAnne Hewett decided earlier this month to resign to focus on her other role as a faculty member with the C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University, lab officials said in a news release.

John Hill, the lab's deputy director for science and technology, will serve as interim director until a permanent director is named, the news release said. The lab plans a nationwide search to find Hewett's permanent successor, the release said.

Hewett, 65, of Old Field, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

In a statement released by the lab, Hewett said serving as director was "an honor and a privilege."

"Brookhaven is a terrific lab, and the talents of the staff and unique capabilities of the lab will continue to ensure a bright future," she said. "I am excited to assume my role as tenured faculty in the C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University as I pursue the next chapter in my life."

Lab spokesman Pete Genzer said Hill was not available for an interview Tuesday.

Hewett, a theoretical physicist, came to Brookhaven in July 2023 from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center National Accelerator Laboratory, a federal lab on the Stanford University campus in Menlo Park, California.

At Brookhaven, Hewett oversaw construction of a $3 billion next-generation supercollider expected to open in 2032, and an $86.2 million initiative to build a welcome center and the Discovery Park business incubator on the laboratory's sprawling campus off William Floyd Parkway.

The laboratory is part of the federal Department of Energy and is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates, which includes Stony Brook University and Columbus, Ohio, tech company Battelle. 

In a statement, Brookhaven Science Associates said Hewett "advanced the lab's scientific mission and sought new opportunities to increase staff engagement and a culture of community," adding she had "focused on renewing lab infrastructure and improving facilities and services for employees, guests and users."

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.