Hertz Fellow and Board Member Kim Budil is the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the first woman to hold this position since the laboratory was established in 1952.
As director, Budil sets the strategic vision for the laboratory and ensure successful execution of programs to advance science and technology for the nation and to maintain an outstanding and diverse workforce. The director leads the development and implementation of the laboratory’s scientific vision, goals and objectives, and serves as the laboratory’s highest-level liaison with government, public and private organizations.
Previously, she was the principal associate director for Weapons & Complex Integration at LLNL. In that role, she led the laboratory’s nuclear weapons program in its responsibilities to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent and to support the transformation of the stockpile and the nuclear weapons enterprise for the future. She was also responsible for stewardship of the broad range of science, technology and engineering capabilities and infrastructure that underpin the Stockpile Stewardship Program and lay the foundations for the long-term health and vitality of the Laboratory.
Budil joined LLNL in 1987 and has held roles of increasing management responsibility across LLNL programs. She served twice as a detailee in Washington, D.C., first at the National Nuclear Security Administration in the Office of Defense Science and then as a senior adviser to the under secretary for Science in the Department of Energy. Budil also served as vice president for national laboratories in the UC Office of the President, in addition to executive committee governor on the LANS and LLNS Boards of Governors and director on the Triad National Security Board.
She has a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois in Chicago and a Ph.D. in engineering/applied science from the University of California, Davis.
The Hertz Foundation has long distinguished itself as a catalyst for scientific innovation, nurturing an ecosystem in which intellects of the highest caliber engage with the most pressing challenges of our time.
The 2024 Hertz Summer Workshop and Topical Forum, which took place August 1–4, 2024, at the beautiful Mont-Tremblant Resort in Quebec, Canada, was truly a one-of-a-kind gathering filled with vibrant discussions, meaningful networking and productive collaboration.
A new collaboration between the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory enables up to three Hertz Fellows a year to attend LLNL’s annual National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy, an intensive four-day commercialization program that gives researchers the tools to transfer their research and technologies out of the lab.
As part of the Hertz Foundation’s 2023 Philanthropy Report, Board Chair Stephen Fantone and President Robbee Kosak share their aspirations for building on our 60–year legacy of impact and leadership in science and technology.
Hertz Fellow Kim Budil leads the laboratory tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our nation. At a recent Hertz Foundation Board meeting, she discussed the work she oversees and provided an in-depth look into the lab’s recent fusion breakthrough in the pursuit of clean, abundant energy.
Hertz Fellow and Board Member Kim Budil has been named the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the first woman to hold this position since the laboratory was established in 1952.
The Hertz Foundation was a proud sponsor at the Innovation Tri-Valley Energy Forum: 2024 Energy Summit, which convened leaders from the energy, business, government, and education sectors to accelerate discussions on a regional green economy.
Join us for the 2023 Spring Board/Council Dinner with special keynote speaker Kim Budil, Hertz Fellow and Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This event is open to all local community members with their spouse/partner as an invited guest.
Board dinners provide an opportunity for Hertz Fellows, board of directors, fellowship interviews, and friends of the foundation to connect and discuss new ways to advance our mission.
