Jim Krupnick to Oversee Institutional Assurance, Project Management

The Berkeley Lab’s new Office of Institutional Assurance – charged with ensuring that the Lab’s contract compliance, scientific excellence, best management practices, and continuous improvement are achieved – has its first Director. Veteran project manager Jim Krupnick, who is currently overseeing the construction of the Molecular Foundry, will direct the assurance function and serve as the Laboratory’s Project Management Officer.

“Jim has provided outstanding service to the Laboratory over the last few decades, in particular helping the Advanced Light Source to reach its world-class status,” said Deputy Director Graham Fleming in announcing Krupnick’s appointment. “His impressive record of getting things done – successfully, on time and within budget – gives us all confidence that Jim is the person to assure this laboratory’s performance under the new University of California management contract.”

Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu echoed those thoughts. “This position is extremely important in deciding strategic allocations of institutional capital resources and ensuring that new proposals and projects are properly vetted,” Chu said. “Jim brings us his valuable experience in all program development areas.”

Krupnick has been a manager with the ALS since 1987, when he served as assistant project manager during construction of the $150 million facility. For the past six years, he has been ALS Division Deputy under Director Daniel Chemla and Acting Director Janos Kirz. He will formally leave his ALS position as of August 1st.

Since 2001, he has also served as project director for the Lab’s new $85 million nanotechnology facility, the Molecular Foundry, under construction next to Building 72. He will continue in that capacity until the project is completed.
With a B.S in social science and an MBA from UC Berkeley, Krupnick began his service at Berkeley Lab in 1976 at the old Bevalac facility, first as an electronics maintenance technician and then as a technical/scientific systems coordinator.

The Office of Institutional Assurance that Krupnick will manage, established as part of the new management contract with UC, includes two offices – contract assurance, headed by John Chernowski, and project management, a role that Krupnick will fulfill. The Office is charged with providing oversight for Lab projects, management systems, and operating processes. Reporting directly to Fleming, Krupnick will be the principal point-of-contact to the UC Office of the President and the Department of Energy on matters regarding contract and performance assurance and project management.xxxxxxxxxxThe Lab’s former Project Management Officer, Kem Robinson, will devote full-time duties to his role as Director of the Engineering Division. Fleming thanked Robinson for helping to establish the position and “providing the vision that was essential to its integration into our planning strategy.”