Distinguished Professor of Practice
[email protected]
Santa Fe, NM
Activities
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Indian Institute of Metals
- Fellow of the American Association of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Society for Metals, TMS (Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials Society), and Honorary Member of the American Ceramics Society
- Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, National Committee on North Korea, Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Board Member of the Pacific Century Institute
Areas of Research
- Nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear terrorism
- Nuclear weapons policy and international security
- Global future of nuclear energy
- Plutonium science
- International relations
Background
Dr. Hecker spent 34 years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory beginning as a summer graduate student in 1965, returning as a postdoctoral fellow from 1968 to 1970, and as a technical staff member in 1973 after three years at the General Motors Research Center. He led the Materials Science and Technology Division and the Center for Materials Science before becoming the fifth director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1986 to 1997. He was senior fellow until 2005 when he joined Stanford University. At Stanford he was Professor (Research) in the Department of Management Science and Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. He retired from Stanford on August 31, 2022, and joined Texas A&M University as Professor of Practice and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
Education
Hecker received a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy and a Master’s Degree in Metallurgy from Case Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Case Western Reserve University.
CNS Work
- Oppenheimer: The Rest of the Story
Dr. Hecker provides the back story to some key elements of the film and shares his views on the legacy of Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project. - Dr. Siegfried Hecker on North Korean nuclear weapons for BBC’s Nuclear Armageddon
This video features discussions on the nuclear issues in North Korea with a short discussion of Iran. - Is Kim Jong Un Preparing for War?
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is more dangerous than it has been at any time since early June 1950. - The Human Dimension to Kazakhstan’s Plutonium Mountain
US, Russia, and Kazakhstan scientists write the story of nonproliferation cooperation at Semipalatinsk in the two-volume book, “Doomed to Cooperate.” - Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program
CNS Distinguished Professor of Practice Dr. Siegfried Hecker gave a book talk on his newly released book, Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program. - Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program
Between 2004 and 2010, Dr. Siegfried Hecker, made seven trips to North Korea exploring ways to reduce the danger of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. - A Full Spectrum Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program: From Above, On the Ground, and In Person
The three presentations demonstrated the power of the viewing from a multi-spectrum perspective and highlighted CNS’ unusual and diverse pool of expertise. - US-Black Sea Nonproliferation Professionals Exchange: US Module
Participants from six countries fostered ties between US and Black Sea technical and policy communities with tours of both of the National Laboratories, nuclear science museums, and Washington DC. - How to Rebuild the Global Nuclear Order Post-Ukraine?
Dr. Hecker highlighted the importance of scientists and diplomats working together on these complex issues. - Dr. Siegfried Hecker Appointed as Distinguished Professor of Practice
The former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and one of the most honored U.S. nuclear scientists has joined CNS.
Bibliography
Recent Books
- Doomed to Cooperate: How American and Russian Scientists Joined Forces to Avert Some of the Greatest Post-Cold War Nuclear Dangers, Siegfried S. Hecker ed., Bathtub Row Press, 2016.
Forthcoming Book
- Hinge Points: An Inside Look into North Korea’s Nuclear Program, Siegfried S. Hecker with Elliot A. Serbin, Stanford University Press, January 2023.
Dr. Hecker has contributed chapters and articles to over 230 scholarly books and journals.
