Mitchell Kerman

Dr. Mitchell Kerman is the Deputy Director for Critical and Strategic Minerals and Materials within the Energy and Environment Science & Technology (EES&T) Directorate at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). In this role, Dr. Kerman leads strategic planning and program development for INL’s critical and strategic minerals and materials portfolio; develops cross-organizational partnerships to strengthen national capabilities in mineral security, supply chain innovation, and materials research; supports directorate leadership in aligning research priorities with national energy, environment, and security objectives; and engages with federal partners, industry, and academic institutions to accelerate impactful research and technology deployment.

 

Previously, Dr. Kerman served as the Director of Institutional Planning and Programs at INL. In that position, he was directly responsible to the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science & Technology for providing effective and efficient institutional planning processes and programs to the INL research community, developing the annual Laboratory Plan and Laboratory Agenda, and administering and managing the INL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. Earlier, he was the Chief of Staff and Chief Systems Engineer for the EES&T Directorate with oversight over 300 scientists and engineers, including talent recruitment, retainment, training, mentoring, professional development, career growth, and recognition.

 

Dr. Kerman has a diverse background with extensive experience in computer modeling and simulation, operations research, systems engineering, engineering management, and business development. Prior to joining INL, he was the Director of Program Development and Transition for the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), a Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) led by Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Dr. Kerman has taught graduate classes in both operations research and systems engineering. He is the author of two textbooks on the topics of computation and introductory computer programming and has published numerous articles in technical journals and trade publications. Dr. Kerman is also a retired US Navy officer with 27 years of combined active duty and reserve experience in submarine warfare, naval coastal warfare, coordination and guidance of merchant shipping, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations.

 

Dr. Kerman served as the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Critical Infrastructure Protection and Recovery (CIPR) Working Group Chair from January 2018 to December 2019 and the INCOSE Director for Outreach from March 2019 to December 2020. As the Director for Outreach, he led the definition and execution of an outreach strategy aligned with and enabling INCOSE’s objectives, particularly to achieve membership growth and improved impact beyond current bases, to connect INCOSE to the global science and engineering community.