The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has selected Cristian Boffo to be the new project director of the Proton Improvement Plan-II project.
Formerly the PIP-II project manager, Boffo will now lead the billion-dollar enhancement to the Fermilab accelerator complex. The PIP-II project is constructing a 215-meter-long state-of-the-art superconducting linear accelerator that will drive a broad physics research program and provide powerful, high-intensity proton beams for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment — an international collaboration hosted by Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois and Lead, South Dakota.
“Cristian is an accomplished engineer and proven leader,” said Young-Kee Kim, interim director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where PIP-II is located. “He has long been an essential member of the PIP-II leadership team, and we are thrilled Cristian has agreed to step into the project director role. The lab is privileged to be able to tap his expertise and familiarity with the project and collaboration.”
Boffo first joined Fermilab as part of the Linear Collider group after earning his master’s in mechanical engineering in 1999. He later moved to Europe and worked in industry, where he advanced as a project manager and business developer for superconducting systems. Boffo returned to Fermilab in 2019, assuming multiple roles within the PIP-II team and continuing his technical efforts to advance the development of superconducting magnet systems.
“When I joined PIP-II six years ago, I never could have anticipated reaching this position and having the privilege of leading such a talented team,” said Boffo. “This remarkable group possesses incredible energy, and I am confident that, together, we can deliver PIP-II to the laboratory and usher in a new era for Fermilab.”
The PIP-II project is currently advancing through many exciting phases. On site at Fermilab, the Linac Complex building is nearly finished with construction, the newly arrived coldbox cryogenic system is being installed, and upgrades to Fermilab’s Booster and Main Injector are progressing well.
At Fermilab and collaborating institutions around the world, cryomodules for the accelerator are in production, with some to begin assembly this summer. PIP-II is the first particle accelerator built in the United States with significant contributions from international partners. Institutions in France, India, Italy, Poland, the U.K. and the U.S. are bringing together their expertise and capabilities in superconducting radio frequency and associated technologies to construct this state-of-the-art facility.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. Fermi Forward Discovery Group manages Fermilab for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on social media.
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