A new laboratory director has been hired for the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at Homestake.

Dr. Jose Alonso was appointed to the position effective Monday, Oct. 15, according to a news release from South Dakota Science and Technology Authority director Dave Snyder.

As laboratory director, Alonso will be responsible for "the startup and overall operation of the Sanford Laboratory," according to the release.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Alonso setting the direction for the underground laboratory and interacting with users in the scientific community," Snyder said through the release. "He offers management expertise on a solid science foundation, a combination well-suited for this crucial position."

Alonso is a physicist who has experience establishing new laboratories and operating large facilities, according to the release. He has worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a co-discoverer of Element 106 - seaborgium, according to the release.

Alonso also serves on the board of directors of the American Bach Soloists and is a licensed soccer referee and nationally ranked squash player.

Alonso didn't immediately respond to interview requests Tuesday afternoon. Snyder was also unavailable for comment. No further details on the hiring or Alonso were available.

The Sanford lab is named after T. Denny Sanford, who donated $70 million to the project. Homestake was chosen as the site for the proposed underground laboratory July 10 by the National Science Foundation.

The plan is to eventually open a lab 7,400 feet underground, but the state science authority is building an interim lab 4,850 feet underground. The lab could be ready for underground experiments by next year.