William Barletta received his Ph.D. in experimental high-energy physics from the University of Chicago in 1972. After a term as instructor of physics at Yale University, he joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he held several research and management positions. From 1993 – 2006, he was Director of the Accelerator Division and of the Homeland Security and Non-proliferation Program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. At Berkeley he was responsible for LBNL’s activities in four major construction projects: the PEP-II B-factory, the US-LHC project (interaction region components), the Spallation Neutron Source (delivered the front-end systems), and the LANL DARHT radiography project (delivered the accelerator cells).

As Chairman of the USPAS Board since 2006, and now as USPAS Director, he is responsible for a national graduate program that covers all aspects of accelerator science and technology that are crucial to facilities for accelerator-based science. He has built the academic presence of accelerator physics by creating mechanisms for students from MIT, Old Dominion, Stony Brook, and Michigan State universities to receive direct home university credit for USPAS courses. Both Cornell and U. Chicago are now considering similar mechanisms. Old Dominion is working toward establishing a USPAS-affiliated PhD program in accelerator science. With his MIT colleagues, he has established a regular course in accelerator science co-listed in both physics and electrical engineering departments and a flexible major in accelerator physics.He is also the inaugural director of the Korean Accelerator School.