William Metz
Retired Argonne Co-Director for Integrated Emergency Preparedness William Metz, 74, passed away due to complications from a lung transplant in December. Metz was drafted in the United States Army in October 1968 and during his service, received a Bronze Star and an Air Medal award for his meritorious achievements.
After his service, Metz earned three master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in geography. He accepted a research position at Brookhaven National Laboratory performing national energy policy studies for the U.S. Department of Energy. He was then recruited by Argonne in 1984, where he worked on a diverse set of research activities including assessing socioeconomic effects of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility, land use around nuclear power plants, emergency operation plans for communities in the vicinity of U.S. Army chemical weapons storage installations, and effectiveness of urban disaster plans.
More than a manager of several large research programs, Metz was an active member of the Argonne community. For example, he succeeded in getting outdoor heaters installed at the laboratory gates so that members of the Protective Force can stay warmer while on security duty during frigid winter days. He was a mentor to many colleagues.
Metz authored or co-authored over three dozen published journal articles, conference papers, and book contributions on topics ranging from public perception of risk, economic risk assessment, energy technology potential, and emergency planning.
He retired in September 2017 after 33 years at Argonne.
Metz is survived by his wife, children, and five grandchildren.
Details about the upcoming memorial service are here.
More information on Metz.