The UC Board of Regents on Monday placed three national laboratories in the hands of retired Navy Adm. S. Robert Foley.

As the new UC vice president for laboratory management, Foley will oversee Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in California and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The University oversees the labs, best known for their role in nuclear weapons development for the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

“We are honored that Admiral Foley is taking on this leadership position,” UC President Robert C. Dynes said. “Bob is a well-respected, serious manager with deep expertise that will be extremely beneficial as we move toward a decision regarding competition in the laboratory management environment.”

The main decision Foley and UC will face is whether to compete when the management contract for Los Alamos comes up for bid in 2005. The lab could end up out of University control for the first time since its construction in the 1940s.

Before leaving office in October, former UC President Richard Atkinson said the University would compete for the bid. The final decision, however, lies with the board of regents.

Foley’s r