Meet Miriam John
Honoring Legacy Through Impact: Dr. John S. Foster, Jr. epitomizes visionary leadership and innovation. As the fourth Director of LLNL, he pioneered advancements in nuclear weapons technology, spearheaded crucial innovations, and helped establish LLNL’s essential role in ensuring our national security. In 2015, the Lab honored Foster’s legacy by creating the John S. Foster Jr. Medal (with Foster as the first recipient), an award which recognizes “innovative and inspirational leadership in providing a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent to ensure international peace and strategic stability.”
In September 2022, Sandia National Laboratories Vice President Emerita Dr. Miriam ‘Mim’ John received the prestigious Foster Medal. Soon afterwards, she led the effort to establish the John S. Foster Jr. Undergraduate Fellowship – a partnership between the Livermore Lab Foundation and LLNL.
“With LLF’s help (along with others who are contributing), I hope that we succeed in introducing [Dr. Foster’s] potential successors to the challenges and rewards of a career in national security,” Mim noted. With a goal of raising $250,000 to endow this fellowship in perpetuity, LLF was thrilled that the 2023 recipient of the Foster Medal, retired U.S. Navy Admiral Richard W. Mies, also contributed his award ($25K) to the Foster Fund endowment campaign. In his own words, “the Foster Medal is gift enough. I wanted to honor and follow Mim’s leadership of using the award funds to honor Johnny’s legacy.”