Prior to leading the CNMS, Dr. Horton was the Program Director for the ORNL BES Materials and Engineering Physics Program.  Over her career, she has held many management roles at ORNL including Deputy Division Director for the Metals and Ceramics Division, Group Leader for Surfaces and Interfaces, and Group Leader for Electron Microscopy. Her personal research emphasized applications of electron microscopy to materials science problems, including investigations of the effects of ion implantation and neutron irradiation on the structure and properties of ferritic alloys and ceramic materials and studies of the growth and characterization of diamond thin films.  At ORNL, she has been involved in the implementation of research programs that integrate basic and applied research.

Dr. Horton received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Materials Science.  She has been active in professional service and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Materials Research Society and on the advisory committees for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for Nanotechnology and for Energy in the United Kingdom.  She is a frequent reviewer for the DOE and other agencies, including reviews of Office of Science construction projects and user facility operations.  Dr. Horton is very familiar with the BES program, having served as a past Vice-Chair of the BES Advisory Committee (BESAC).  She was involved in a number of assessments and workshops for BES, other parts of DOE, and for other federal agencies.  Most notably, she served as co-chair of the 2002 BESAC workshop Basic Research Needs to Assure a Secure Energy Future, the first of the BES “Basic Research Needs” workshops.