A Message from Chuck Black

insights from the CFN Director

June 20, 2025

Passing the baton

In one of my first all-hands meetings as CFN director, I told a favorite story about my high school orchestra teacher, Mr. Staubach. Mr. Staubach used to constantly stress a particular message to all of us:

“Don’t fake it.”

Back then, I loved everything about orchestra life: the rehearsals, the camaraderie, the nervous energy backstage before a performance. I especially loved when we played.

I loved the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself. In this case, a music-making machine — all working in harmony. I remember when, during practices in the middle of a piece, I’d sometimes stop my playing and just listen. And I’d realize, a little anxiously, that the music didn’t sound any different without me.

Would it matter, then, if I didn’t learn the tricky parts?

“Just don’t fake it,” Mr. Staubach admonished.

I didn’t. Nobody did. We all wanted to be part of the sound. Mr. Staubach's words have stayed with me ever since. They’re about showing up, aren’t they?

I’ve tried to lead the CFN in the same spirit. And now, after nine years as director, as I prepare to step away from this role, I’ve been reflecting on our journey so far — where we started, what we’ve created together, and what we’re all about.

I’ve been lucky to be part of CFN since the very beginning — back in 2006, when the building was still under construction and so much of what CFN would become was still an open question. In those early years, I was part of the team that shaped our initial scientific focus, decided what instruments the CFN would support, and — most importantly — thought about the kind of culture we wanted to create. We knew we wanted smart, hardworking, talented people. But we also wanted collaborative people: people genuinely committed to helping others succeed; people who wanted to be part of a team; nice people.

When I stepped into the director role in 2016, I remember wondering how my “rah-rah” messages would land. In my early all-hands meetings, I'd look out at the staff and see blank faces of quiet skepticism, as if people were thinking, “Does Chuck know he’s talking to scientists? We don’t usually talk like this.”

But over time, I could feel us coming around. Now, we're tight! Because everyone likes the feeling of being on a team, don’t they? We all like knowing we’re in it together.

Over the past nine years, we’ve accomplished so much. We’ve built recognized programs in quantum information science, microelectronics, AI/ML, and sustainable energy. We’ve created and brought online powerful new capabilities. We've led major projects and hosted many successful program reviews. We’ve hired new staff members, trained over 70 postdocs, and even more graduate students. We’ve supported the research of thousands of users and contributed to thousands of peer-reviewed papers.

All along the way, we’ve navigated change. We’ve said goodbye to longtime colleagues and wished students and postdocs well as they launched their next chapters. We negotiated the uncertainty and scariness of COVID-19, figuring out how to keep the science going safely, contribute to solutions, and support each other.

And between all the big moments, we created something quietly beautiful. We hosted summertime barbecues. We shared holiday meals, ate pies at Thanksgiving, and lit our CFN holiday tree each year. We scavenged and laughed and gathered for retreats. We grew close.

I’ve learned so much here — about science, of course, but also about leadership. I’ve learned about how real teams, built with trust and shared purpose, are better together than they ever could be alone.

We all learned that we could probably fake it, and sure, the CFN would go on OK. But why would we want to? Don't we all want to be part of the sound?

It’s natural to want things to stay the same, especially when they feel like they’re working well. But CFN has always been a place in motion. That’s part of what makes it so alive.

And that’s why, even as I step away, I feel only gratitude and confidence — because of all of us. The culture we’ve built is strong, and I can't wait to see what comes next. I've really enjoyed playing my part.

— Dr. Charles Black
Director and Senior Scientist
Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Brookhaven National Laboratory

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