Bernard Bigot

{{Short description|French physicist (1950–2022)}} {{Expand French|topic=bio|date=May 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Bernard Bigot | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Bernard Bigot 2013.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Bigot in 2013 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1950|01|24}} | birth_place = Blois, France | death_date = {{death date and age |df=yes|2022|05|14|1950|01|24}} | death_place = France | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | other_names = | residence = | citizenship = | fields = Nuclear physics | workplaces = École normale supérieure de Lyon<br />Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives<br />ITER | patrons = | education = | alma_mater = École normale supérieure de lettres et sciences humaines<br />Pierre and Marie Curie University | thesis1_title = Étude théorique de la réactivité des états excités des molécules organiques par la méthode des corrélations naturelles | thesis1_url = https://www.worldcat.org/title/863642861 | thesis1_year = 1979 | doctoral_advisor = Lionel Salem | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = Chantal Bigot-Martin (née Martin) | partner =  | children = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = }}

'''Bernard Bigot''' ({{IPA|fr|bɛʁnar biɡo}}; 24 January 1950 – 14 May 2022) was a French academic and civil servant.<ref name="canalblog">{{Cite web |date=27 May 2022 |title=Décès du professeur Bernard Bigot (1950-2022) |url=http://scingsimu.canalblog.com/archives/2022/05/27/39724672.html |access-date=20 September 2024 |website=Sciences de l'Ingénieur et Simulation |language=fr}}</ref> He served as the Director-General of the ITER organization between 2015 and 2022.<ref>[https://www.science.org/content/article/new-iter-boss-promises-streamline-management-and-repair-ties-us New ITER boss promises to streamline management and repair ties with the U.S.]. ''Science Magazine''</ref> He was the president of the École normale supérieure de Lyon and director of the French Commission for Atomic Energy.<ref>[https://www.iter.org/fr/org/io/dg Bernard Bigot, directeur général d'ITER Organization]. iter.org</ref>

==Education== Bernard Bigot studied at the École normale supérieure de lettres et sciences humaines, the Orsay faculty of sciences, which is now part of Paris-Saclay University and the Pierre and Marie Curie University. He earned an advanced degree in physical sciences with a major in chemistry and a doctorate in physics and chemistry. Bigot completed his doctoral thesis in 1979 at Orsay with Lionel Salem as his supervisor, titled ''Étude théorique de la réactivité des états excités des molécules organiques par la méthode des corrélations naturelles''.<ref name=phd> {{cite thesis |type=Ph.D. |publisher=Université d'Orsay |publication-place= |last=Bigot |first=Bernard |date=1979 |title=Étude théorique de la réactivité des états excités des molécules organiques par la méthode des corrélations naturelles |oclc=863642861 |hdl= |doi= |osti= |url= }} </ref>

==Career== When the École normale supérieure de Lyon was founded in 1985, Bernard Bigot was appointed deputy director of studies.<ref>{{cite news | title=Les pionniers des magistères|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1988/10/27/les-pionniers-des-magisteres_4121959_1819218.html|publisher=Le Monde|date=1998-10-27|accessdate=2024-09-16}}</ref>

In July 2003, he was appointed High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, a post he held until May 2009. In January 2009, he was appointed Director General of the French Atomic Energy Commission, replacing Alain Bugat.<ref>{{cite news | title=La mort de Bernard Bigot|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2022/05/17/la-mort-de-bernard-bigot-directeur-du-projet-de-reacteur-nucleaire-iter_6126490_3382.html|publisher=Le Monde|date=2022-05-22|accessdate=2024-09-16}}</ref>

In 2011, he was reappointed as Director General of the CEA for a three-year term from 9 January 2012. In November 2014, he was appointed to succeed Osamu Motojima as Director General of the ITER international research project. He was elected Director-General on 5 March 2015, and unanimously re-elected by the ITER Council in January 2019 for a further five years,<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 January 2019 |title=Steady at the helm {{!}} Bernard Bigot accepts a second term |url=https://www.iter.org/newsline/-/3217 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=ITER}}</ref> but fell ill and died on 14 May 2022. His successor, Pietro Barabaschi, was appointed by the ITER Council on 15 September 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 September 2022 |title=Top management {{!}} ITER Council appoints new Director-General |url=https://www.iter.org/newsline/-/3790 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=ITER}}</ref>

==Personal life== Bigot married Chantal Martin in 1975.<ref name=canalblog />

Bigot died on 14 May 2022, at the age of 72.<ref>{{cite news | title=French scientist leading nuclear fusion project dies at 72|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/french-scientist-leading-nuclear-fusion-project-dies-72-84716789|publisher=ABC News|date=2022-05-14|accessdate=2022-05-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2022 |title=Passing of the ITER Director-General, Dr Bernard Bigot - European Commission |url=https://commission.europa.eu/news/passing-iter-director-general-dr-bernard-bigot-2022-05-14_en |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=European Commission}}</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigot, Bernard}} Category:1950 births Category:2022 deaths Category:French nuclear physicists Category:People from Blois Category:École normale supérieure (Paris) alumni Category:Pierre and Marie Curie University alumni Category:Commanders of the Legion of Honour Category:Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite Category:ITER people