Mr. José E. Sánchez became Director of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi., in August 2013. CHL is the national laboratory for the specialized professional field of coastal and hydraulic engineering. Research is conducted primarily in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with one field location in Duck, North Carolina. As director, Sánchez leads a team of more than 200 researchers, support staff and contractors. He is responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating a multi-million dollar research program; developing new and strategic research program areas in coastal and hydraulics; and managing physical facilities with a total area of 1.5 million square feet. Ongoing projects range from design guidance to three-dimensional numerical models to produce cutting-edge products for successful coastal and inland water resources management.