Constable: From atomic bomb to solar power, Downers Grove scientist always innovates As a chemist, Dieter Gruen has worked on everything from the atomic bomb during World War II to the latest energy technologies used to combat climate change. The Downers Grove resident and Argonne National Laboratory scientist is nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, left, invited groundbreaking scientist and fellow Downers Grove resident Dieter Gruen to the 2020 State of the Union. Casten, fellow Rep. Bill Foster and others have nominated Gruen for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Courtesy of Rep. Sean Casten