Dr. Leonard K. Peters is the Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle for the U. S. Department of Energy.  He also serves as Senior Vice President of Battelle.  Dr. Peters came to PNNL April 1, 2003, with a diverse and distinguished career in research, most recently serving as Vice Provost for Research at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

While at Virginia Tech, Dr. Peters managed its diverse research and graduate education programs, ranging from biotechnology and materials to transportation and information technology.  As the senior executive responsible for the Research Division, he initiated a unique program to stimulate and nurture interdisciplinary research.  He initiated numerous public-private partnerships, such as between Carilion Health Services, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia to create the Carilion Biomedical Institute.

While at Virginia Tech, Dr. Peters also served as President and Chairman of the Board of Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc., a university-affiliated non-profit corporation.  VTIP handles, protects, and licenses technologies developed by faculty, students, and staff at Virginia Tech.  He also chaired the Committee on Research of the Virginia Research and Technology Advisory Commission. 

Prior to his tenure at Virginia Tech, Dr. Peters spent nearly two decades with the University of Kentucky.  He began there in 1974 as Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, progressing to his last assignment as acting Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies.  In addition to faculty and management assignments, Dr. Peters has a distinguished career as a researcher in atmospheric chemistry, including assignments with Alcoa Research Laboratories, Cleveland State University, and an 18-month assignment at PNNL.  His leadership in research and management has earned Dr. Peters many honors and awards, including a 1990 National Science Foundation Award in Recognition of Contributions to Science and Technology in Kentucky.

Dr. Peters is an active member of the Air and Waste Management Association, the American Association for Aerosol Research, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education, Sigma XI, and the Oregon Council for Knowledge and Economic Development.  He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Washington State University’s College of Engineering and Architecture, the Board of Directors for Heritage College, and the Board of Directors for VITEX Systems, Inc.  He also is a board member of the Washington Technology Alliance, Washington Roundtable, Washington State University Research Foundation, Tri-Cities Industrial Development Council, Junior Achievement of the Greater Tri-Cities Advisory Board, and the Board of Directors for United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties.

In March 2004, Dr. Peters received the Oak Ridge Associated Universities’ Outstanding Leadership Award.

Dr. Peters earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Chemical Engineering where he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1997.