Deborah Gracio, a 35-year Pacific Northwest National Laboratory veteran, will take on the role of PNNL director in October.
Battelle said Thursday Gracio will succeed Steven Ashby, who announced his intent to step down as head of PNNL earlier this year.
Battelle operates the national lab for the Department of Energy.
“Deb is a visionary leader with deep scientific roots and a steadfast commitment to mission,” said Lou Von Thaer, president and CEO of Battelle and a 10-time Wash100 awardee. “Her insight, experience, and dedication to advancing science in service to the nation make her the ideal leader for PNNL’s future.”
Gracio, who was selected through a competitive national search, said she is honored to lead the national lab.
“Our mission has never been more urgent or more inspiring. I’m committed to fostering the collaboration, innovation, and clarity needed to help our teams deliver meaningful impact for the Department of Energy and the nation as we look to the future,” she added.
Who Is Deborah Gracio?
Gracio currently serves as PNNL’s associate laboratory director for national security, overseeing a suite of national security initiatives and leading key programs and partnerships.
Her previous roles at PNNL include chief operating officer of the National Security Directorate; director of the National Security Program Development Office; director of the Computational and Statistical Analytics Division; head of the Data-Intensive Computing Research Initiative; and project lead for the Extensible Computational Chemistry Environment.
The Washington State University electrical engineering graduate is a Fellow of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Gracio is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and sits on the boards of several academic, community and business organizations.
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