Deborah Gracio Selected to Lead Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

RICHLAND, WA—Battelle announced today that Deborah (Deb) Gracio has been appointed as the next director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), effective October 1. Gracio succeeds Steven Ashby who announced his intent to step aside as director earlier this year. Battelle operates PNNL for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

A 35-year veteran of PNNL, Gracio, who was selected through a competitive national search, currently serves as associate laboratory director for national security where she oversees PNNL’s diverse national security portfolio. Under her leadership, multidisciplinary staff deliver fundamental discoveries and applied solutions to advance national and global security missions. 

“Deb is a visionary leader with deep scientific roots and a steadfast commitment to our mission,” said Lou Von Thaer, president and CEO of Battelle. “Her insight, experience, and dedication to advancing science in service to the nation make her the ideal leader for PNNL’s future.”

Gracio is recognized for pioneering research and scientific leadership in computational capabilities, including the creation of instrumentation, computational models and software that shaped the early development of two DOE Office of Science national user facilities and development of new DOE programs focused on leveraging computation for scientific discovery. Her leadership in forming new methodologies, algorithms and technologies to address scientific challenges with big data has advanced the use of data sciences across multiple scientific and technical domains.

“I am honored to lead PNNL as we build on 60 years of scientific achievement,” said Deb Gracio. “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.” 

Gracio holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Washington State University. She is a Fellow of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and serves on the board of numerous academic, business and community organizations. 

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