Jud Virden, PhD

Bio:

Director, National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) President, Alliance for Energy Innovation

Jud Virden is the Director of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and President of the Alliance for Energy Innovation, bringing more than three decades of national leadership in energy systems, grid modernization, and applied science. Prior to joining NLR, he served as Associate Laboratory Director for Energy & Environment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he led a $500M portfolio and a team of 1,700 researchers advancing U.S. capabilities in grid resilience, energy storage, nuclear science, and environmental management.

Virden played a central role in several major U.S. Department of Energy initiatives, including the Grid Modernization Initiative, the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium, and the Energy Storage Grand Challenge. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

He holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington.