PNNL

Sue Clark, a Battelle Fellow who holds a joint appointment at PNNL and Washington State University (WSU), was elected to a second term on the board. Jud Virden, PNNL's Associate Laboratory Director for energy and environment, was elected to his first term on the board. Clark and Virden will each serve three-year terms.

WSAS is a resource to help government, organizations, and citizens in the state of Washington confront challenges and seize opportunities in science, technology, health, and the environment. According to its website, the WSAS mission is to provide expert scientific and engineering analyses to inform public policy-making and increase the role and visibility of research in Washington State.

About Clark

Clark joined PNNL in January 2015 as a joint appointee with WSU. She leads research focused on the chemistry and chemical engineering of processing nuclear materials. Clark was named chief science and technology officer of energy and environment in September 2017.

During her tenure at WSU from 1996 through 2014, Clark served in many institutional leadership roles while leading nuclear science research and mentoring graduate students. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, serving from 2011 to 2014.

Clark is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society. From 2009 to 2011, Clark served as an elected member of the Governing Board for the U.S. Council for Chemical Research. She served on the National Academy's Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board from 2004 to 2009, on the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Energy from 2003 to 2011, and was a consultant to Battelle Memorial Institute and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. She was elected in 2012 to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

Clark earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Lander College and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Inorganic/Radiochemistry from The Florida State University.

About Virden

As Associate Laboratory Director, Virden leads 1,000 scientists, engineers, and staff who are delivering science and technology solutions for the nation’s complex energy and environmental challenges — including advancing energy storage technologies, modernizing the power grid, integrating renewable energy, advancing energy efficiency in all sectors, developing biofuels, ensuring sustainable hydropower, and resolving complex issues in nuclear science.

Since joining PNNL in 1991 as a researcher, Virden has held multiple roles including Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, energy market Sector Director, and Chief Science and Technology Officer. His special assignments have included a stint at DOE Headquarters to assist in development of U.S.-China collaborative research priorities, and a two-year assignment in Flint, Mich., working with General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR).

Virden holds two U.S. patents and has received R&D 100 and Federal Laboratory Consortium awards for non-thermal plasma technology, as well as a Discover Award with Massachusetts Institute of Technology for fuel reformation technologies. His industry and academic leadership has included the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, CleanTech Alliance of Washington, Oregon Innovation Council, University of Washington College of Engineering, University of Michigan Energy Institute, and Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute. He was elected in 2014 to the Washington State Academy of Sciences and was inducted in 2017 as a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Virden earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington.