PNNL

Bob Runkle is a physicist leading PNNL's robotics and autonomy strategy. Having spent over 20 years in national security, he has a passion for reaching across fundamental science into applications. Today’s challenge is to pioneer a new model for science—where robotics and autonomous laboratories fuse with AI and cloud infrastructure into one intelligent, closed-loop discovery engine. PNNL is bringing autonomy to our science in a way that dramatically increases the speed, scale, efficiency, and quality of our research to maintain the Nation’s competitive advantage in scientific, economic, and security dimensions.

Former roles include serving as a Division Director of Physical Detection Systems, serving as Chief Science and Technology Office for the National Security Directorate, and working in the Program Development Office as an account manager for Nuclear Security Science and Technology. Bob’s scientific contributions to national security include the development of algorithms for radiation detectors used for law enforcement and international border security. Bob has published 78 peer-reviewed articles with colleagues, including four review articles in the field of radiation detection. One his favorite sidebar activities is giving a lecture entitled 21st Century Battlefields: Technology as a Driving Force in Conflict​ to help people understand the current national security landscape. Originally from upstate New York, Bob joined PNNL in 2003 after receiving a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in nuclear astrophysics.