Deb Gracio
Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory since October 2025; computational and data science leader
- Director (since October 1, 2025), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory12
Deborah (Deb) Gracio is the Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which Battelle operates for the U.S. Department of Energy. Battelle appointed Gracio director effective October 1, 2025, after a career of more than 35 years at PNNL that began in research supporting DOE Office of Science programs and included leading the laboratory's National Security Directorate.12
Research career
Gracio began at PNNL as a researcher supporting DOE Office of Science programs, helping launch two national user facilities and advancing computational capabilities for science. PNNL credits Gracio with instrumentation, computational models, software and data-intensive methods that broadened the use of data science across scientific and national security work.12
Gracio led PNNL's Computational and Statistical Analytics Division and directed the laboratory's Data-Intensive Computing research initiative. Gracio's role in developing the Molecular Sciences Software Suite earned an R&D 100 Award and a Federal Laboratory Consortium Award.3
Laboratory leadership
In 2020 PNNL named Gracio associate laboratory director for its National Security Directorate, after service as the directorate's chief operating officer. In that role Gracio oversaw programs and partnerships serving the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.31
Battelle announced on September 4, 2025 that Gracio, selected through a national search, would succeed Steven Ashby as PNNL's director effective October 1. As director, Gracio provides the vision, strategic direction and oversight for the laboratory's research.21
Work
Molecular Sciences Software Suite (external site: pnnl.gov)
Helped develop this trio of integrated software packages that give a broad range of applications access to high-performance, massively parallel computers; the work received an R&D 100 Award and a Federal Laboratory Consortium Award.3
Instrumentation and software for DOE Office of Science user facilities (external site: pnnl.gov)
Contributed instrumentation, computational models and software that shaped the early development of two DOE Office of Science national user facilities, and data-intensive methods used across scientific and national security domains.12
Career timeline
Other documented roles
Roles the sources document but that are not confirmed as current.
- Associate Laboratory Director for the National Security Directorate (named 2020), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory32
- Earlier roles including chief operating officer of the National Security Directorate, leader of the Computational and Statistical Analytics Division, and director of the Data-Intensive Computing research initiative, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory3
Honors and recognition
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