Jud Virden

Laboratory Director National Laboratory of the Rockies

Jud Virden has served as director of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) since October 2025, overseeing more than 3,700 staff in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission priorities. Virden joined NLR after more than 30 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he most recently served as associate laboratory director for the Energy and Environment Directorate. He oversaw a $500 million budget and led more than 1,700 scientists, engineers, and staff in support of the Department of Energy’s applied energy priorities, including modernizing the nation’s power grid; improving the reliability, resilience, security, and affordability of the energy system; and addressing complex issues in nuclear science and environmental management. Virden’s career is marked by a strong record in forging public-private partnerships. He co-chaired the 21st Century Truck Initiative with U.S. trucking companies, as well as the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, and initiated DOE’s Grid Modernization Initiative and Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium. He will build on NLR’s scientific excellence and drive meaningful, lasting transformation, advancing DOE’s priorities, and building collaborations with industry, academia, and the national labs to accelerate energy innovation and impact. Among numerous honors, Virden has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. Virden received his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Washington, which has honored him with the Moulton Distinguished Alumnus Award and College of Engineering Diamond Award