Released: 11/18/2008
Columbus, Ohio—Battelle, which manages the nation's leading laboratories in the areas of energy, security, health and life sciences, today named an expert in creating successful scientific collaborations between universities, government, and industry to lead its global laboratory operations business.
Ron Townsend, President of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Director of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, will oversee the global laboratory operations beginning in mid-January 2009. Dr. Townsend succeeds Dr. Jeffrey Wadsworth as Battelle's Executive Vice President of Global Laboratory Operations. Dr. Wadsworth will become President and CEO of Battelle on January 1, 2009, succeeding Carl Kohrt, who is retiring after seven years as Battelle's leader.
"Ron has a proven track record of success in business development, strategic planning and corporate management," says current Battelle President and CEO Carl Kohrt. "He understands the need for leading organizations, government research institutions, and universities to partner to solve some of the world's most pressing problems."
Dr. Townsend is experienced in managing multi-million dollar contracts involving diverse technical programs by bringing together collaborative partnerships involving universities, industry, and government agencies such as the United States Department of Energy, NASA, the Center for Disease Control, and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.
During the past decade he has successfully led Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) to become a nonprofit organization of increasing influence in advancing scientific research and education. Jim Siedow, Chair of the ORAU Board of Directors stated: “Ron Townsend is a strategic, visionary leader who has achieved unparalleled success advancing ORAU’s business and university partnership operations. He is a key loss for ORAU and for Oak Ridge, but he will be a terrific addition to Battelle.”
Prior to joining ORAU he served as Commandant for the Air Force Institute of Technology Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Dr. Townsend, who holds a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. and B.A. in Mathematics from Kansas State University, served in the Air Force for 25 years.
Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world's most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $4 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Battelle also is one of the nation's leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education.
Contact: Public Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (410) 306-8638 or delaneyk@battelle.org or T.R. Massey, media relations specialist, at (614) 424-5544 or masseytr@battelle.org for more information. At ORAU, please contact Pam Bonee, ORAU Communications Director, 865-576-3147 or pam.bonee@orau.org
