Deb Gracio

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 and contributions

• Molecular Sciences Software Suite

  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

  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

Timeline

1. Mar 3, 2020Was named associate laboratory director for PNNL's National Security Directorate.³
2. Sep 4, 2025Battelle announced Gracio's appointment as the next director of PNNL.²
3. Oct 1, 2025Became Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, succeeding Steven Ashby.²¹

Other documented roles

Roles the sources document 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

• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science · American Association for the Advancement of Science¹²
• Fellow of the Washington State Academy of Sciences · Washington State Academy of Sciences¹²
• Outstanding Woman in Engineering award · U.S. Department of Energy¹

Where they work

• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 2 people in the wiki

Related people

• Ján DrgoňaAlso at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Sheshansh AgrawalDatasets and data
• Ali GhodsiDatasets and data
• Jong Youl ChoiDatasets and data
• Thierry CruanesDatasets and data
• Reynold XinDatasets and data
• Francis deSouzaDatasets and data
• Leo GaoDatasets and data
• Anton TroynikovDatasets and data
• Matt TurckDatasets and data