John D. Petersen
Encyclopedia
John D. Petersen is an American chemist
and educator who was president of the University of Tennessee system
.
A native of Los Angeles, California
, John Petersen attended California State University, Los Angeles
, where he received a B.S. degree in chemistry
in 1970. In 1975 he received a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
, where his dissertation was entitled Photochemical and Photophysical Studies of Rhodium(III) Ammine Complexes.
After completing his Ph.D., Petersen took a position as assistant professor of chemistry at Kansas State University
. In 1980, he joined the faculty of Clemson University
, where he was associate dean for research for the College of Sciences and head of the chemistry department. In 1986-87, he spent a year at Universitat Regensburg in Germany as Alexander von Humboldt research fellow
and guest professor. In 1994, he went on to Wayne State University
, where he was dean of the College of Science and professor of chemistry. During his career as a university researcher, from 1980 to 1995, he participated in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Photochemistry Program. He is credited with over 70 publications and 200 presentations.
In 2000, he joined the University of Connecticut
as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. In 2004 he was appointed president of the University of Tennessee
, and started in that role in July 2004.
At the University of Tennessee, Petersen is credited with increasing research activity, expanding the university's partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory
, and receiving a record amount of state government appropriations for campus buildings. During his presidency, the university received its largest research grant ever, $65 million for construction of what was called "the world’s fastest unclassified supercomputer." His presidency also saw the start of a $70 million statewide Biofuels Initiative. However, there was chronic tension with the university faculty and he was criticized for forcing the chancellor of the University's Knoxville campus
to resign. In a 2008 survey of the faculty, 34% indicated "no confidence" in his ability to lead the university and an additional 37% expressed only "limited confidence."
Peterson's total compensation at Tennessee was reported to be $456,027 as of 2008, including a salary
of $420,971. He ranked 80th in total compensation among the top leaders of U.S. public universities.
John Petersen is married to Carol Petersen, a former middle school
teacher. The couple has two children. At Tennessee Carol Petersen became the subject of public criticism in 2008 after it was reported that she had verbally attacked a major university donor
who was attending an activity at the university president's residence in Knoxville
. That incident resulted in her being prohibited from interacting with university donors or staff members. The prohibition was lifted after her husband gave the university a written promise that in the future her only activities on behalf of the university would be conducted in a volunteer capacity, and that she would have no authority over anyone else.
Petersen announced his departure from the University of Tennessee presidency in February 2009, taking administrative leave
beginning March 1 of that year and resigning effective June 30. Jan Simek
became interim president.
Since leaving the University of Tennessee in 2009, Petersen has been a consultant
. He also serves as executive director of the RTP Solar Fuels Project of the Research Technology Energy Consortium, a consortium
of Duke University
, North Carolina State University
, Research Triangle Institute and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill that seeks to use solar energy to create liquid fuels
.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
and educator who was president of the University of Tennessee system
University of Tennessee system
The University of Tennessee system is one of two public university systems in the state of Tennessee. It consists of three primary campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin, a health sciences campus in...
.
A native of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, John Petersen attended California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
, where he received a B.S. degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1970. In 1975 he received a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds , which are the subjects of organic chemistry...
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, where his dissertation was entitled Photochemical and Photophysical Studies of Rhodium(III) Ammine Complexes.
After completing his Ph.D., Petersen took a position as assistant professor of chemistry at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. In 1980, he joined the faculty of Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, where he was associate dean for research for the College of Sciences and head of the chemistry department. In 1986-87, he spent a year at Universitat Regensburg in Germany as Alexander von Humboldt research fellow
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a foundation set-up by the government of the Federal Republic and funded by the German Foreign Office, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and others for the promotion of international co-operation...
and guest professor. In 1994, he went on to Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
, where he was dean of the College of Science and professor of chemistry. During his career as a university researcher, from 1980 to 1995, he participated in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Photochemistry Program. He is credited with over 70 publications and 200 presentations.
In 2000, he joined the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. In 2004 he was appointed president of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, and started in that role in July 2004.
At the University of Tennessee, Petersen is credited with increasing research activity, expanding the university's partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
, and receiving a record amount of state government appropriations for campus buildings. During his presidency, the university received its largest research grant ever, $65 million for construction of what was called "the world’s fastest unclassified supercomputer." His presidency also saw the start of a $70 million statewide Biofuels Initiative. However, there was chronic tension with the university faculty and he was criticized for forcing the chancellor of the University's Knoxville campus
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
to resign. In a 2008 survey of the faculty, 34% indicated "no confidence" in his ability to lead the university and an additional 37% expressed only "limited confidence."
Peterson's total compensation at Tennessee was reported to be $456,027 as of 2008, including a salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
of $420,971. He ranked 80th in total compensation among the top leaders of U.S. public universities.
John Petersen is married to Carol Petersen, a former middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
teacher. The couple has two children. At Tennessee Carol Petersen became the subject of public criticism in 2008 after it was reported that she had verbally attacked a major university donor
Donor
A donor in general is a person who donates something voluntarily. Usually used to represent a form of pure altruism but sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognised by all parties as representing less than the value of the donation and that the motivation is altruistic...
who was attending an activity at the university president's residence in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. That incident resulted in her being prohibited from interacting with university donors or staff members. The prohibition was lifted after her husband gave the university a written promise that in the future her only activities on behalf of the university would be conducted in a volunteer capacity, and that she would have no authority over anyone else.
Petersen announced his departure from the University of Tennessee presidency in February 2009, taking administrative leave
Administrative leave
Administrative leave is a temporary leave from a job assignment, with pay and benefits intact. Generally, the term is reserved for employees of non-business institutions such as schools, police, and hospitals....
beginning March 1 of that year and resigning effective June 30. Jan Simek
Jan Simek
Jan F. Simek is an American archaeologist and educator who was the interim president of the University of Tennessee system from 2009-2010....
became interim president.
Since leaving the University of Tennessee in 2009, Petersen has been a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
. He also serves as executive director of the RTP Solar Fuels Project of the Research Technology Energy Consortium, a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, Research Triangle Institute and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill that seeks to use solar energy to create liquid fuels
Liquid fuels
Liquid fuels are those combustible or energy-generating molecules that can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, usually producing kinetic energy; they also must take the shape of their container...
.