Jud Virden, Ph.D., Appointed Laboratory Director at NREL

CO-LABS offers an enthusiastic welcome to Jud Virden, PhD, the new incoming Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Dr Virden will officially join NREL in this role on Oct. 1, 2025.Virden joins NREL from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he has served as associate laboratory director for the Energy and Environment Directorate since 2011. In that role, he led approximately 1,700 scientists, engineers, and staff advancing DOE’s applied energy priorities—ranging from power grid modernization and energy technologies to nuclear and environmental management.

Jud Virden, PhD

The CO-LABS community is excited to engage with Dr. Virden's team and be a resource and champion for their priorities and the crucial mission of NREL.

Dr. Virden will succeed Dr. Martin Keller, who has served as NREL’s laboratory director since 2015. Under Dr. Keller’s leadership, NREL has experienced record growth in funding, talent, and impact—cementing its role as a global leader in energy research and innovation. He will continue at the laboratory as a strategic advisor through early November to ensure a smooth transition. Dr. Keller will then leave the laboratory for his new role as president of the Helmholtz Association in Berlin, Germany.

“Martin led with vision, thoughtfulness, and unwavering integrity,” Colrain and Alvarez said. “His leadership left an enduring mark on NREL’s legacy and future. We thank him for his extraordinary service and look forward to seeing the continued impact of his work in the global research community.”

NREL—the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for energy systems research, development, and integration. NREL is managed and operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by a partnership led by MRIGlobal and Battelle.