2005 Meek Lecturer: Dr. Carl F. Kohrt
   President and Chief Executive Officer, Battelle

    Dr. Carl F. Kohrt is President and CEO of Battelle, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable trust formed in 1925. Battelle’s principal businesses are fee-for-service contract research, laboratory operations, and commercial ventures, serving more than 5,000 projects for 1,500 industrial and government clients. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle has a vast science and technology reach. Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co-manages, oversees 19,000 staff members, has $1.1 billion in owned assets, and conducts $3.3 billion in annual research and development. It counts as its successes the development of the Xerox machine, pioneering work on the compact disc, and medical technology innovations. In the area of commercial innovation, Battelle has spawned new ventures and companies in fiber optics, pharmaceuticals, energy, electronics, and informatics. Battelle also manages or co-manages five of the U.S. National Laboratories for the Department of Energy - Brookhaven National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

A native of central Illinois, Dr. Kohrt began his tenure at Battelle in October 2001, after a distinguished 29-year career at Kodak. His work at Kodak was nearly equally divided among research and development, global technical management, and international business. During his tenure, he served as Executive Vice President, Assistant Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Technical Officer, retiring in mid-2000.

Dr. Kohrt earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Furman University, a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chicago, and a Masters in Management Science from MIT. He served as a NSF Post-doctoral Fellow at the James Franck Institute, Woodrow Wilson Fellow (Honorary), and Sloan Fellow.

Dr. Kohrt serves on numerous business, civic, and education organizations, including the Board of Directors of Pharos, LLC; Battelle for Kids; Project GRAD-Columbus; COSI Columbus; Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC; UT-Battelle, LLC; Furman University Board of Trustees; Ohio Business Roundtable; and Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to their interest in education, Carl and Lynne Kohrt are avid outdoors people. Their most important activities, however, are those involving their family, including three sons and eight grandchildren.