Local Scientist Honored with Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

Dr. Justin Teeguarden

Local scientist Dr. Justin Teeguarden has been named a Distinguished Eagle Scout by the National Eagle Scout Association. The award was established to recognize Eagle Scouts who, after 25 years or longer of having received the Eagle Scout Award, have achieved extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or eminence within their profession and/or service to the nation. In addition, these recipients have demonstrated a strong record of volunteer leadership service to their community.

Dr. Teeguarden earned his Eagle Scout Award in May 1985 where he was a member of Troop 146 in El Sobrante, California. He has distinguished himself through his career at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) where he is serving as Chief Science Officer of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Division and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) user program in Richland, WA. With over 20 years (at PNNL) of scientific leadership as a computational and experimental scientist, Teeguarden leads EMSL’s strategic science planning and internal research and development initiatives.
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Dr. Teeguarden has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career and during his leadership tenure in the Boy Scouts of America, including at the Blue Mountain Council, where he started volunteering as Cubmaster in 2010 with Pack 231. Most recently his volunteer role is as council vice-president (strategy) on the Executive Board and as Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 190. He has exemplified the meaning of continued service to God, country, and other people by following the principles of the Scout Oath and Law.

Justin says that working outside of his own professional expertise, across multiple, sometimes unfamiliar science and technology domains, and between the laboratory’s directorates, has been the most enjoyable part of his PNNL career. Because insights into trends, transformative ideas, intelligence on competitors and sponsor priorities come from all part of his laboratory team, he has learned that openness to ideas, advice and mentorship from sector, line and science and technology leadership and exceptional staff scientists are all essentials for developing strategies built on goals with broad strategic benefit.

The impact of Dr. Justin Teeguarden has been far-reaching, especially as one of the world’s leading scientists in his field, but as he would humbly argue, his numerous professional achievements and many accolades pale in comparative importance to his service and commitment as a mentor to youth along the Scouting trail, whose futures will be shaped and prepared for even greater things. Justin is a father of three Eagle Scouts and lives with his wife Katrina in Richland, WA. A formal recognition ceremony for this award will be held at a future time.

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