John D. Petersen

John David Petersen (November 21, 1947 – September 11, 2025) was an American chemist, educator and academic administrator who was president of the University of Tennessee system.

Early life and education Petersen was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 21, 1947. He 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.

Early career 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 Universität 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.

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.

University of Tennessee system President At the University of Tennessee, Petersen was 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."

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.

Post-Tennessee career After leaving the University of Tennessee in 2009, Petersen was a consultant. He also served 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. On August 1, 2012, he became the Executive Director of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

Personal life and death John Petersen was married to Carol Petersen, a former middle school teacher. The couple had two children.

Petersen died at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on September 11, 2025, at the age of 77.