Meet Our 2019 Graduation Speaker Dr. John P. LaFemina

We’re excited to have Dr. John LaFemina, Director of Performance Management at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as this year’s graduation keynote speaker.  In addition to being an accomplished scientist and research manager, John has been a soldier, a musician, a community activist, a preacher, and more.  He’ll share the insights he’s gained from all those roles and reflect on how he thinks our graduates can Grow Beyond as they chart their next steps in their lives.

Dr. LaFemina has more than 30 years of progressive technical and executive management experience in a variety of operational environments. Before coming to the Laboratory, John was a Captain in the United States Army, teaching chemistry and physics at the United States Military Academy and serving as the Deputy Director of the Science Research Laboratory and the Thomas H. Johnson Photonics Research Center at West Point. John earned his PhD in Chemistry at The Pennsylvania State University and has written or contributed to more than 50 scientific papers and given over 100 presentations on a variety of scientific and technological topics. John also serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. He is a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities and Past-President of their Board of Directors. John is an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church, an active coach of youth sports, and spent 13 years as a guitarist for Mudshark, a local rock band.