After I walked into his office, Bud Peterson greeted me and flashed me a smile from behind his desk, where he was finishing up typing on a laptop not unlike the ones distributed last week. As chief academic officer for the Institute, it’s not uncommon to see him multitasking; I doubt the rigors of his job could be completed without that skill. Still, I was happy to learn that Bud had set aside some time that morning to have a chat with me.

Born George Paul Peterson Jr., his current moniker developed during his early years and stuck. "Until I was about 11, my father was taller than I was. They called us ‘Big George’ and ‘Little George,’" he recalled. But once he grew taller than his father, he was referred to by the nickname ‘Buddy,’ which eventually became ‘Bud.’

Although he has a fairly prominent Texas accent, Bud was born in California, where he lived until the age of four. He then moved to Kansas City, and went on to attend Kansas State University. After Kansas, Bud lived in Texas from 1981 until his recent move to Troy, with a brief stay in Washington, D.C., with the National Science Foundation.

Bud’s desire to become an engineer was an early ambition. "When I was young, I spent a lot of time drawing [airplanes and boats] but everything had straight lines. I drew with a triangle and a T-square." He spent his "playtime" with wind-up rubber-band airplanes, and other airborne toys.

He married his wife, Valerie, as an undergraduate. Later at Kansas State, he graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, but wasn’t comfortable at his first job. Resigning his position, he returned to school for a Ph.D., but soon needed to leave school again due to the birth of his first child. He took a job teaching math, physics, and chemistry at Wabunsee County High School. He also served as coach for basketball, football, and track.

After another year teaching at the same high school his wife had attended, and earning his master’s degree, he found a position as an assistant professor in the engineering technology department at Texas A&M University. Also during that time, he spent summers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and was certified to teach mathematics by earning another bachelor’s degree. He finished his doctorate in 1985 at A&M. In April 2000, he transitioned from several high-level positions at Texas A&M to provost at Rensselaer.

With all his administrative duties, Bud finds little time for his research and teaching. "It’s something that I miss. I am involved in it, but it’s difficult to find time. It’s not my first priority," he says. However, he finds satisfaction in his interactions with the faculty at Rensselaer. "[I enjoy] being able to help the faculty grow as individuals, and as a whole. They have a lot of great ideas and I like helping to bring those plans to fruition. I hope that will help us as a university."

Comparing his first week of classes at Kansas State University to high school, Bud says "The biggest surprise was that I only had to go to class for two or three hours a day. I remember thinking ‘This is gonna be cake!’ Of course, I very quickly realized that there were additional responsibilities."

In closing, Bud said, "Students are fortunate to come to such a great institution. It has a tremendous history, and a lot of great support from the alumni. I’m continually impressed by the student body here. It’s an exciting time to be at Rensselaer."

He and his wife, Valerie, live at the provost’s official residence on campus. His sons Sean, Brennan, and Keith are all students in Texas, and his daughter Emily attended Texas A&M for one year but is now taking classes at Hudson Valley Community College. The Petersons have also served as foster parents to 9 children over a period of 15 years.

Next week: Charles Carletta, Secretary of the Institute & General Counsel