Douglas Elected to Battelle's Board of Directors

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - Jul 17, 2012) - Battelle, the world's leading independent scientific research and technology development organization, today announced the immediate election of noted scientist and business leader Frank L. Douglas, Ph.D., M.D., to its Board of Directors, which comprises some of the nation's foremost business, military and scientific leaders.

"I am deeply honored to have been selected to join the board of Battelle," Douglas said. "I have followed Battelle's work and I'm pleased to be able to contribute to its vital role in advancing scientific discovery and application in health and life sciences and its other global businesses."

Douglas, President and CEO of Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, is an award-winning industry veteran with almost 30 years of experience as a leader in healthcare, pharmaceutical research and entrepreneurship. His experience dovetails with Battelle's core global businesses, which include health and life sciences, national security, energy, environment and material sciences and laboratory management. In addition to many other professional pursuits, Douglas is the day-to-day strategist for the Austen BioInnovation Institute, a collaboration of five leading medical and educational institutions.

"Frank is an outstanding addition to our board," said Battelle Board Chairman John McCoy. "He brings a wealth of experience and deep scientific expertise that contribute greatly to our mission."

Battelle President and CEO Jeff Wadsworth said, "Frank's perspective on the life sciences and healthcare industry will be extremely valuable to Battelle as we continue to strengthen and grow our global businesses and we're delighted to have him join our board."

Douglas is University Professor in the College of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Akron and Professor of Integrated Medical Sciences at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation as well as a senior partner emeritus of PureTech Ventures.

While at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Douglas was the Professor of the Practice in the MIT Sloan School of Management and held similar posts in the departments of biology and biological engineering -- and he was the first executive director of the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation. Douglas also was formerly the executive vice president, chief scientific officer and a member of the board of management of Aventis Pharma and Aventis SA.

In addition to his many other awards, Douglas is the recipient of the 2007 Black History Makers Award and twice has been honored as the Global Pharmaceutical R&D Director of Year.

About the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
Based in Akron, Ohio, the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron -- a unique collaboration of Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Health System, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Summa Health System, The University of Akron and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation -- is focused on patient-centered innovation and commercialization at the intersection of biomaterials and medicine. To learn more about the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, please visit www.abiakron.org.

About Battelle
As the world's largest independent research and development organization, Battelle provides innovative solutions to the world's most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management; National Security; Health and Life Sciences; and Energy, Environment and Material Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $6.5 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide, including eight national laboratories for which Battelle has a significant management role on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the United Kingdom.

Battelle also is one of the nation's leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.