Peterson worked at
Black & Veatch Consulting Engineers in the summer following his graduation with his first bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. After receiving his second degree (mathematics) in 1977, he worked as a math, chemistry and physics teacher at
Wabaunsee County High School in
Alma, Kansas, and later as a mathematics teacher at
Shawnee Mission South High School in
Overland Park, Kansas. While at NASA, Peterson developed a (still used) technique to determine the priming capability of high-capacity
heat pipes in
low gravity. During Peterson's tenure in 2010, Georgia Tech became the first American college in nearly a decade to be accepted into the
American Association of Universities (AAU), largely seen as an affirmation of the Institute's status as one of America's top research institutions. The AAU had studied Georgia Tech's accolades for several years including the amount of federal grants and the number of faculty awards and research citations. While president at Georgia Tech, he was accused of a lack of due process by students. This resulted in lawsuits that resulted in students who were accused of sexual misconduct being reinstated and winning settlements. After criticism led by former Georgia state lawmaker
Earl Ehrhart, Tech withdrew a 47 million dollar request to fund a renovation project of Institute's library complex. Along with those allegations, he was accused of a wrongful termination, and therefore sued by Dr. Joy Laskar, and several court proceedings followed with Laskar winning the case. Georgia Tech rapidly expanded its global footprint in the decade of Peterson's term as president. Tech established new research programs in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and grew collaborations with more than 100 countries. During Peterson's time as president, more than 58% of Georgia Tech's undergraduate students participated in an international experience like studying, researching, or working abroad. On September 23, 2017, Peterson announced a fund he created for donors to contribute money for student mental health and wellness initiatives. Peterson stated the fund was set up following discussions with student organizations and others in the wake of the
fatal campus police shooting of Georgia Tech student Scout Schultz that occurred the weekend prior to the announcement as well as due to a riot on campus. This resulted in a lawsuit by the family which resulted in a million dollar settlement. In late 2018 and early 2019, a number of ethics lapses and conflict of interest allegations by several top Georgia Tech administrators were revealed, leading to several resignations. There was a professor charged with defrauding the NSF. There were also security breaches that exposed the data of 1.3 million individuals. In early January 2019, Peterson announced his planned retirement as president of Georgia Tech in summer 2019. During Peterson's time as President of Georgia Tech, the Institute added more than 30 corporate innovation and incubation centers on campus, which allow students and faculty to work directly with industry partners to develop solutions to issues affecting everything from supply chain, and customer service to manufacturing. The companies represented include
Delta Air Lines,
Chick-Fil-A,
AT&T,
Anthem, Inc., and
Home Depot. Peterson, together with Provost
Rafael L. Bras and Georgia Tech Dean of Computing
Zvi Galil, spearheaded an effort to help Georgia Tech dramatically expanded options for
Massive open online course (MOOC) offerings and other online learning opportunities. Between 2012 and 2018, Georgia Tech's MOOCs had a total of more than 3.7 million enrollments. In 2014, Georgia Tech partnered with AT&T to launch an Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) degree program. By 2019, the program enrolled more than 8,500 students in all 50 states and 120 countries. On February 2, 2020, Peterson was appointed as a board member on the American University of Sharjah's (AUS) Board of Trustees. Peterson also serves on the board for the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation(PIN), a program aimed to position Georgia to become the technology capital of the East Coast. PIN's initiatives include pilot programs to encourage greater access, growth, entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the state of Georgia, with the ultimate goal of achieving inclusive innovation throughout Georgia. It is estimated that Peterson shook the hands of more than 60,000 graduates during his term as president at Georgia Tech. The school upholds the tradition of calling each graduate's name and Peterson was on stage to personally congratulate every student who crossed the stage to receive their degree. Since his retirement as president, Peterson has stepped back into the classroom and laboratory at Georgia Tech, teaching mechanical engineering courses and continuing his research in the fields of heat transfer and combustion. == Awards ==