Robert Leland

As director of the Climate Change Security Center at Sandia National Laboratories, Robert Leland leads climate strategy development across the labs; directs the Earth Sciences Research Foundation; and oversees laboratory and field work in New Mexico, Texas, and Alaska. The Center includes Sandia’s Renewable Energy and Earth Sciences research groups. Leland also serves as program area director for the Renewable and Fossil Energy Program within Sandia’s Energy and Homeland Security Portfolio, and lead for Office of Science programs in climate and geosciences.

He previously served as Sandia's vice president for science and technology and chief technology officer. He led the labs' research organization, overseeing research strategy, Laboratory Directed Research and Development, public and private research partnerships, tech transfer, and research compliance.

In 2017, Leland entered the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as associate lab director for Scientific Computing and Energy Analysis and focused on accelerating the transformation of the nation’s energy infrastructure through systems analysis and advanced computing. He returned to Sandia in 2021.

Leland has a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Oxford University and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University.