Dr. Eric Paterson is the inaugural executive director of Virginia Tech National Security Institute. Previously, Dr. Paterson served as interim executive director for the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology for two years and was Head of the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace & Ocean Engineering for ten years. A world-renowned expert in naval hydrodynamics, Paterson has served 30 years in industry and academia including positions with the Harris Corporation, the University of Iowa and Penn State. At Penn State he held a dual-title appointment as senior scientist at the Applied Research Laboratory, a Navy university-affiliated research center, and professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering. Throughout his career, his research has engaged the broader defense and intelligence communities.