Ronald E. Peterson

After graduating from Caltech in 1967 and receiving his PhD in condensed matter physics from the University of Illinois in 1972, he worked his way to near the top at Honeywell, retiring as Vice President of Technology and speaking for the entire company’s new product strategy.

He began writing An Introvert Learns to Fly about three years ago when editing his 90,000 photos became a bit boring. He wanted to tell the story of his very interesting and consequential life. He has since written a sci-fi book called Gardeners of the Universe which should be out by October this year. This new book will show the fantastic joys and dangers certain to unfold during our children's lifetimes.

In addition to writing, Peterson enjoys traveling, consulting, and volunteering. He manages one of the largest community gardens in Minnesota, the Rice Street Community Gardens, where more than 260 gardeners have plots. Peterson calls it a “remarkable international venture.” The majority of the gardeners are refugees from such countries as Burma, Thailand, Laos and Nepal.

For the past several years he has also led Grandpa Camp for his six young grandchildren who range from preschoolers to teenagers, where he has introduced quantum mechanics and differential equations as well as cooking, photography, and travel experiences.

Ron lives with his wife, Miriam, in Minnesota, where she tries to keep his feet on the ground while his head remains in the stars.