Peter Friedland, age 53, is the Chief Technologist and Assistant Center Director of NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. His responsibilities include planning, development, and review for the technologies necessary to achieve NASA's space and aeronautical missions, including information systems, materials sciences, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. He has a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.

He has 6 top 5 placings in unrestricted ACBL National Events (still working on the first victory when his work at NASA allows him to play instead of comment!). He won dozens of Regional events, along with six victories in the Northern California Grand National Teams and three in the Grand National Pairs. Probably his most unusual bridge achievement was to come in second in the US in a continent-wide charity pairs (out of several thousand pairs) while simultaneously finishing second in the local bridge club in the event. (We have tough games in Northern California!)

For all practical purposes he only speaks English, although he can understand a little Spanish and German.