Peter Leeds, Ph.D.

J. Peter Leeds is a research psychologist with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board where he manages nation-wide survey research efforts including the Merit Principles Survey. In this role he analyzes data in support of many reports to the President and to Congress. He was formerly a psychologist with the US Army where he analyzed results of the Army-wide Civilian Personnel Survey, Pulse and Exit Surveys, in addition to developing and validating assessment tools. Previous to that he served as a psychologist for the US Postal Service where he developed and validated training and experience self-assessments and an automated tool for screening and assessing motor vehicle and tractor-trailer operators. He also served as the primary data analyst for Postal's Voice of the Employee Survey. Peter has authored and coauthored 40 papers in professional journals and symposia and completed his Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology with B.A. and B.S. degrees in psychology and exceptional child education from the University of Central Florida. With an associate’s degree in criminal justice, Peter is former police officer, private investigator, and security guard agency owner having once served as bodyguard to Miss America. His research interests include developing and testing his Theory of Cognitive Acuity as a method for measuring personal characteristics. Peter is an avid snowboarder, racquetball player, and SCUBA diver.