Peterson is renowned for having advanced the creative approach of reverberation mapping to study supermassive black holes; this technique has grown in importance and is considered foundational to major telescope projects extending into the next decade. Peterson is credited with leading the OSU Department of Astronomy in becoming the most prestigious of the 14 universities in the Big 10. He is the co-author of 229-refereed publications and wrote the textbook, Foundations to Active Galaxies, the premier textbook in the field for decades. His service to his university and field is extraordinary. He has served on more than 50 committees, as a member and often as chair. Currently, he serves as a member of the NASA Advisory Council and the James Webb Space Telescope Advisory Council.