Dr. L. Wayne Brasure, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va., where he manages the entire basic research investment portfolio for the Air Force. Dr. Brasure leads a staff of 200 scientists, engineers and administrators in the U.S., and foreign technology offices in London, Tokyo and Santiago, Chile. Each year AFOSR selects, sponsors and manages revolutionary basic research that impacts the future Air Force. AFOSR interacts with leading scientists and engineers throughout the world to identify breakthrough opportunities; actively manages a $510 million investment portfolio encompassing the best of these opportunities; and transitions the resulting discoveries to other components of the Air Force Research Laboratory, to defense industries and to other federal agencies. AFOSR’s annual investment in basic research is distributed among more than 200 academic institutions, 150 businesses and 200 research efforts within AFRL.
Dr. Brasure has served in a wide variety of disciplines, organizations and national security programs as an active-duty Air Force officer, in the private sector and in federal civil service. He has participated in high-profile nuclear, particle beam and high power microwave weapon development and transition programs, and in nuclear non-proliferation treaty monitoring and nuclear forensics activities. His strategic defense initiative and nuclear weapons work led him to assignments in weapons engineering at Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, and in weapons design at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA. He has held senior leadership and management positions in the Dept. of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and in the Air Force. He has served on the faculty of the United States Air Force Academy (Physics Dept.) and as an Adjunct Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of New Mexico.
Prior to his current assignment, Dr. Brasure served as the Executive Director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, NM. As the Center’s senior executive, his responsibilities included leadership, program oversight, and integration of the multi-$B sustainment and recapitalization of AF nuclear deterrent weapon systems. These systems included intercontinental ballistic missiles, air launched cruise missiles, gravity weapons, all associated nuclear warheads, and Air Force and NATO weapons storage and maintenance facilities. He spear-headed new interagency partnerships and programs, and chaired executive steering groups for aligning resources and providing timely Air Force, interagency and international decisions for joint Air Force, Dept. of Energy, Navy, United Kingdom and NATO programs.
EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in physics and astronomy, University of Michigan
1983 Master of Science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1985 Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology
1991 Doctor of Philosophy degree in nuclear engineering, University of New Mexico
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1981 - 1983, operations research analyst, Western Space and Missile Center, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. 1983 - 1985, graduate student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. 1985 - 1987, nuclear research officer, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. 1987 - 1988, chief, Lethality Projections Branch, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. 1988 - 1990, doctoral student, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M.
6. 1991 - 1994, assistant professor of physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
7. 1994 - 1995, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. 1995 - 1996, chief, Nuclear Assessment Branch, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, Fla.
9. 1996 - 1998, chief, Atmospheric Sciences Division, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, Fla.
10. 1998 - 2001, chief, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Detachment, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Livermore, Calif.
11. 2001 - 2003, director, Air Force High Power Microwave Program, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. 2003 - 2006, division manager and senior staff scientist, Science Applications International Corporation, Albuquerque, N.M.
13. 2006 - 2008, chief, Stockpile Systems Division, Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
14. 2008 - 2010, stockpile sustainment manager, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Albuquerque, N.M.
15. 2010 - 2014, executive director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
16. 2014 - present, director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
National Nuclear Security Administration Gold Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Service
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1990 Top Graduate Student Presented Paper Award, American Nuclear Society Regional Conference, Arizona State University
1990 Outstanding graduate student in nuclear engineering, University of New Mexico
1992 Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, Physics Department, U.S. Air Force Academy
1994 Outstanding Academy Educator Award, Physics Department, U.S. Air Force Academy
1995 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College
2004 SAIC Rabbi Trust Award (top three percent of SAIC employees)
2014 Order of the Nucleus Award, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Nuclear Society
Air Force Association
National Atomic Museum Foundation
Senior Executives Association
(Current as of March 2014)