DR. THOMAS P. RUSSELL
Dr. Thomas P. Russell, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va. He guides the management of the entire basic research investment for the Air Force. Dr. Russell leads a staff of 200 scientists, engineers and administrators in Arlington, Va., 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. The office's annual investment in basic research is distributed among more than 200 academic institutions, 150 businesses and 200 research efforts within the AFRL.
Dr. Russell's government career began as a research scientist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory, Md. In 1994, he joined the Naval Research Laboratory, serving as a research scientist and Head of the High-Energy Materials Section within the Chemistry Division. In September 2000, he was assigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, where his assignments included Director, Chemistry and Detonics Division, Research Department; Head, Research and Technology Department; acting Technical Operations Manager; and Head, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Directorate. In August 2006, he was selected as the Director of the Aerospace and Material Sciences Directorate, AFOSR. He was responsible for the Air Force basic research program in aerospace, chemical and material sciences.
Dr. Russell has been a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, an adjunct professor at the Washington State University Shock Dynamics Laboratory, and a part-time faculty member at Montgomery College. His principal fields of interest are energetic materials, decomposition/combustion chemistry, detonation physics/chemistry, high pressure chemistry/physics, and spectroscopy. He has authored more than 100 publications and inventions in these areas. Dr. Russell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2006.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa.
1990 Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry, University of Delaware, Newark
2002 Executive leadership, College of Southern Maryland
2003 Collaborating for the Warfighter, New Orleans, La.
2003 Performance measurement practicum for research and development, Performance Institute, Arlington, Va.
2003 Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
2005 Rethinking the Future Nature of Competition and Conflict, Seminar Series, Arlington, Va.
2007 Executive Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
2007 Center for Creative Leadership, San Diego, Calif.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 1990 - January 1994, research scientist, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory, White Oak, Md.
2. January 1994 - October 1997, research scientist, Chemistry Division, Chemical Dynamics and Diagnostic Branch, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
3. October 1997 - September 2000, Section Head, High Energy Materials Section, Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
4. September 2000 - June 2001, Director, Chemistry and Detonics Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
5. June 2001 - May 2004, Department Head, Research and Technology Department, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
6. May 2004 - June 2005, acting Technical Operations Manager, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
7. June 2005 - August 2006, Director, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Directorate, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
8. August 2006 - February 2010, Director, Aerospace and Material Sciences Directorate, AFOSR, Arlington, Va.
9. February 2010 - present, Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Academic Hall of Fame, Berwick Area Senior High School
Navy Superior Civilian Service Award
Horst Adolph Patent Award
Elected to Sigma Xi, NRL Edison Chapter
High-Energy Materials Award, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Puna, India
Young Investigator Award, Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory
Young Investigator of the Year, Research Department, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory
Independent Research Award (three time winner), Explosives and Warheads Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
March 1990 - June 1998, visiting scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Ceramics Division, Gaithersburg Md.
January 1992 - June 1997, part-time chemistry faculty at Montgomery College, Takoma Park, Md.
January 1992 - June 1997, adjunct professor, Shock Dynamics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Joint DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development Program; Joint Insensitive Munitions Program; and Joint Fuse Technology Program, AT&L Technology Advisory Council
NASA/Air Force Executive Steering Committee
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Physical Society
(Current as of May 2012)
Dr. Russell's government career began as a research scientist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory, Md. In 1994, he joined the Naval Research Laboratory, serving as a research scientist and Head of the High-Energy Materials Section within the Chemistry Division. In September 2000, he was assigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, where his assignments included Director, Chemistry and Detonics Division, Research Department; Head, Research and Technology Department; acting Technical Operations Manager; and Head, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Directorate. In August 2006, he was selected as the Director of the Aerospace and Material Sciences Directorate, AFOSR. He was responsible for the Air Force basic research program in aerospace, chemical and material sciences.
Dr. Russell has been a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, an adjunct professor at the Washington State University Shock Dynamics Laboratory, and a part-time faculty member at Montgomery College. His principal fields of interest are energetic materials, decomposition/combustion chemistry, detonation physics/chemistry, high pressure chemistry/physics, and spectroscopy. He has authored more than 100 publications and inventions in these areas. Dr. Russell was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2006.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa.
1990 Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry, University of Delaware, Newark
2002 Executive leadership, College of Southern Maryland
2003 Collaborating for the Warfighter, New Orleans, La.
2003 Performance measurement practicum for research and development, Performance Institute, Arlington, Va.
2003 Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
2005 Rethinking the Future Nature of Competition and Conflict, Seminar Series, Arlington, Va.
2007 Executive Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
2007 Center for Creative Leadership, San Diego, Calif.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 1990 - January 1994, research scientist, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory, White Oak, Md.
2. January 1994 - October 1997, research scientist, Chemistry Division, Chemical Dynamics and Diagnostic Branch, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
3. October 1997 - September 2000, Section Head, High Energy Materials Section, Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
4. September 2000 - June 2001, Director, Chemistry and Detonics Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
5. June 2001 - May 2004, Department Head, Research and Technology Department, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
6. May 2004 - June 2005, acting Technical Operations Manager, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
7. June 2005 - August 2006, Director, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Directorate, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Md.
8. August 2006 - February 2010, Director, Aerospace and Material Sciences Directorate, AFOSR, Arlington, Va.
9. February 2010 - present, Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Va.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Academic Hall of Fame, Berwick Area Senior High School
Navy Superior Civilian Service Award
Horst Adolph Patent Award
Elected to Sigma Xi, NRL Edison Chapter
High-Energy Materials Award, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Puna, India
Young Investigator Award, Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory
Young Investigator of the Year, Research Department, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory
Independent Research Award (three time winner), Explosives and Warheads Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
March 1990 - June 1998, visiting scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Ceramics Division, Gaithersburg Md.
January 1992 - June 1997, part-time chemistry faculty at Montgomery College, Takoma Park, Md.
January 1992 - June 1997, adjunct professor, Shock Dynamics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Joint DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development Program; Joint Insensitive Munitions Program; and Joint Fuse Technology Program, AT&L Technology Advisory Council
NASA/Air Force Executive Steering Committee
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Physical Society
(Current as of May 2012)