Dr. Nicholas J. Morley, a member of the scientific and technical cadre of senior executives, is the Senior Scientist for High Power Photonics, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He provides authoritative scientific technical counsel and advice to AFRL senior management on all aspects of the science and application of high power photonics and is responsible for planning, conducting, evaluating and coordinating both theoretical and experimental studies in high power photonics within AFRL and in support of other Air Force major commands and organizations.

Dr. Morley began his career with the Air Force in February 1994 at the Phillips Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M., performing experimental investigation of heat transfer and fluid dynamics to establish lethality criteria on ballistic missiles in support of the multi-billion dollar Airborne Laser Program. Within the Air Directed Energy Directorate, Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M., Dr. Morley developed a multi-year comprehensive test and analysis effort to quantify the susceptibility criteria of missile boosters and adjunct target sets, which were carried as the Airborne Laser’s primary benchmark for system lethality and were instrumental in the successful shootdown of a foreign threat target during the Program’s Title 10 Live Fire Test and Evaluation. His research provided essential support to the Missile Defense Agency’s $60 million Critical Measurements and Countermeasures Flight Test Program with the collection of unique optical data on flight hardware. During his time within the Directed Energy Directorate, Dr. Morley led research efforts on target effects, thermal interactions, fluid dynamics, optical scattering, laser signature and laser system integration and coupled with an in-depth knowledge of beam control and atmospheric propagation to advance the laboratory’s capabilities for full laser weapons system integration. His research experience includes all facets of laser weapons system development, modeling, simulation, diagnostic design and effects testing and has spanned the range of technology areas required to develop, integrate, and quantify the performance of high power laser weapons systems.

Dr. Morley has held many positions within the Directed Energy Directorate, including: Technical Advisor and Branch Chief of the Laser Effects Research Branch; Chief of the High Power Electric Laser Branch; Technical Advisor for the System Engineering and Assessment, Special Projects, and Laser Applications Branches. As the Director's strategic planning lead for laser systems, he developed annual strategic plans and interfaced with Air Force MAJCOMs, Product Centers, other Federal Agencies, Industry and Academia to develop future investments within the technical area. He has been solely responsible for developing long-term goals for all Directed Energy Directorate high energy laser system elements through a portfolio of executable research and development programs with less than $100 million per year allocated funding. He is a member of the Acquisition Corps, having held multiple Acquisition Positions and is Level III certified Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering in both Science & Technology Management as well as Systems Engineering. Dr. Morley has published more than 60 technical reports, papers and presentations in national and international journals and conference proceedings. Prior to his current assignment Dr. Morely was the lead, Laser Systems Core Technical Competency at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.


EDUCATION
1987 Associates, Computer Programming, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
1988 Bachelor of Science, Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
1991 Master of Science, Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
1993 Doctor of Philosophy, Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. February 1994 – February 1996, Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, Northeast Consortium for Engineering Education, Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
2. February 1996 – September 1999, Stanford Research Institute IPA, Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
3. September 1999 – June 2005, Senior Research Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. June 2005 – July 2007, Technical Advisor, Laser Effects Research Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. July 2007 – May 2010, Chief, Laser Effects Research Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. May 2010 – February 2011, Chief, Advanced Electric Laser Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
7. February 2011 – June 2013, Technical Advisor, System Engineering and Assessment Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. June 2013 – November 2013, Technical Advisor, Special Projects Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
9. November 2013 – May 2018, Technical Advisor, Laser Systems Applications Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. May 2018 – April 2019, Lead, Laser Systems Core Technical Competency, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
11. April 2019 – present, Senior Scientist, High Power Photonics, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

AWARDS AND HONORS
1991-1993 NASA Graduate Space Grant Research Fellowship, the University of New Mexico
2000 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, Special Act or Service Citation
2002 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, Special Act or Service Citation
2009 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, Annual Senior Leadership Award
2009 Service above Self-Federal Employee of the Year Outstanding Leader, Mentor, Coach, New Mexico Federal Executive Board,
2012 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Director’s Special Recognition Award
2015 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, R. Earl Good Annual Team Award
2016 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, Annual Scientific Management Award
2017 Air Force Research Laboratory-Directed Energy Directorate, Annual Giller Award
2019 Directed Energy Professional Society Award

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Fellow, Directed Energy Professional Society - Board of Scientific and Engineering Advisors, 2019
Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Member of SPIE, 2010-present
Member Optical Society of America, 2018-present
Member of the American Nuclear Society, 1988-1996


(Current as of September 2019)