The Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 is a three-star equivalent civilian member of Headquarters Air Force and in this role is the most senior Science & Technology representative in the U.S. Air Force. The current Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force is Dr. Mark T. Maybury

Mark T. Maybury

Dr. Mark T. Maybury is Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. He serves as chief scientific adviser to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and provides assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the Air...

Roles and Responsibilities

The Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force has several roles and responsibilities, including:

• Serves as chief science and technology adviser to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force
  Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
  The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
  
   and Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
• Provides assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the Air Force mission
• Identifies and analyzes technical issues and brings them to the attention of Air Force leaders, and interacts with other Air Staff principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and science and technology communities to address cross-organizational technical issues and solutions
• Interacts with other services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense on issues affecting the Air Force in-house technical enterprise
• Serves on the Steering Committee and Senior Review Group of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board
  USAF Scientific Advisory Board
  The United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board is a military unit that provides forecasts of long-range science and technology.-Chronology:...
  
  .
• Principal science and technology representative of the Air Force to the civilian scientific and engineering community and to the public at large

Chronological list of Chief Scientists of the Air Force

#	Picture	Name	Term of Office	Doctorate	Chief of Staff	Secretary	Military Assistant
33		Dr. Mark T. Maybury	October 5, 2010– present	Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... , Computer Science Computer science Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...  (Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its... ), 1991	Norton A. Schwartz Norton A. Schwartz Norton Allan Schwartz is a United States Air Force general who is serving as the 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He previously served as Commander, United States Transportation Command from September 2005 to August 2008...	Michael B. Donley Michael B. Donley Michael Bruce Donley is the 22nd Secretary of the United States Air Force. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community, including service on the staff of the United States Senate, White House and The Pentagon...	Col Rod Miller (2011–present) and Col Eric Silkowski (2008–2011)
32		Dr. Werner J. A. Dahm Werner J A Dahm Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm is the Director, Security & Defense Systems Initiative at Arizona State University . He is also an ASU Foundation Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University as well as an Emeritus Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan...	October 2008– September 30, 2010	California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering... , Aeronautics, 1985
31		Dr. Mark J. Lewis Mark J. Lewis Dr. Mark J. Lewis was the Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2008 and was the longest-serving Chief Scientist in Air Force history. He served as chief scientific adviser to the Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force, and provided assessments on a wide range...	October 2004 – October 2008	MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... , Aeronautics & Astronautics, 1988	T. Michael Moseley T. Michael Moseley Teed Michael Moseley, , is a retired United States Air Force General who served as the 18th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force...	Michael Wynne Michael Wynne Michael W. Wynne is an American business executive and was the 21st United States Secretary of the Air Force. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asked for and received his resignation Michael W. Wynne (born September 4, 1944) is an American business executive and was the 21st United States...	Col Robert Fredell (2006–2008)
					John P. Jumper John P. Jumper John P. Jumper is a retired United States Air Force general, who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from September 6, 2001 to September 2, 2005. He retired from the Air Force on November 1, 2005. Jumper was succeeded as Chief of Staff by General T. Michael...	James G. Roche James G. Roche Dr. James G. Roche was the 20th Secretary of the Air Force, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2005. Prior to serving as secretary, Roche served in the United States Navy for 23 years, and as an executive with Northrop Grumman....	Col Daniel Deforest (2004–2006)
30		Dr. Alexander H. Levis	2001–2004	MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... , Mechanical Engineering (Control Systems), 1968	John P. Jumper John P. Jumper John P. Jumper is a retired United States Air Force general, who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from September 6, 2001 to September 2, 2005. He retired from the Air Force on November 1, 2005. Jumper was succeeded as Chief of Staff by General T. Michael...	James G. Roche James G. Roche Dr. James G. Roche was the 20th Secretary of the Air Force, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2005. Prior to serving as secretary, Roche served in the United States Navy for 23 years, and as an executive with Northrop Grumman....	Col Dan Deforest (2004), Col John Bedford (Sept. 2001 to 2003), Col Donald Erbschloe (-Dec 2001)
29		Dr. Louis S. Metzger	1999–2001	MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... , Electrical Engineering, 1975	Michael E. Ryan Michael E. Ryan Michael E. Ryan is a retired United States Air Force general and was the 16th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of 700,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces...	James G. Roche, Lawrence J. Delaney, F. Whitten Peters	Col Donald Erbschloe (1997–2001)
28		Dr. Daniel E. Hastings	1997–1999	MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... , Plasma Physics, 1980; (B.A. Oxford in Mathematics)		F. Whitten Peters
27		Dr. Ed Feigenbaum	1994–1997	Carnegie Institute of Technology Carnegie Institute of Technology The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...  (now CMU)	Ronald R. Fogleman	Sheila E. Widnall Sheila E. Widnall Sheila Marie Evans Widnall is an American aerospace researcher and Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and first woman to lead an...	Col Harvey Dahljelm (1994–1997)
					Merrill A. McPeak Merrill A. McPeak Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak was the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He retired from the service on November 1, 1994.-Education:McPeak was born in Santa Rosa, California...
26		Dr. George R. Abrahamson	1991–1994		Merrill A. McPeak Merrill A. McPeak Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak was the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He retired from the service on November 1, 1994.-Education:McPeak was born in Santa Rosa, California...	Merrill A. McPeak, Michael B. Donley, Donald B. Rice	Col James Whiting (1991–1994)
25		Dr. Robert W. Selden	1988–1991		John M. Loh, Michael J. Dugan, Larry D. Welch	Donald B. Rice, John J. Welch, Jr., James F. McGovern	Col Dan Heitz (1988–1989) and Col John Woody (1989–1991)
24		Dr. Harold W. Sorenson	1985–1988	UCLA University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... , Electrical Engineering, 1966	Larry D. Welch, Charles A. Gabriel	Edward C. Aldridge Jr., Russell A. Rourkee, Verne Orr	Col Robert Hovde (1983–1987) and Col Robert Lancaster (1987–1988)
23		Allen R. Stubberud	1983–1985	UCLA University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... , Engineering	Charles A. Gabriel Charles A. Gabriel General Charles Alvin Gabriel was the 11th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force, General Gabriel served in a dual capacity...	Verne Orr Verne Orr Verne Orr was the 14th Secretary of the Air Force, appointed by President Ronald Reagan. From California, he was a businessman and educator who served in both state and national government positions.-Early life:Verne Orr was born on November 12, 1916 in Des Moines, Iowa...	Col Robert Hovde (1983–1987)
22		Edwin B. Stear	1979–1982		Lew Allen Jr.	Hans Mark Hans Mark Hans Michael Mark is a former Secretary of the Air Force and a former Deputy Administrator of NASA. He is an expert and consultant in aerospace design and national defense policy...	Col Robert Bannach (1981–1982), Col Michael Mottern (1982–1983)
21		Harry L. Van Trees	1978–1979			John C. Stetson	Col Robert Dundervill, Jr. (1977–1981)
20		Fumio Robert Naka	1975–1978		David C. Jones	John C. Stetson, Thomas C. Reed, James W. Plummer	BGen Charles Cabell, Jr. (1976–1977)
19		Dr. Michael I. Yarymovych	1973–1975	D Eng SC, 1960 Columbia University Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the... , Institute of Flight Structures	David C. Jones, George S. Brown, John Dale Ryan	James W. Plummer, John L. McLucas	Col James Strub (1974–1976)
18		Eugene E. Covert Eugene E. Covert Eugene Edzards Covert was an aeronautics specialist born in Rapid City, South Dakota credited with the world's first practical wind tunnel magnetic suspension system, and was a member of the Rogers Commission...	1972–1973	MIT PhD Magnetohydrodynamics	John D. Ryan John Dale Ryan General John Dale Ryan was the seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General Ryan served in a dual capacity...	Robert C. Seamans, Jr.	Col Thaddeus Welch, Jr. (1971–1974)
17		James W. Mar	1970–1972	MIT Undergraudate 1941; PhD MIT, Civil Engineering			LtCol Frank Attinger, Jr. (1966–1971)
16		John J. Welch, Jr. John J. Welch, Jr. John James "Jack" Welch, Jr. was a United States scientist and businessman who served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force from 1987 to 1992.-Biography:...	1969–1970	Undergraduate MIT Mechanical Engineering 1951
15		John C. Fisher	1968–1969	Undergraduate Ohio State, Physics Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... , MIT PhD	John P. McConnell John P. McConnell General John Paul McConnell was the sixth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General McConnell served in a dual capacity...	Robert C. Seamans, Jr., Harold Brown
14		Robert H. Cannon, Jr.	1966–1968	University of Rochester 1944 University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...   PhD Mechanical Engineering MIT 1950		Harold Brown Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense) Harold Brown , American scientist, was U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981 in the cabinet of President Jimmy Carter. He had previously served in the Lyndon Johnson administration as Director of Defense Research and Engineering and Secretary of the Air Force.While Secretary of Defense, he...
13		Robert G. Loewy	1965–1966	RPI RPI RPI is an abbreviation for a number of terms, including* Ratings Percentage Index, the NCAA ranking system * Recognition Professionals International* Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a university in Troy, New York... , MIT Masters 1948			Col Mike Zubon (1962–1966)
12		Dr. Winston R. Markey	1964–1965	BS Aeronautical Engineering, MIT, 1951, PhD MIT Aero Instrumentation	John P. McConnell, Curtis E. LeMay	Eugene M. Zuckert Eugene M. Zuckert Eugene Martin Zuckert was the seventh Secretary of the Air Force from January 23, 1961 to September 30, 1965. During his service as secretary, he witnessed the shifting of decision-making powers from the military departments to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a process that continued...
11		Dr. Robert W. Buchheim	1963–1964		Curtis E. LeMay
10		Dr. Launor F. Carter	1962–1963	Physiology
9		Dr. Leonard S. Sheingold	1961–1962				Col Loyd Jensen (1961–1962)
8		Alexander H. Flax Alexander H. Flax Alexander H. Flax was the third Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.Flax was Director NRO as the second generation of imaging systems became operational and began to play a major role in United States intelligence during the Cold War. He advocated major growth in NRO funding and personnel...	1959–1961	New York University, Aeronautical Engineering, 1940 New York University New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...	Thomas D. White Thomas D. White General Thomas Dresser White was the fourth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.White was born in Walker, Minnesota, in 1901...	Dudley C. Sharp, James H. Douglas, Jr.	Col David Pearsall (1957–1961)
7		Joseph V. Charyk Joseph V. Charyk Joseph Vincent Charyk was the first Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.Charyk consolidated the CIA, Air force, and Navy space programs into the NRO. He brought the first United States imagery satellite, CORONA, into operation and demonstrated signals intelligence technology from space...	1959	Univ of Alberta, Engineering Physics 1942 University of Alberta The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada... ; California Institute of Technology PhD 1946 California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...		James H. Douglas, Jr. James H. Douglas, Jr. James Henderson Douglas, Jr. was a lawyer and senior-level official in the United States Government. He was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, serving under both President Herbert Hoover and President Franklin Roosevelt...
6		George E. Valley Jr.	1957–1958	University of Rochester University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The... , Physics, 1939
5		Courtland D. Perkins	1956–1957	M.S. MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...  1941; Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....  Honorary PhD, 2001	Nathan F. Twining	James H. Douglas, Jr., Donald A. Quarles	Col John Taylor (1954–1957)
4		Dr. Horton Guyford Stever	1955–1956	California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering... , Physics, 1941		Donald A. Quarles, Harold E. Talbott
3		Dr. Chalmers W. Sherwin	1954–1955	University of Chicago University of Chicago The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890... , Experimental Physics 1940 (with Arthur Dempster)		Harold E. Talbott Harold E. Talbott Harold Elstner Talbott, Jr. was the third United States Secretary of the Air Force.-Biography:He was born in Dayton, Ohio, in March 1888 and died in 1957...
2		David T. Griggs	1951–1952	Junior Fellow in Geology at University of Harvard	Hoyt S. Vandenberg	Thomas K. Finletter Thomas K. Finletter Thomas Knight Finletter , was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman.-Biography:Finletter was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Thomas Dickson Finletter and Helen Grill Finletter...	Col Theodore Walkowicz(1950–1954)
1		Dr. Louis N. Ridenour reported to MGen Gordon P. Saville DCS/D	1950–1951	California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering... , Physics, 1936			Col Peter Shenk (1950)
None		Gen James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle Jimmy Doolittle General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...  (Special Assistant for Scientific Matters)	1951	MIT Sc.D. in Aeronautics, June 1925
None	no-photo	Dr. Ivan Alexander Getting (Special Assistant for Evaluation)	1950	University of Oxford University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...  (Rhodes Scholar), Astrophysics, 1935		William S. Symington
None			1947–1948		Carl A. Spaatz