Dr. Bruce Danly has been named the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s new Director of Research (DOR).
Danly, appointed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially began his new assignment Dec. 25.
Danly served as NRL’s Radar Division superintendent since 2008, responsible for basic and applied R&D in radar and related sensors for the Navy and Marine Corps. The division also provides support to the Navy acquisition community and to the operational Navy on quick-reaction tasks.
As the lab’s new DOR, Danly is responsible for the technical program, its planning, conduct, and staffing; evaluation of the technical competence of personnel, liaison with the scientific community; selection of subordinate technical personnel; exchange of technical information; and the effective execution of the NRL mission.
Arriving at NRL in 1995, Danly served as Head of the High Power Devices Section, Vacuum Electronics Branch, in the Electronics Science & Technology Division (ESTD). From 1995-2006, he led a group which developed high-power millimeter-wave technology for application to radar, communications, and electronic warfare systems.
Prior to his appointment to the SES, Danly served as branch head, Microwave Technology Branch, in the NRL Electronics Science and Technology Division from 2006 – 2008. This branch carries out R&D on both wide-bandgap and narrow-bandgap semiconductor devices and passive and active microwave components.
Danly received a bachelor’s of arts degree in physics from Haverford College in 1978, and a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983. Prior to his arrival at NRL, he was on the Research Staff at the MIT Plasma Fusion Center, as a research scientist and then as a principal research scientist, where he worked on high power microwave and millimeter wave sources for fusion and accelerator applications.
Danly was elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) in 2003 for his work on millimeter-wave sources. He received the Robert L. Woods award from the Advisory Group on Electron Devices of the Office of Secretary of Defense in 1999 for leadership in the vacuum electronics community. As a member of the Research Staff at NRL during the period September 11, 2001 to 2006, he received the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. Danly was awarded a Group Award in 2002 for development of the WARLOC High-Power Millimeter-Wave Radar, and the NRL Technology Transfer Award in 2000 and 2003. He is a member of the APS and IEEE. He has published over 70 papers in scientific and technical journals.
Danly participated in the NRL Scientist-to-Sea program in the USS Mahan (DDG 72) in 1998.
“I look forward to working with Bruce as we plan, foster, and encourage scientific research that will define our future naval power,” said Chief of Naval Research RADM David J. Hahn.