The President of the United States, Barack Obama, conferred the award of Distinguished Executive for 2010 upon Dr. Gerald M. Borsuk, Associate Director of Research for the Systems Directorate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
Borsuk is recognized for his outstanding leadership of the Naval Research Laboratory's Systems Directorate and the Electronic Science and Technology Division (ESTD) where he has pioneered high-value research and development (R&D) programs of profound value to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and the Department of Defense (DoD).
The highest of civil service awards, the Presidential Distinguished Executive Rank Award is reserved for career senior executives who have a record of achievement that is recognized throughout the agency and acknowledged on a national or international level. Those eligible for the Presidential Rank Award have demonstrated strong leadership; inspired their employees; and earned the respect of those they serve.
Beginning in fiscal year 2009, Presidential Rank Awards have two distinct criteria: 'executive leadership and 'program results'.
Borsuk has demonstrated exceptional executive leadership through outstanding sustained contributions to electronics science and technology and systems R&D, His world-class knowledge of electronics and systems engineering coupled with his leadership and strategic vision is recognized throughout the DoD. In 2009, the Honorable Zachary J. Lemnios, Director, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering appointed Borsuk technical chairman of a DoD-wide task force to address crucial technology challenges in the key military topic of electronic warfare.
In the area of program results, Borsuk has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in electronic warfare, radar, information technologies, optical systems and science, and electronics science and technologies resulting in novel and effective real world support of deployed U.S. armed forces.
These accomplishments include: providing new means to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs); advanced wireless countermeasures efforts yielding electronic warfare techniques 10 times more effective than previously achieved; successful rapid implementation of the NRL L-band detection system; demonstration of a new tactical secure voice cryptographic interoperability specification for all DoD tactical secure voice systems; development of a high-fidelity anti-ship cruise missile engagement model; and the development of a stare and step dual-band wide area persistent surveillance sensor system.
In addition, Borsuk is a key member of the Chief of Naval Research leadership team, called upon to provide expertise, recommendation and information vital to component and systems challenges of importance to the Naval Research Enterprise, and is often called upon to provide insight and briefings to the Chief of Naval Operations.
Producing sustained outstanding results in the development of people and facilities, Borsuk's mentoring has led to prestigious awards and recognition for his employees, to include the IEEE Jewell James Ebers Award for Electron Devices, the prestigious U.S. Navy Robert Conrad Dexter Award, and numerous recognitions to the highest levels of professional societies.
Borsuk has also demonstrated outstanding leadership in international collaborations on science and technology, most recently Japan and Korea, on the subject of wide bandgap semiconductors. He also serves the U.S Government on matters related to export technology control as the key DoD technical expert in electronics technologies to the Wassenaar Arrangement - a consortium of 40 countries established in 1996 to contribute to regional and international security and stability by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.
Prior to his appointment as Associate Director of Research, Borsuk served as the Superintendent of the Electronics Science and Technology Division at NRL for 23 years. Previously he worked in the industrial sector as a science and technology manager at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's Advanced Technology Laboratory.
Borsuk received a doctorate in physics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C; is a Fellow of the IEEE and is considered a world-class expert in solid-state electronics with 36 published papers and the award of several patents. He is the recipient of three Presidential Rank Senior Executive Awards; the most recent granted in 2005, and 16 SES performance awards.
Other recognitions for achievement include the IEEE Frederik Philips Medal, the IEEE Harry Diamond Memorial Award, the IEEE Millennium Medal, an IR-100 [R&D] Award and a Westinghouse management award. Borsuk also served on the editorial board of the IEEE Proceedings for 18 years.
Borsuk was recognized at the 26th annual Senior Executive Association's Distinguished Rank Awards Banquet held at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 28, 2011. The black-tie event celebrated the winners of the 2010 awards.