Harold Brown Award

The Harold Brown Award is the highest award given by the United States Air Force to a scientist or engineer who applies scientific research to solve a problem critical to the needs of the Air Force.

History and purpose

The Harold Brown Award is intended to recognize significant achievements in research and development. It is named for Harold Brown, a physicist who served as United States Secretary of the Air Force from 1965-1969, and later as United States Secretary of Defense (1977-1981).

The Harold Brown award is presented annually to a person whose achievements in research and development have led to, or demonstrated promise of, a substantial improvement in the operational effectiveness of the Air Force. It is awarded through the United States Air Force chief scientist's office.

The winner of the award receives a brass medallion set in a block of Lucite and a certificate signed by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The name of the winner is also engraved on a plaque near the office of the Secretary of the Air Force and he or she may also wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon (military) or Air Force Recognition Lapel Pin (civilian) as appropriate.

List of recipients

Recipients of the Harold Brown Award include:

Year	Name	Notes
1969	Ronald W. Terry	[1]
1975	John R. Boyd	[2] United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant
1976	Herbert J. Hickey, Jr	[3] For engineering F-15 handling qualities.
1977	Joseph C. Foster, Jr.	University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign Awarded for research in advanced conventional warheads while at the Air Force Armament Laboratory, Eglin AFB FL
1978	Henry Berry Garrett	[4][5] Project scientist for the SCATHA (Spacecraft Charging at High Altitude) program For developing a mathematical model of the earth's space environment at high altitudes
1979	Terence James Elkins
1982	Raymond P. Urtz	[6]
1985	George A. Vanasse	[7] Physicist at the US Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts
1986	John F. Paulson	Air Force Research Laboratory, Hanscom Field, Lexington, Massachusetts Awarded for major advances in ion-molecule chemical kinetics
1987	Davy Belk	[8] Member of the Senior Executive Service and Director, Information Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York For developing computational fluid dynamics methods.
1990	Carl E. Baum	[9] Senior Scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory
1991	Northrup Fowler III
1994	William F. Storm
1995	John M. Reising	[10] Air Force Research Laboratory For the successful transition of cockpit technology including pictorial displays, voice control and display symbology
1997	Jeffrey L. Craig	[11] for Panoramic Night Vision Goggle Development
1998	Chi Tsieh (Jimmy) Liu
1999	Robert Q. Fugate
2000	Frank Marcos
2001	Dean F. Kocian
2002	Nelson Forster	[12] Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio For his work developing corrosion-resistant materials for engine mechanical systems
2003	Dr Peter M. Wegner	[13] For his work in developing spacecraft technologies
2004	H. John Mucks	[14] Electronics engineer for the Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York For the web-based Time Line Analysis System.
2005	John A. Caldwell	[15] Air Force Research Laboratory at Brooks City-Base, Texas For his research on the effects of fatigue.
2007	Jim F. Riker	[16] Air Force Research Laboratory
2008	Mark Haney	[17]
2009	Derek Kingston	[18] Air Vehicles Directorate For improvements to the technology for cooperative unmanned air vehicle (UAV) route surveillance
2010	Dr. Candace Lynch	[19] Senior scientist at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. For pioneering new infrared technology.
2011	Dr. Michael Hooser	[20] A chief scientist from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico For his role in significant advances in hypersonic missile research.
2012	Dr. Mark H. Draper	[21] A senior engineering research psychologist, Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance For human factors research.
2013	Dr. Peter J. Collins	[22] Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering and Management, Air Force Institute of Technology
2014	Dr. Donald R. Erbschloe	[23] Senior Level Executive (SL) and Chief Scientist of the Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
2015	Dr Lisa Tripp	[24] Airman Systems Directorate's Continuous Learning Branch For innovative and cost-saving training methods and platforms for the Air Force intelligence community
2016	Lt Col (sel) Joseph C. Pomager	Program Manager, Command & Control Systems, Integrated Combat Systems Division, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Led Chief of Staff-directed effort to increase situational awareness, streamline command and control, and shorten the kill-chain, while reducing stove-piping.
2018	Dr. Robert Johnson	Principal investigator at Air Force Research Laboratory Starfire Optical Range (SOR).[25] for outstanding contributions including identifying a breakthrough in physics that enables high-resolution ground to space imaging
2021	Maj. Ronald Kemker	[26] In recognition of Dr. Kemker's significant achievements in aviation electronics development for dozens of Automatic Target Recognition models, a novel data fusion scheme and five processing algorithms.
2023	Dr. Scott Nykl	In recognition of Dr. Nykl's research related to airborne visual relative navigation using computer vision.

See also

• List of general science and technology awards
• List of engineering awards
• List of physics awards
• List of space technology awards

References

1. United States Air Force History Milestones, 17 SEP 1970: Ronald W. Terry
2. "Project On Government Oversight-Good Government Hall of Fame: Colonel John R. Boyd". Archived from the original on 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
3. F-15 Eagle:1970s Chronology, 18 NOV 1976: Herbert J. Hickey, Jr
4. "Committee Membership Information". National Academies. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
5. Dempsey, J. F. (1980). "Report on Research at AFGL". Air Force Interim Report. AIR FORCE GEOPHYSICS LAB HANSCOM. Bibcode:1980aifo.reptQ....D. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.962.249.
6. "United States Air Force Biographies: Raymond P. Urtz". Archived from the original on 2012-07-16.
7. "George A Vanasse Obituary". Obittree. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
8. "United States Air Force Biographies: Dr. Davy Belk". Archived from the original on 2012-07-24.
9. The Summa Foundation: Carl E. Baum
10. Air Force Research Laboratory Success Stories-A Review of 1997/1998: John M. Reising
11. ADA286991.pdf
12. "Engineer follows path to education, success". US Air Force. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
13. "YIR: Operationally Responsive Space Office by Dr. Peter Wegner, Director". Satnews. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
14. Defense AT&L Magazine (A Publication of the Defense Acquisition University), Vol. 33, No. 6: H. John Mucks
15. Human Systems Integration Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: John Caldwell
16. "Awards shine spotlight on Air Force's best, brightest". US Air Force. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
17. "Air Vehicles News and Accomplishments, OCT 2008: Dr. Mark Haney" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
18. "Air Vehicles Scientist Earns 2009 Harold Brown Award". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
19. Air Force Research Laboratory engineer receives Harold Brown Award
20. "Holloman scientist receives Harold Brown Award".
21. "Engineering research psychologist receives Harold Brown Award". Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
22. AFIT professor earns Harold Brown Award
23. "AMC chief scientist receives Harold Brown Award".
24. "Wright-Patterson research psychologist wins award for innovative training". US Air Force. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
25. "AFRL Physicist Wins Top Science Award". AFRL. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
26. "Recipients of Harold Brown Award 2021, 2022 honored at Pentagon ceremony". US Air Force. Retrieved 17 August 2023.