Dr. Tom Drake has been in the industry for almost three decades. He is equipped with experiences that align with his upcoming speech at the 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit on January 31, 2024.
Meet Dr. Tom Drake at the POC’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit at Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. Reserve your seats and register here.
Who is Dr. Tom Drake?
Dr. Tom Drake is the current Department Head of the Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department (Code 32) at the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
At ONR, he oversees the planning and execution of the Science & Technology (S&T) programs.
ONR programs cover physical oceanography, ocean acoustics, marine mammals and biology, space environment, marine meteorology, and many more.
Under his purview of responsibilities, he also oversees developing new technologies, making prototypes, and developing new parts for Navy environmental forecast systems. He does this by merging basic research with applied research.
Moreover, Dr. Drake currently represents the U.S. in the TTCP Maritime Systems Group, collaborating technologies between the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Science in Geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1976-1980)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Geology at UCLA (1980-1988)
Career Timeline
Dr. Tom Drake has been with ONR for over two decades. He has been Head of Ocean Battlespace Sensing for over 11 years. Here is the list of Tom’s career timeline.
- 1992 – 1995: Research Oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- 1995 – 2003: Associate Professor at North Carolina State University
- 2003 – 2013: Team Leader for Coastal Dynamics and Marine Geosciences Programs at the Office of Naval Research
- 2013 – Present: Department Head, Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department (Code 32) of Office of Naval Research
About Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department
Ocean Battlespace Sensing department is one of the six S&T departments at ONR. The division is in charge of the Navy and Marine Corps science and technology in ocean and weather science, mine warfare, underwater warfare, marine mammals, and space technology.
Currently, the departmental head of Ocean Battlespace Sensing is Dr. Tom Drake.
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Dr. Tom Drake: Contributions and Leadership Journey
Since 2013, Dr. Tom Drake has worked as Director at the Office of Naval Research’s Ocean, Atmosphere, and Space Research division. Before entering the Senior Executive Service, he took part in the Federal Civilian Service as a program officer for the Coastal Dynamics program and served for a decade.
Dr. Drake was a tenured North Carolina State University professor before joining the Federal Civilian Service in 2003. From 1995 to 2003, he researched while teaching about processes that occur on land and at the coast.
He worked as a research oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 1990 to 1995. There, he studied how sediment moves near the shore and in rivers. Dr. Tom Drake has written several articles that have been published in technical journals and at conferences.
