John E. Mansfield
John E. Mansfield is a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
According to his Board biography:
Dr. Mansfield is an accomplished theoretical physicist with an exceptionally broad range of experience, both within and outside government, in the management of technology support to national defense programs. From the base of his academic work in elementary particle theory, philosophy, and classical languages, Dr. Mansfield has expanded his interests and contributions to a wide variety of areas of physics, engineering, operations analysis, and political-military studies in support of the national defense and civil space programs.
Dr. Mansfield was named Associate Administrator of NASA in September 1994, with responsibility for the Office of Space Access and Technology. In this position he was responsible for all NASA research for future space technologies, future launch systems, support for commercial use of the Space Station and Shuttle, the NASA Small Business Innovative Research program, and technology transfer. He retired from NASA in January 1997.
Previously Dr. Mansfield was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he was responsible for preparing scientific, technical, budgetary, and policy recommendations for the minority members of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and Nuclear Deterrence. These duties included preparing hearings; analyzing the President's budget; preparing and proposing the Subcommittee mark-up of the budget; preparing committee reports in these areas; and developing analyses of technical, political, and budgetary issues with regard to strategic forces.
Earlier, Dr. Mansfield was Chief Scientist of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His responsibilities included the technical review of innovative technologies being pursued or proposed by DARPA in such areas as mathematics, materials, electronics, geophysics, directed energy, computer sciences, surveillance technologies, space physics, and aeronautics. He was also responsible for recommending research projects and funding levels in these areas. He served as the DARPA primary point of contact with the scientific and academic communities, and was responsible for monitoring relevant technology advances for incorporation into new agency programs.
Prior to serving as Chief Scientist, Dr. Mansfield was the Director of the Strategic Technology Office at the DARPA. He was responsible for the planning, budgeting, and execution of a wide-ranging program of technology development and demonstration in support of future national strategic programs, both offensive and defensive. The strategic program was large and extremely varied, requiring an exceptionally broad background in defense research and technology.
Formerly, Dr. Mansfield was a Professional Staff Member on the House Armed Services Committee, where he was responsible for preparing technical and budgetary advice to three subcommittees: Research and Development, Procurement, and the Arms Control Panel. Here his duties included preparing hearings, proposing the mark-up of the President's budget request, and preparing the committee reports in these areas.
Prior to serving on the House Armed Services Committee, Dr. Mansfield was Assistant for Theoretical Research for the Deputy Director (Science and Technology) at the Defense Nuclear Agency. In this position he was responsible for planning and approving a large research program covering such diverse areas as aerospace system vulnerability and hardening, lethality of strategic defense weapon concepts, survivability and security of nuclear weapons in the theater, nuclear radiation simulator development, and development of technical support aids to theater nuclear forces.
Earlier, Dr. Mansfield was Chief of the Nuclear Energy and Applied Sciences Division, Defense Intelligence Agency. In this position he was responsible for advising defense policy makers on all foreign technical capabilities and developments of military significance. As manager of all defense intelligence production in these areas, he initiated, monitored, reviewed, and published more than 130 formal intelligence documents each year, covering a broad spectrum of pure and applied sciences.
Dr. Mansfield used the time of his service with the Defense Intelligence Agency to introduce several innovative and extremely valuable programs for analyzing Soviet strategic capabilities. These programs have had significant impact at the highest levels of defense policy.
Earlier, Dr. Mansfield served as a senior scientist with Science Applications International Corporation, both as a principal investigator and as a contributor to various research projects in the areas of nuclear weapons effects and probabilistic risk assessment for commercial nuclear reactors.
A facile and prolific writer and an accomplished briefer, Dr. Mansfield is in demand for service on a number of high-level committees, working groups, and task forces. He is the author of more than 15 published papers, technical reports, and reviews.
Dr. Mansfield holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Detroit in classical language, a Master of Science in physics, and a Licentiate in philosophy from St. Louis University, a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy (1970) from Harvard University.
