William Roach Chief Scientist Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Dr. William P. Roach, a member of the Scientific and Professional Cadre of Senior Executives, is Chief Scientist, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Roach is the principal science and technology adviser to the Director in matters of formulation, planning, managing and integration of all Air Force basic research programs. The office has a staff of approximately 200 people and an annual working budget of nearly $500 million that supports more than 5,000 worldwide basic research projects critical to the defense of the U.S. The office selects, sponsors and manages research relevant to Air and Space Force needs in science and technology, and is the single manager for the entire Air and Space Force basic research programs.

Dr. Roach began his career as an enlisted member of the United States Air Force in 1971, serving with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, the 388th TFW, the 90th Strategic Missile Wing and the 442nd TFW. He received a direct commission to the rank of captain in 1990 after receiving his Ph.D. in Physics and assigned to the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Optical Radiation Bioeffects Division, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. Upon retirement from active duty with the Air Force in 2005, Dr. Roach joined the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Human Effectiveness Directorate, Special Operations and Projects Division as a Senior Research Physicist.

Academically, Dr. Roach has served as Professor of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences from 1996 to 2001; Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Texas, San Antonio in 2010; Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics at Delaware State University from 2017 to 2018; and Research Professor at Vanderbilt University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2017 to 2019. Dr. Roach has authored and co-authored more than 175 refereed and non-refereed journal and proceedings articles, more than 1,000 conference presentations, technical reports, conference publications, and has also edited two books. Google Scholar lists Professor William Roach as achieving 2,464 citations, an h-index of 26 and an i10-index of 48.

Official Bio