Richard Chait, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Fellow

Dr. Richard Chait is currently a member of the technical staff of Potomac Institute for Policy Studies on an IPA assignment as a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy, National Defense University. Previously, he was with Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute on assignment as Senior Staff Advisor to the Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research, Development and Engineering, and for the ‘03-‘04 academic year as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Air Force Academy. Dr. Chait is a recognized technology leader in both governmental and private sector scientific communities, with over 31 years of Research and Development (R&D) management responsibility in the Department of Defense. His positions have included bench scientist, laboratory manager, Chief Scientist, and Director of Army Research and Laboratory Management in the Pentagon. He also brought these experiences to bear on Service R&D priorities, such as the congressionally mandated Air Force science and technology planning review which examined both short-term objectives and long term technology challenges. This extensive effort, reviewed and approved by the Air Force Secretary, is key to the on-going strategic planning efforts of Air Force technology programs.

Dr. Chait also served in academia as Visiting Professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Assistant Professor at General Motors Institute, and as Instructor at Northeastern University. He has over 70 open-literature papers and technical reports to his credit and is co-author of three books that detail technology conference proceedings.

Prior positions in the private sector have included the National Research Council, the operational arm of the National Academy of Sciences, as Director, National Materials Advisory Board. Here, Dr. Chait directed important government sponsored studies that defined technology-related problems, providing potential solutions to a wide range of issues ranging from broad policy to technology readiness matters. Early in his career, Dr. Chait also was a staff Engineer at United States Steel Corporation.

Dr. Chait received his PhD in Solid State Science from Syracuse University and holds a BS degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His honors include: ASM International Materials Society Fellow, Meritorious SES Presidential Rank Award, Distinguished Dept of the Army Civilian Service Award, Exemplary Dept of the Air Force Civilian Service Award and Sigma Xi Honor Society.