Senior Scientific Advisor Earns Fellow Standing

  • Published
  • By Dr. Todd Nelson
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Mr. Richard McKinley, of the 711th Human Performance Wing, Human Effectiveness Directorate, earned Air Force Research Laboratory's 2010 Fellow status in recognition of his substantial contributions in the critical area of bioacoustics--work that has profoundly impacted the fields of noise effects and human auditory information processing. The honor also underscores Mr. McKinley's leadership of the Air Force Battlespace Acoustics program's extensive efforts to publish its research results by way of scientific publication, standards development, and technical reporting of new technologies. Further, he has maintained singular responsibility for the quality of that program's comprehensive communications, both written and oral. Mr. McKinley's oversight in this regard has paved the way for the worldwide dissemination of lab-generated breakthroughs--from the development of aural interfaces and hearing protection for combating unprecedented noise and impulse-intensity levels to the creation of noise assessments supporting vital aircraft and mission planning decisions.

Known throughout Acoustical Society of America and international scientific circles as the leading researcher in the development of three-dimensional audio display technology, active noise reduction technology, and noise-effects modeling and assessment, Mr. McKinley excels at identifying a problem, reducing it into manageable pieces, and formulating robust solutions. Among his many and varied achievements are the world's first practical ANR headset, first synthetic 3-D audio display, first working direct fiber-optic microphone, and first successfully demonstrated active noise cancellation of external aircraft flyover noise. The scope of his project experience is vast, spanning diverse positions as branch senior scientific advisor and as leader of a joint AF/Navy team formed to address F-35 noise issues. Mr. McKinley also serves as the technical lead for the Triservice Enhanced Noise Reduction program and, further, is the Department of Defense's top expert for assessing the impact of noise to all warfighting operations.

As a particular indication of Mr. McKinley's highly regarded expertise, AF Major General David Eidsaune requested him to brief the leaders of communities near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on the impact of F-35 noise. The basis for this personal appeal was Mr. McKinley's earlier authorship of a legal declaration defending the AF position in this matter, a document that not only helped the AF avoid potential legal injunctions blocking construction of F-35 training facilities, but ultimately shaped positive opinions among community leaders.

Mr. McKinley's considerable scientific and engineering contributions to auditory knowledge and technology are an undeniable element of AF mission success. In the absence of his crucial understanding and input, more personnel would undoubtedly be injured by high-noise conditions, the speed and accuracy of communications would be greatly compromised, and the flexibility needed for planning future aircraft would be dramatically curtailed. In short, Mr. McKinley's notable accomplishments--and the acknowledgment and appreciation thereof--extend well beyond AFRL, the AF, and the DoD, to include the nation as a whole.