AFRL directed energy scientist named DEPS fellow

  • Published
  • By John Schutte
  • Human Effectiveness Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Dr. Michael Murphy, scientific director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate, Directed Energy Bioeffects Division at Brooks City-Base, Texas, has been named a fellow of the Directed Energy Professional Society. 

The society fosters research and development in directed energy topics--including high-energy laser and high-power microwave technologies for national defense and civilian applications-- through professional communication and education. 

Fellows of the Directed Energy Professional Society are recognized as esteemed members of the directed energy community who have given distinguished service and made significant creative contributions to the community. To be selected as a fellow, nominees must have at least 10 years of active practice in the directed energy field. 

"Dr. Murphy's significant contributions and impact on national and international radio frequency exposure standards, his involvement as representative to the World Health Organization and his research contributions to nonlethal weapon technologies have been vital to developing and transitioning directed energy weapons to our warfighters," said Dr. Garrett Polhamus, Directed Energy Bioeffects Division chief. 

From 1994-2004, Dr. Murphy led the technical challenge of bioeffects support for the Active Denial System program, a radio-frequency-based counter-personnel non-lethal weapon. He also led the formation of the Directed Energy Bioeffects Institute, which is the first government/academia consortium to collaborate the United States research and development efforts focused on directed energy bioeffects.
 
A member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, and the IEEE Standards Board, Dr. Murphy also serves as international liaison for the IEEE International Committee for Electromagnetic Safety. 

Dr. Murphy, who earned a BS in psychology from Occidental College, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D in neuroscience from MIT, was inducted as an AFRL Fellow in 2006 in recognition of his extensive research career in radiofrequency bioeffects research and international collaboration for radio frequency bioeffects. He joined AFRL, then known as the Air Force Armstrong Laboratory, in 1989.
 
Dr. Murphy's other recent honors include the 2002 Air Force Science and Engineering Award for Exploratory Technology Development, the 2003 IEEE Standards Board Medallion, and the 2004 IEEE Standards Board International Award. He was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers in 2005.
 
The DEPS fellowship was bestowed at the 10th Annual Directed Energy Symposium banquet on Nov. 7 in Huntsville, Ala. 

The symposium brings together researchers, managers, and policy makers from government offices, Department of Defense, Department of Energy and other national laboratories, program offices, the intelligence community, industry, universities, and other scientific and engineering institutions to discuss current programs and the future of directed energy technology.