Research Lab's chief technologist retiring Published June 11, 2014 WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- When Dr. Brian Kent looks back on his life and career in service to the Air Force, he couldn't have planned things any better. He was following an unseen path of challenges that led to successes that led to more challenges - and though he's retiring from the Air Force Research Laboratory in June, it's clear that successes will continue. His first job was as a bowling alley pin setter mechanic. He learned a lot about the mechanical process, and also that "most mechanical systems are not meant to be maintained, and cut your fingers a lot." He also was drawn to electronics by virtue of growing up with electric trains, which he maintains in his basement to this day. At Michigan State University, Kent chose to study electrical engineering, and found himself interested in electromagnetics, a field he admits is pretty obscure. "The applications include large areas of antennas and radars, and of course the Air Force is extremely interested in radar," he said. "I got even more specialized when I first started with the Air Force because as I studied radar, one of the things I was introduced to here by William Bahret, one of my first bosses, was how to prevent Air Force vehicles from reflecting radar. This was well before the moniker of 'stealth' was actually in the public eye. "Bahret had been working this technology since 1948, and I came on toward the end of his career," Kent continued. "So I was introduced to this topic right about the time the Air Force started to adopt this technology. It was a completely different design model. We had to completely rethink how aircraft were put together -- not just what they looked like, but how the systems were integrated and how everything played to allow the aircraft to still behave like an aircraft and carry radars like aircraft and execute missions like aircraft while having lower radar reflectivity. That was very challenging." That's the first leg of Kent's storied career journey, which set him up to succeed in the second leg. His work in electromagnetics, which included designing a state-of-the-art laboratory for measuring reflectivity properties, made him the go-to engineer when NASA needed AFRL's help in the aftermath of the Columbia shuttle disaster which occurred in February 2003. "NASA called and said they had a really strange object come off the shuttle in orbit," Kent recalls. "They said, 'We know something about its radar signature, can you tell us something about the materials?'" His work with NASA was difficult, intense, extraordinarily important, and rewarding. The call from NASA came Feb. 12, 2003, testimony on the data was given May 6, 2003 and the final report to Congress - which included a section contributed by Kent - was completed in August 2003. But NASA wasn't done with him yet. "I was contacted within about three weeks about coming back (to work on returning the shuttle to flight)," Kent said. "By the following December I was leading a joint team that was recommending a new radar approach. NASA made a $26 million bet on our system very early on, and the challenge of that acquisition was that two of the radars were bought from Denmark. Think about that, bringing an overseas acquisition in and all the time necessary to prepare for a 2005 flight. It was a very challenging timeline, and we managed to pull it off." This experience set him up well for the next career move. After his work at NASA was complete, AFRL leadership tagged Kent to serve as acting chief scientist for AFRL's Sensors Directorate, which ensures unequaled reconnaissance, surveillance, precision engagement, and electronic warfare capabilities for America's air and space Forces by developing, demonstrating and transitioning advanced sensors and sensor technologies. Two weeks into that job, the 'acting' portion of his title was dropped and Kent was the directorate's chief scientist. The time at NASA had cemented some significant life lessons that Kent found could be applied within the Sensors Directorate, which was in the throes of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). "I had not been part of NASA, and I had no part of their budgeting agreement," Kent said. "The only way that we could get work done was through technical influence and collaboration. It was a unique opportunity, and perhaps a unique window in history where somebody outside of NASA came in and provided them expert advice and counsel to complete a very, very complex task. "In that process I realized that one of the biggest jobs of a major project like that was to be able to coordinate across the spectrum as well as dealing with various personalities," he explained. "That experience really helped me in pulling together the Sensors Directorate, especially since I assumed that job at the time of the BRAC. We were pulling together disparate organizations from Hanscom (AFB, Mass.) and Rome, New York, as well as building new facilities and reorganizing, which was very traumatic to the work force. Over a period of a couple of years we pulled the teams together and got them reorganized. I think that the laboratories came out great, and the organizations have begun to function very well." Kent was tapped by Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, AFRL commander, to act as the organization's chief technologist, the position from which he is retiring. Again, experience meets good timing, and working in AFRL's front office gave him the wide view of the far-reaching work done by AFRL. "I will never say I know everything that's going on, because there are too many people, too many projects," Kent said. "Occasionally we get surprised, but I try to build a technical team around me that has cognizance. I'm very much a believer in delegating the technical work to the people who are doing the work. Where I try to facilitate is where there are problems or issues or a need to improve collaboration. I'm very proud of the fact that we've had success with some terrific cross-directorate collaborations. "I'm also proud of the fact that our organization has become a lot more corporate," he continued. "There are a lot more joint projects that I don't believe would have happened 10 or 20 years ago. We were really stovepiped in a lot of those areas. We've made great strides in working together, even across our geographically separated areas." With retirement, Kent is ready to narrow his view, thereby sharpening his focus. "A lot of people have asked me questions about what's next," he said. "I still intend to be professionally active. I'm looking to do less, better." Again, the NASA experience is proving to be something of an object lesson for how Kent plans to spend his time. "One thing I really liked about being on the shuttle program is that we had one goal, one system, one end result, and we were able to focus three years of efforts that completely moved the technology downfield in that particular process," he said. "I'm hoping to provide consultation and help with fewer projects so I can invest a little more time. I'll continue my outreach efforts in two areas: one is my professional society, the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE)," Kent said. "I'm also pretty passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. And I do a lot of contributed STEM lectures at the high school and collegiate levels, trying to prepare young men and women for engineering and science careers. "I will stay very much connected to the local community; my wife and I plan to stay in the area," he said. "I'll continue to mentor engineers at any level whether I'm in the government or not." Kent's time with NASA is among the highlight of a career that also includes writing what was named the "Best Dissertation in Electrical Engineering" by Ohio State University in 1984. (For the record, Kent's older brother wrote a dissertation that was also deemed best by Ohio State ... one year later.) He's been honored as a Fellow by AFRL, the IEEE and the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association, and plans to continue to influence his field by accepting invitations that come his way through his role as a distinguished lecturer for the IEEE. "This gives me the opportunity to speak at the invitation of others all over the world," Kent said. "It gives me the opportunity to tell the story of some contributions I've made, and the lessons learned so those can be carried forward."