Outgoing director optimistic about Human Effectiveness Directorate's future

  • Published
  • By John Schutte
  • Human Effectiveness Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE --  As Air Force and Dayton-area leaders prepare for the anticipated impact of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activity at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the outgoing director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate (AFRL/RH) is optimistic about the impending changes.
 
Dr. Hendrick W. "Henk" Ruck, a research psychologist known for his scientific contributions in industrial and organizational psychology, has held several positions within AFRL since it's inception in 1997 when multiple Air Force labs combined to create "one AFRL," and has been RH director since 2003.
 
He's seen many changes during the past decade that support his optimism. 

"AFRL is finally a single lab," Dr. Ruck said, noting that it took 10 years to get from vision to reality. "Even though we got all the finances right, the personnel, the organizational plans and all, it's taken that long for the laboratory to be as close to a single laboratory as we'll ever get. That's exciting; it was the vision and it's exciting to see it happen."
 
Although Air Force leaders at the Pentagon have not formally approved the plan to merge RH with Air Force aerospace medical functions moving to Wright-Patterson from Brooks City-Base under the proposed 711th Human Performance Wing, Dr. Ruck sees AFRL's current relationship with Air Force leaders as strong and positive.
 
"Through the leadership of AFRL commanders, we now have a very strong relationship with the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne, and the Chief of Staff, General T. Michael Moseley, something that wasn't there 10 years ago," Dr. Ruck said. "The Secretary and the Chief now count on AFRL to develop technology solutions and to lead the scientific technology of the future, and that was one of our goals in 1997."
 
Dr. Ruck described the 711th HPW as an organizational construct that's related to BRAC but not required by law; however, Wright-Patterson leaders believe the RH merger with the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the Institute of Operational Health sends a strong message to Ohio and the nation about "how we are preparing to make sure that the BRAC is well executed and that afterwards there will be something bigger and better than the sum of the parts."
 
"There will be some speed bumps along the way," Ruck continued, "but with the right leadership and good leadership RH will continue to prosper and there will be opportunities by being linked with USAFSAM that we have not been able to take advantage of in the past. So I see it as positive." 

Dr. Ruck points to the past four years as RH director--leader of the directorate's 1,300 military, civilian and contractor employees--as the most rewarding of his 35-year Air Force civilian career. 

"I appreciate the fact that I have given them all a lot of rope and none of them have hung themselves, and that's just a testament to the quality of the people both in the civil service as well as in the military," Dr. Ruck said. "And half of our force is contractors; I'm very pleased with the contractor staff that we've teamed with because that's been exciting, too." 

As he prepares to leave Air Force employment effective January 4, Dr. Ruck hopes he is remembered for helping others to realize the importance of human factors science contributions to the nation's defense efforts.
 
"The most important thing is a strong reputation for human effectiveness regarding the quality and relevance of the science and technology, particularly in the biosciences and behavioral sciences," Dr. Ruck said. "My view coming here, having worked at the Pentagon, was that decisions are made not based necessarily on fact, but certainly based on perceptions and if I can leave positive perceptions about what we can contribute here in RH, what our future ability is to contribute to the Air Force whether it be through strategic vectors, focused long term challenges, techbase special projects and so forth, that would be the legacy that I hope I've left." 

Dr. Ruck believes that AFRL leadership recognizes "that we're not just shrinks, soft-science, irrelevant, nearly-medical people but that we actually fit well with the future of AFRL and the Air Force. I truly believe that biology is the future of RH and the Air Force and that we need to continue to work to convince our leaders that that's the case." 

As the BRAC activity unfolds at Wright-Patterson, Dr. Ruck will be effecting changes of his own. He wants to lead a small group of specialists in a high-tech company, or work as a consultant with organizations such as universities, medical centers, corporations and companies, to help them bring scientists together to form a cohesive unit that offers more than each of the scientists would independently. 

"It turns out, particularly at universities, certainly at some companies and in medical centers, the entrepreneurial spirit is rewarded but the notion that the organization could do better for their customers by bringing people together is difficult," Dr. Ruck explained. "I think I would have some capability to help some of these organizations." 

Prior to his appointment as RH director, Dr Ruck served as director of AFRL's Washington office and as Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, where he was AFRL's liaison with other services and government agencies, major aerospace companies, universities, and research organizations that share Air Force goals. 

Dr. Ruck earned Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and physics in 1970 at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J., where he also earned a Master of Management Science degree (1972) and a Doctor of Philosophy in industrial and organizational psychology (1980). He was appointed to the senior executive service in 1999. 

Becoming an Air Force leader immediately after receiving his doctorate veered Dr. Ruck off the traditional professional path in terms of contributions to advanced education and professional organizations or disciplines, but his early niche work in occupational analysis was well received. 

His research involved decision-making systems for training personnel, and an organization in San Antonio still implements many of the techniques, tools and research results that his team developed in the 1970s.
 
But Dr. Ruck views mentoring, supervising and sponsoring researchers--particularly behavioral scientists in the Air Force--as his strongest professional contribution. 

"Behavioral scientists are a very small breed but very important," Dr. Ruck said. "That's where I've grown up, working to make sure they understand the bigger picture and the important contributions they can make. That's been one of the more exciting things I've been able to do."