Dr. Knox T. Millsaps

Dr. Knox T. Millsaps is the Department Head for Naval Air Warfare and Weapons at the Office of Naval Research. This Department is responsible for all Science and Technology related to the three (3) technologies under the Divisions of Air-Platforms, Kinetic Weapons, and Directed Energy Weapons.

He serves as the senior focal point within ONR for basic and applied research as well as advanced technology development in the areas of fixed and rotary wing aerodynamics, aeromechanics, flight mechanics, power, propulsion and thermal management, advanced materials and structures, hypersonics, directed energy weapons, including high powered continuous and pulsed lasers, and high powered microwaves, and counter directed energy technologies, energetic materials, combat aircraft survivability, autonomous vehicles and carrier deck operations, as well as the development of computational and experimental tools for future engineering design efforts.

Dr. Millsaps entered the Senior Executive Service in 2015. He is a Professor and Chairman Emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California. From 1992 to 2015, he was a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NPS, founded the Marine Propulsion Laboratory, and was Department Head from 2008-2014. He also served as the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (2005-2006) and Institutional Development (2006-2008). He was the Program Manager for the NPS Distance Learning Programs to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program for Bettis Reactor School Engineering Graduates (2002-2014), started Program for Navy Test Pilot School, and was the founding Executive Agent for the DoD Scholarship-for-Service, Science Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program. He was a Congressional Fellow (2000-2001) and Staff (2001-2002) for Representative John Spratt on House Armed Services Committee. He worked as a Junior Engineering at Pratt and Whitney (1983-1984) in the Military and Space Engines Division in West Palm Beach, FL, and as a Staff and Senior Staff Engineer in the Commercial Engines Division in East Hartford, CT (1985-1988).

Dr. Millsaps has conducted research and published in the areas of Turbomachinery Aerodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Rotordynamics, diesel engine diagnostics, signal processing, advanced energy and thermodynamic cycles, and synthetic- and bio- fuel combustion. He is and a member of ASME and AIAA and past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI), where he serves as a member of the Turbomachinery and Marine Committees. Dr. Millsaps holds a Bachelor’s with Highest Honors in Engineering Science from the University of Florida and a Master’s and Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from MIT. He was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the University of Florida in 2007 and has received the Meritorious and Superior Civilian Service Awards.

Updated: October 2023