DHS Research Director

Lucent Technologies engineer and US Navy veteran David Bolka has been named as the first director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA), the Department of Homeland Security’s equivalent of the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Bolka’s job will involve “accelerating the prototyping and deployment of technologies that reduce homeland vulnerabilities,” according to a DHS announcement.

“I am confident that his unique combination of skills will help build HSARPA and create a world-class scientific endeavor that will help protect our nation,” said Charles McQueary, undersecretary for science and technology at the DHS. The new agency will conduct its activities primarily through contracts with universities and private industry, McQueary said in an earlier interview (see Physics Today, July 2003, page 32 )

Bolka has held several senior scientific positions at Lucent Technologies, including vice president for special projects. He was a major project manager for submarine combat systems and for the Naval Sea Systems Command. Bolka retired from the navy as a captain in 1986. He holds a PhD in engineering acoustics from the Pennsylvania State University.