An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

DR. KATHERINE A. STEVENS

Dr. Katherine A. Stevens, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. She is responsible for planning and executing the Air Force's advanced materials, processes and manufacturing technology programs to support all elements of Air Force acquisition and sustainment. Dr. Stevens is also responsible for interfacing these areas throughout the corporate Air Force and Department of Defense. She oversees an annual budget of more than $450 million and directs the activities of approximately 1,200 scientists, engineers and support personnel at five different geographic locations.

Dr. Stevens began her career with the Air Force in 1979 at the Air Force Materials Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, researching high-temperature materials for advanced turbine engine applications. During her more than 20 years developing, transitioning, and consulting on materials and manufacturing, she worked on a number of key materials and processes, primarily for advanced and legacy turbine engines, including those powering the F-22 and F-35. She later influenced a much broader array of materials and processes developments and applications from key Materials and Manufacturing Directorate leadership positions.

After serving as the Director of Plans and Programs at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, Calif., she moved to the Department of the Navy in 2006 to assume the position of the Director of Aerospace Science Research at the Office of Naval Research. There she was the senior focal point for science and technology related to naval aviation and oversaw a broad portfolio of basic and applied research. This included the areas of air vehicles and propulsion, aerodynamics, aircraft structures, gas turbine engines, control systems, and ship or air-launched weapons. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in October 2006.

EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in materials science and engineering, Wright State University, Fairborn, Ohio
1987 Master of Science degree in metallurgical engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus
2002 Doctorate of Philosophy degree in materials science and engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus
2006 Sloan Fellow, Master of Science degree in business management, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Calif.
2008 Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. March 1979 - March 1983, student trainee, later, materials engineer, Processing and High Temperature Materials Branch, Metals and Ceramics Division, Materials Directorate, Wright Aeronautical Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2. April 1983 - May 1988, materials engineer, Metals Branch, Manufacturing Technology Division, Materials Directorate, Wright Aeronautical Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. May 1988 - July 1993, Technical Area Manager, Metals Behavior Branch, Metals, Ceramics, and Nondestructive Evaluation Division, Materials Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. July 1993 - September 1996, Technical Area Manager, Materials Development Branch, Metals, Ceramics, and NDE Division, Materials Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. September 1996 - February 1998, Materials Directorate liaison to the Engine Development Systems Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. March 1998 - June 2002, Chief, Metals Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 2002 - July 2005, Chief, Survivability and Sensor Materials Division, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. July 2005 - July 2006, student, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Calif.
9. July 2006 - October 2006, Director, Plans and Programs Directorate, Air Force Flight Center, Edwards AFB, Calif.
10. October 2006 - February 2009, Director, Aerospace Science Research Division, Air Warfare and Weapons Department, Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va.
11. February 2009 - present, Director, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

AWARDS AND HONORS
2000 Vincent J. Russo Award for Leadership Excellence, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, AFRL
2002 Reserve Supervisor of the Year Award, AFRL
2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
International Society for Optical Engineering
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Directed Energy Professional Society
Society of Women Engineers
Senior Executive Association

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering, Level III

(Current as of August 2009)

More AETC Leaders

 

More AETC Leaders

Former AETC Commander Biographies

 

COMMANDERS

DATES SERVED

Lt Gen Barton K. Yount

23 Jan 42 - 26 Sep 45

Maj Gen James P. Hodges

27 Sep 45 - 12 Apr 46

Lt Gen John K. Cannon

13 Apr 46 - 13 Oct 48

Lt Gen Robert W. Harper

14 Oct 48 - 30 Jun 54

Maj Gen Glenn O. Barcus

1 Jul 54 - 25 Jul 54

Lt Gen Charles T. Myers

26 Jul 54 - 31 Jul 58

Lt Gen Frederic H. Smith, Jr.

1 Aug 58 - 31 Jul 59

Lt Gen James E. Briggs

1 Aug 59 - 31 Jul 63

Lt Gen Robert W. Burns

1 Aug 63 - 10 Aug 64

Lt Gen William W. Momyer

11 Aug 64 - 30 Jun 66

Lt Gen Sam Maddux, Jr.

1 Jul 66 - 31 Aug 70

Lt Gen George B. Simler

1 Sep 70 - 8 Sep 72

Lt Gen William V. McBride

9 Sep 72 - 31 Aug 74

Lt Gen George H. McKee

1 Sep 74 - 28 Aug 75

Gen John W. Roberts

29 Aug 75 - 31 Mar 79

Gen Bennie L. Davis

1 Apr 79 - 28 Jul 81

Gen Thomas M. Ryan, Jr.

29 Jul 81 - 22 Jun 83

Gen Andrew P. Iosue

23 Jun 83 - 27 Aug 86

Lt Gen John A. Shaud

28 Aug 86 - 5 Jun 88

Lt Gen Robert C. Oaks

6 Jun 88 - 24 Jun 90

Lt Gen Joseph W. Ashy

25 Jun 90 - 10 Dec 92

Gen Henry Viccellio, Jr.

11 Dec 92 - 19 Jun 95

Gen Billy J. Boles

20 Jun 95 - 16 Mar 97

Gen Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton

17 Mar 97 - 21 Jun 00

Gen Hal M. Hornburg

22 Jun 00 - 9 Nov 01

Lt Gen John D. Hopper Jr.

10 Nov 01 - 14 Dec 01

Gen Donald G. Cook

15 Dec 01 - 16 Jun 05

Gen William R. Looney III

17 Jun 05 - 2 Jul 08

Gen Stephen R. Lorenz
 
3 Jul 08 - 17 Nov 10
 
Gen Edward A. Rice Jr.
 
18 Nov 10 - 9 Oct 13
 
Gen Robin Rand
 
10 Oct 13 - 21 July 15
 
Lt Gen Darryl Roberson
 
21 July 15 - 17 Nov 2017 
 
Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast
 
17 Nov 2017 - 26 July 2019 
 
Lt. Gen. Marshall B. "Brad" Webb 26 July 2019 - 20 May 2022
Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson 20 May 2022 - Present