The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) congratulates DR. DWIGHT L. WILLIAMS, PH.D., P.E. as the 2005 - 2006 National Young Engineer of the Year
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Office for Counterproliferation, Technical Applications Division (TAD) (2004 - present) Chief Engineer/Principal Nuclear Physicist
U.S. DoD, Office for Counterproliferation and Technology, Rest of World Nuclear Programs Division (2000 - 2004) Senior Nuclear Engineer
Dwight Williams -- U.S. Department of Defense Technical Expert
Dwight currently doubles as Chief and Principal Nuclear Physicist in the Technical Applications Division (TAD) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). As Chief, he oversees all nuclear, geophysical, biological, chemical, and electrical engineering activities within the TAD. Because the TAD is new, he was responsible for developing its mission, budget, organizational structure, and employee expectations. Beyond these managerial duties, he drafts academic and industry technical solicitations and reviews proposals to determine funding levels.
As Principal Nuclear Physicist, Dwight works within a team of scientists and engineers that devise nuclear tools for Department of Defense (DoD) use. His primary responsibility within the team is to ensure that the nuclear and radiological equipment being developed for military personnel meet mission requirements. He also participates in intergovernmental activities including serving on a White House sponsored senior steering committee investigating research and development needs facing the U.S. nuclear community. Beyond his technical responsibilities, he manages and mentors subordinate physicists and engineers as they conduct detailed technical analyses.
Prior to filling his dual GS-15 role, Dwight led technical activities within the Departments of Defense and Energy as a DoD Senior Nuclear Engineer. In this capacity, his regular duties involved drafting analytical reports related to scientific matters affecting national security. He also served as DoD’s technical leader in a federal investigation to determine the disposition of U.S. nuclear weapons information. As such, he was the final authority on all technical aspects of the U.S. government assessment and coordinated expertise within the Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and other entities. His leadership and efforts earned him a letter of commendation from the federal government. Besides this award, he received an honorary award for his task force analysis of Taliban and Al’Qaida technical capabilities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the U. S. led war on terrorism where he served as a radiological and nuclear weapons expert.
Dwight has become well known for his strong technical reputation and communication skills. He has the unique ability to explain highly technical material quickly and understandably to those with and without a technical background. On numerous occasions, he was asked to provide technical briefings to senior military leaders, such as the commander of the Pacific Fleet, senior DoD officials, and Congressional representatives. He was even requested by name to provide sworn written testimony to the U.S. Senate. Dwight credits his abilities in these areas to his years of interaction within multidisciplinary teams of professionals.
Dwight Williams -- Prototype International Data Center Nuclear Expert
Dwight’s work within the Prototype International Data Center was of similar magnitude. Besides instructing international scientists in preparation for their employment within the United Nations (UN) system, Dwight was the nuclear analyst in charge of the northern hemisphere during the Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons tests in 1998. Consequently, he was responsible for observing the data from radioactive debris to determine whether event categorization was possible. Moreover, he published many U.S. government sponsored scientific reports during his four years working within the PIDC, several of which were sent to UN system representatives and leading nuclear scientists around the world.
