Dr. Brian Luzum
Scientific Director,
U.S. Naval Observatory
Dr. Brian Luzum is the Scientific Director for the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), located in Washington, DC. He oversees current operations as well as research and development work for Precise Time and Astrometry (PTA). This includes the development of next-generation clocks, time transfer capabilities, geodetic processing, and astrometric instrumentation to meet future DoD and national requirements.
Prior to his selection as a Senior Leader in 2014, Dr. Luzum was the Head of the Earth Orientation Department at USNO. The department is responsible for providing Earth Orientation Parameters (EOPs) to the Department of Defense in support of navigation and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Dr. Luzum started working at USNO in 1982 as a volunteer in the Time Service Department while still in high school and has held a number of positions at USNO since then.
Dr. Luzum is a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), American Geophysical Union, American Astronomical Society, and the Institute of Navigation. He has been the chair of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) Directing Board, the director of the IERS Rapid Service/Prediction Center and the co-director of the IERS Conventions Center. He has been selected as the chair of the IAU Working Group on Numerical Standards for Fundamental Astronomy.
Dr. Luzum obtained his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Iowa State University in 1987, and his M.S. in Civil Engineering (Geodesy) from Iowa State University in 1993. He obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Geodesy) at the University of Florida in 2004.