DR. LOVICA WARE Dr. Lovica Ware is the Acting Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Arlington, VA. Dr. Ware leads the management of the United States Department of the Air Force’s global basic research investment. AFOSR has a staff of roughly 200+ personnel and an annual working budget of nearly $400+ million which supports more than 5,000 worldwide basic research projects critical to the defense of the U.S. The office’s annual investment in basic research is distributed among roughly 200 leading academic institutions worldwide, 100 industry-based contracts, and more than 250 internal AFRL research efforts. Dr. Ware was formerly the Chief Engineer and Engineering Technical Authority for the AFOSR. In this role, she provided advice to the Director on Systems Engineering and Program Management (SEPM) rigor, developed and implemented local, engineering related processes, policies, practices, tools, and associated training across the organization to balance risk/opportunity and costs. Dr. Ware entered civil service in June 2004 as a Computer Engineer in the Aircraft Analysis Squadron at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. That position included participation in and facilitation of all squadron information modeling and database efforts. After leaving NASIC, Dr. Ware was the Lead Engineer for the MQ-9 Reaper Foreign Military Sales (FMS) New Business where she prepared technical presentations, conducted airworthiness analysis, and evaluated US standards with desired international standards to align the Air Force MQ-9 with potential FMS configurations. Dr. Ware then accepted a position at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Headquarters where she was a Senior Plans and Programs Engineer in the Capabilities Integration Division. She had the roles of Engagement Lead for both, the Air Force Space Command and Air Combat Command MAJCOMs for Cyberspace Superiority and Command and Control Service Core Functions. She was also the Chief of Future Air Capabilities Branch where she guided a team of engineers who influenced six Service Core Functions and over half of the Air Force Science and Technology budget. Her most recent position was the Deputy Chief in the Development Planning Division in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology, and Engineering. Dr. Ware was the Air Force point of contact and representative for the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s (OUSD R&E) Concepts and Capabilities (C&C) and Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) programs. In this role she solicited and evaluated Air Force prototyping and experimentation proposals and assessed validity and execution prior to advocating for their acceptance and funding when briefed to senior Air Force and Joint staff’s leadership. EDUCATION 2024 Doctor of Philosophy, Theology, National School of Theology, Dover, DE 2023 Master of Theology, National School of Theology, Dover, DE 2022 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL 2019 Doctor of Management, Information Systems Technology, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 2015 Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ. 2000 Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, OH ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY 1. June 2025 – present, Acting Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA 2. November 2024 – June 2025, Chief Engineer, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA 3. July 2020- November 2024, Deputy Development Planning Division, Office of Deputy Assistant Secretary (Science, Technology, & Engineering) Pentagon, Arlington, VA 4. May 2019- July 2020, Program Element Monitor and Deputy Science and Technology Division, Office of Deputy Assistant Secretary (Science, Technology, & Engineering) Pentagon, Arlington, VA 5. April 2018 – May 2019, Chief of Future Air Capabilities Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory Headquarters, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 6. September 2014 – April 2018, Cyberspace and Command & Control Engagement Lead, Air Force Research Laboratory Headquarters, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 7. July 2010 – September 2014, Foreign Military Sales MQ-9 New Business Engineer, Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 8. May 2010 – July 2010, Foreign Military Sales MQ-9 New Business Engineer, 703rd AESG, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 9. June 2004 – May 2010, Computer Engineer, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH AWARDS AND HONORS 2024 Exemplary Civilian Service Medal 2024 SAF/AQR Senior Level Civilian of the Quarter 2020 Special Act or Service Award 2020 SAF/AQR Senior Level Civilian of the Quarter 2019 Exemplary Civilian Service Medal 2017 Black Engineer of the Year Award recipient for Science Spectrum Trailblazer 2017 Air Force Research Laboratory Senior Level Manager of the Quarter Award 2016 Air Force Research Laboratory Senior Level Civilian of the Quarter Award 2016 Science and Technology Manager Level III Certification 2014 Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering Level III Certification 2012 Black Engineer of the Year Award recipient for Modern-Day Technology Leader 2012 Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Sr. Level Civilian of the Quarter Award PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS Lifetime Member, National Society of Black Engineers Member, Society of Women Engineers Member, Air Force Association Member, Air Force Women in Science and Engineering (CURRENT AS OF JUNE 2025)