Dr. Thomas C. Fu named head of the Office of Naval Research

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao has named Dr. Thomas C. Fu to lead the Office of Naval Research, where he will perform the duties of Chief of Naval Research and direct the Navy Department’s flagship science-and-technology enterprise for the Fleet and Marine Corps.

“Maintaining a technological advantage in an era of strategic competition requires disciplined, experienced, and uninterrupted leadership focused on rapid innovation and warfighter support,” Secretary Cao said. “As Dr. Rachel Riley departs the Office, the continuity provided by Dr. Fu ensures ONR will continue to serve as an essential bridge, enabling the Department to rapidly adopt and deploy the cutting-edge technologies our Sailors and Marines need to fight and win.”

Fu, previously ONR’s chief scientist and executive director, brings a résumé spanning hydrodynamics and ship platform design. His government service includes work at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division on acoustic stealth and propulsion efficiency, and later leadership of ONR’s Sea Warfare and Weapons Department, where he advanced undersea weapons and platform survivability. In his new role, he is expected to guide ONR’s global research portfolio and speed the fielding of emerging capabilities such as directed energy and autonomous systems.

“For the past 80 years, ONR has excelled in its mandate to plan, foster, and encourage scientific research that ensures naval power and national security,” said Dr. Fu. “Providing America’s warfighters with the most sophisticated technologies and disruptive capabilities is critical on the modern battlefield. I am honored to step into this role and lead ONR’s mission to articulate and coordinate amongst the world’s best minds across academia, industry, and government to ensure our Sailors and Marines are ready to respond to any threat, in any domain.”

Fu succeeds Dr. Rachel Riley, who is moving to another position within the Department of the Navy focused on organizational change management.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Purdue University, a master’s in physical oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

The transition comes as ONR marks its 80th year. Together with ONR Global and the Naval Research Laboratory, the command has long been central to advancing naval readiness through science and technology, from combat systems and sensors to advanced materials, robotics, and autonomous platforms.