Bio

Roger D. McGinnis Sr., Ph.D. is the Director of the Florida State University (FSU) Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS). He joined FSU in July of 2014 following a long history of providing leadership for scientific and engineering programs in the federal government. Dr. McGinnis is a retired U.S. Navy captain who has held Senior Executive positions at the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology directorate (DHS S&T) and at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). At DHS he served as the Director, Homeland Security Advanced Research Project Agency (HSARPA) and the Director of Innovation. Here he was responsible for ensuring HSARPA received the appropriate levels of funding to cover its broad mission responsibilities, establishing program direction for the Innovation Portfolio, and recruiting and leading a professional team of individuals with the special combination of technical and program management skills needed to deliver technology to stakeholders and to the customers of stakeholders. He also provided numerous briefings to Congressional members and their staffs to support the annual funding request for HSARPA and the Director of Innovation portfolios in the Science and Technology Directorate, including efforts in all six technology divisions of the S&T directorate. Immediately prior to joining CAPS Dr. McGinnis served as the program executive officer for innovative naval prototypes at the Office of Naval Research. In this position he oversaw many large-scale research priorities for the ONR, including the production and use of high energy lasers, high-power microwaves, electromagnetic rail guns, and an autonomous helicopter program that will be part of future Navy ships and aircraft. Dr. McGinnis has a Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.