Jay Davis to return as Lab's first fellow for national security

Jay Davis, the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) — a Department of Defense related organization — will return to the Laboratory to become the first National Security Fellow at the Center for Global Security Research, effective July 1.

LLNL’s Center for Global Security Research brings scientists and technologists together with analysts and others from the policy community to study ways in which technology can enhance national and international security. The CGSR supports independent, multidisciplinary research that explicitly considers the integration of technology in defense, arms control, nonproliferation and peacekeeping.

"I am pleased that Jay will be rejoining our Laboratory as our first National Security Fellow," said Director Bruce Tarter. "Jay has extraordinary knowledge of the Lab. Coupled with his experiences in Washington, D.C., he will make a superb first fellow."

Tarter created the fellowship as a way for "outstanding individuals" to spend about a year of their time at CGSR pursuing various national and international security interests. The fellowship will be open to internal and external candidates.
"Jay’s return is an extraordinary opportunity to begin this National Security Fellowship," Tarter said.

In his new position, Davis’ research will emphasize homeland defense and threats to U.S. forces from unconventional weapons technology.

"I’m very excited to be coming back and working with Ron Lehman to help build the center," said Davis. "Having had a chance to look at policy and defense issues in Washington, I feel the center can play an important role in coupling the Lab’s technical capability to a broad range of national security problems. I look forward to working with and mentoring some of the people whose exciting ideas I’ve seen during my frequent visits to the Lab."

"Jay is the perfect individual to take on a number of vital international security issues," said Ron Lehman, director of the Center for Global Security Research. "Those of us who have worked with him in the past are very pleased that he is coming here."

Prior to joining DTRA, Davis had a wide-ranging career at the Laboratory, including major contributions as an experimental physicist creating and eventually leading the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Most recently, he was the associate director for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Directorate (now Energy and Environment).

In 1997, Davis was named the first director of DTRA, an agency created to integrate and focus Department of Defense capabilities addressing the weapons of mass destruction threat. The agency is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., and has more than 2,100 military and civilian personnel operating worldwide.

While at DTRA, Davis was twice awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal by the Secretary of Defense for his contributions to national security. It is the DOD’s highest civilian award.