Doug Beason (Col, USAF, ret.) is the author of fourteen books—eight with collaborator Kevin J. Anderson—as well as two non-fiction books. Assemblers of Infinity was a Nebula Award finalist. Doug's short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, and he has written for publications as diverse as The Wall Street Journal, Analog, Amazing Stories, Physical Review Letters, and Physics of Fluids, to Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Science, Technology and Society. Doug and Kevin J. Anderson's coauthored novel, The Trinity Paradox, holds the distinction of being the first work of fiction ever nominated for the American Physical Society's Forum Award for promoting the understanding of physics in society, and was the first novel ever reviewed in Physics Today.
A Fellow of the American Physical Society and a Ph.D. physicist, Doug has over 35 years of R&D experience that spans conducting basic research to directing applied-science programs and formulating national policy. In 2008, he retired as the Associate Laboratory Director (for Threat Reduction) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he was responsible for the programs and people to reduce the global threat of weapons of mass destruction. Before moving to Los Alamos, Doug completed a 24 year career as a US Air Force officer, retiring as a Colonel. His last active duty assignment was as the Commander of the Phillips Research Site (Kirtland AFB) and Deputy Director for Directed Energy at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Doug has worked on the White House staff for the President's Science Advisor under both the Clinton and Bush Administrations, as the key White House staffer for space science and technology. He has also served on a Vice Presidential committee headed by astronaut Tom Stafford (commander of Apollo-Soyuz and Apollo 10) to generate plans for the nation to return to the Moon and go on to Mars; directed an Air Force plasma physics research group; served in a dual appointment as an Associate Professor of Physics and Director of Faculty Research at the U.S. Air Force Academy; and has performed research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He recently served on the United Kingdom’s Threat Reduction Advisory Board for the UK’s Atomic Weapons Establishment; was a study leader on the USAF Science Advisory Board; served as the Principal US Representative for the US/United Kingdom/Canada Small Satellite Military Utility Trilateral Research and Development Program; was previously the Vice President of the Directed Energy Professional Society; and is currently on the Air and Space Power Journal Editorial Board.
Doug is a 1977 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (dual B.S. in Physics and Mathematics), and holds an M.S. in Physics (University of New Mexico), an M.S. in National Resource Strategy (National Defense University), a Ph.D. in Physics (University of New Mexico), and was a military senior service school Distinguished Graduate from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. The author of over 50 scholarly papers, his book Science and Technology Policy for the post-Cold War: A Case for Long-Term Research, was awarded the National Defense University President's "Strategic Vision" award and was used as a textbook at National War College and the AIr War College. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and Life Member of both the US Air Force Academy Association of Graduates and the Science Fiction Writers of America. An Eagle Scout, he has lived in Canada, the Philippine Islands, and Okinawa.
Doug recently served as Chief Scientist for the USAF Space Command and is Chairman of the Auburn University Wireless Engineering Board of Directors. He is currently the Senior Vice President for Special Programs at Universities Space Research Association, a non-profit entity of 105 PhD granting institutions established jointly by NASA and the National Academy of Science to conduct research in space science.
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