A distinguished innovator, engineer, and scientist, Dr. Palmer has four patents and over 40 applications in a broad range of fields, including biomedicine, aerospace, optics, communications, transportation, automotive technology, robotics, power, energy, fuels, and environmental chemistry.
After earning both an Electrical Engineering and a Chemistry degree at MIT, Dr. Palmer earned his PhD at the University of California, San Diego. He earned scholarship and academic society honors at both institutions. His bachelor's thesis at MIT led to advances in artificial skin materials for burn victims, and his PhD thesis included a credible alternative theory for the early evolution of the Earth's atmosphere that was published in the national press. Dr. Palmer was selected by NASA for final interviews for astronaut selection at Johnson Space Center while in graduate school.
Dr. Palmer joined the Air Force in 1981 to gain experience in flight testing and advanced aerospace technology in an effort to become an Air Force Space Shuttle astronaut. He received numerous awards in the Air Force and was selected for astronaut duty by the Air Force in 1984. He left the Air Force in 1986 and joined SAIC.
Dr. Palmer's pioneering work in advanced aerospace technology at SAIC has been recognized nationally by his peers, and resulted in a press conference hosted by Sandia National Labs. His work has been cited by Business Week, the Chicago Tribune, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, and other media outlets.
Dr. Palmer served on the MIT Curriculum Committee, The Department of Defense Strategic Defense Initiative Rocket Technology Advisory Panel, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace Committee on Lasers and Plasmadynamics.
He is married and has two sons, one in college and one in junior high.
U.S. / WORLD RECORDS
- 2001 Fastest development time ever achieved for a U.S. Defense Department aircraft.
- 2000 Longest ballistic range achieved by a Navy standard 5 inch gun fired artillery shell.
- 1988 Designed, built, and tested the highest power battery system in the world.
- 1984 Most junior officer ever selected by the U.S. Air Force for astronaut duty.
Other Noteworthy Achievements
- 2008 Designed and awarded largest government contract for algae bio-fuel research.
- 2007 Developed and awarded project for zero-emissions coal plant technology.
- 2006 Developed proposal to convert Army artillery shells to GPS guidance.
- 2005 Awarded congressional budget allocation to convert civilian airliner into UAV.
- 2004 Credited by Navy with significant role in restructuring Navy major ship programs.
- 2003 Congressional $500M allocation for first ever major weapon manufacturing award to SAIC.
- 2002 U.S. Defense Department top high technology project of the year.
- 2002 SAIC technology project of the year award.
- 2001 Won and led project directly awarded by U.S. presidential executive order.
- 1984 Selected by the U.S. Air Force for astronaut duty.
- 1980 Selected by NASA for final interviews for space shuttle astronaut positions.
- 1969 National Science Foundation grant for advanced mathematics program in number theory at Ohio State University as a high school sophomore.
