Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby - Chief of Naval Research, United States Navy - Reimagining Naval Power

Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby, is the 26th Chief of Naval Research, for the United States Navy ( https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/Search/Article/2236263/rear-admiral-lorin-selby/ ), a position he assumed command of in May of 2020.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan, foster, and encourage scientific research to maintain future naval power and preserve national security.

Rear Adm. Selby graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering and earned his commission through the Navy’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program. He also holds a Master of Science in nuclear engineering and a Nuclear Engineer degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rear Adm. Selby’s shipboard tours include USS Puffer (SSN 652), USS Pogy (SSN 647) and USS Connecticut (SSN 22). From July 2004 to May 2007, he commanded USS Greeneville (SSN 772) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During these assignments, Rear Adm. Selby conducted several deployments to the western and northern Pacific, northern Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

Ashore, Rear Adm. Selby’s staff assignments include duty as a company officer and instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy; service as the deputy director of the Navy’s liaison office to the U.S. House of Representatives; and duty as the Submarine Platforms and Strategic Programs branch head in the Submarine Warfare Directorate on the Navy Staff. Following selection as an acquisition professional, he served as the program manager for both the Submarine Imaging and Electronic Warfare Systems Program Office (PMS 435) and the Advanced Undersea Systems Program Office (PMS 394).

As a flag officer, Rear Adm. Selby served as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) from October 2014 to August 2016. In this position, he led more than 17,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and support personnel, both civilian and active duty, within eight NSWC divisions located across the country.

From June 2016 until May 2020, Rear Adm. Selby served as the Navy’s chief engineer and the Naval Sea Systems Command deputy commander for Ship Design, Integration and Naval Engineering, where he led the engineering and scientific expertise, knowledge and technical authority necessary to design, build, maintain, repair, modernize, certify and dispose of the Navy’s ships, aircraft carriers, submarines and associated combat and weapons systems.

Rear Adm. Selby is authorized to wear the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (six awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards) and various unit awards.