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Dr. Ronald EsmanProgram Manager
Dr. Ronald Esman joined the DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) as a Program Manager in June of 2007. Dr. Esman’s primary interest is in the areas of technology, components, and modules for RF/microwave photonics, fiber-optic communication, and radar/EW signal processing.
Prior to joining DARPA, Dr. Esman was a Sr. Program Analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton assigned to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Strategic Technology Office providing Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance, with concentration in the areas of RF systems (including electronic warfare, radar, and communications), signal processing, and photonics technology.
Dr. Esman served as Vice President in charge of Optical Product Development at Essex Corporation from 2004-2006, where he focused on the areas of optical processors, optical spectrum analysis, and optical encryption. While at Essex, Dr. Esman provided technical guidance toward an optical processing technology base for U.S. Government clients and led the optical product development efforts. Dr. Esman also served as Executive Engineer for Transmission Technology at Corvis Corporation from 2000-2004, where he oversaw optical telecommunication transmission technologies and served as a member of the Technical Advisory Board. Dr. Esman was responsible for both terrestrial long haul and ultra long haul Tx/Rx products and the submarine line terminal equipment, which included the ultra long haul Tx/Rx modules, the element management system, WDM, and cable interface.
Dr. Esman also spent 14 years at the Naval Research Laboratory serving first as the Leader of the Fiber-Optic Microwave Group where his activities focused on microwave applications of fiber optics. Dr. Esman then served as Head of the Microwave Photonics Section and finally Head of the Photonics Technology Branch, which performed research at the forefront of opto-electronic science and technology; guided-wave and free-space optics; optical communications; elctro-optics; and RF signal processing. Dr. Esman received five annual NRL Publication Awards.
Dr. Esman received his B.A. (Physics and Math) from Kalamazoo College and his M.S. and Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering) from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Esman has co-authored 66 journal articles, 92 conference presentations (21 invited), and has 16 patents. He has served on numerous conference committees including Technical Program Co-chair for OFC2002, General Co-Chair for OFC2004 and Technical Program Chair for MWP99. Dr. Esman established and taught the “Microwave Photonics” short course at OFC and CLEO from 1998 to 2001. He has served two terms as guest editor for the MTT/JLT special issue on “Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Photonics.” He is a member of the Optical Society of America and the IEEE/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS). Dr. Esman is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for contributions to the development of fiber optic systems for microwave applications and optical fiber research.