Thomas Manacapilli

Biography

Thomas Manacapilli is a senior operations research analyst at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. At RAND he has analyzed educational technology; the creation of a new career field for air liaison officers; officer and enlisted training issues; productivity, pay, and bonus impacts; future training aircraft; and the education culture in foreign countries. A retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force (USAF), Manacapilli served as commander of the Air Education and Training Command Studies and Analysis Squadron. In 1996, he wrote the white paper for the Air and Space Basic Course while serving on the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's strategic planning team. He also wrote much of the modeling and simulation plan presented in the 1993 and 1994 four-star summits, and much of the modernization planning process presented in the 1993 four-star summit. He reviewed the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) computer evaluation program, resulting in the development of a new system for evaluating SIOP effectiveness. In 1982, he converted aircraft programming from paper and pencil to the computer for then–Brigadier General Merrill A. McPeak. His awards include the AFA's AF/XO action officer of the year, 1994; and the Military Operations Research Society award for best military graduate thesis in 1984. Manacapilli received his M.A. in operations research from the Air Force Institute of Technology.