James D. Powers

James D. Powers
Quality Assurance Manager, RAND National Security Research Division; Senior Engineer
Santa Monica Office

Education

B.S. in materials science and engineering, MIT; M.S. in materials science and engineering, UC Berkeley; Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, UC Berkeley

Overview

James D. Powers is a RAND senior engineer and the Quality Assurance Manager for the National Security Research Division. Since joining RAND, Powers has led or co-led projects on F-35 cost reduction, cybersecurity in Air Force acquisition, Air Force energy assurance, and advanced manufacturing technology development. Other recent project topics have included electromagnetic pulse (EMP), nuclear arms thresholds, and global clean coal research and development. Prior to joining RAND, Powers led fuel cell technology and system development programs at Honeywell and General Electric and managed programs for the Department of Energy. Powers holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in materials science and engineering from MIT.

Publications