Dr. Matthew Halstead received dual BS degrees in nuclear and mechanical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 2007. From 2007–2009, Dr. Halstead worked at the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs office in the warhead branch, SP28, where he supported multiple programs that included the W76-1 life extension and an investigation of reentry body environments. He entered the SMART Cohort in 2009, later receiving his MS (2011) and PhD (2014) in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Dr. Halstead joined the radiation sciences branch at his sponsoring facility, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in 2014, as a radiation effects engineer. Since heading to Crane, he has been heavily involved in strategic radiation hardened electronics from both the research and acquisition program perspectives. His current efforts involve a DoD-level examination of national radiation testing facility capacity in light of the significant upcoming strategic systems modernization efforts.
Leah Kelley
PhD, Mechanical Engineering
