AFRRI Research Center at USU Names New Director
Navy Captain Gerald Burke has been named as the next Director of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) at the Uniformed Services University (USU).
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Capt. Gerald F. Burke takes over as officer-in-charge of the Naval Dosimetry Center during a change of charge ceremony held at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland on July 22, 2022. (Photo credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Brett Walker) |
April 5th, 2023 by Sharon Holland
Navy Captain Gerald Burke has been named as the next Director of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) at the Uniformed Services University (USU). Capt. Burke will succeed Army Colonel (Dr.) Mohammad Naeem, who will return to clinical radiology within the Military Health System in August.
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Navy Captain Gerald Burke has been named as the next Director of AFRRI. (Photo credit: Official U.S. Navy Photo) |
Burke received his Navy commission as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in 1999. Over the ensuing 24 years, he has served in a variety of assignments, including a deployment aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). He later served as RSO, Laser Safety Officer, and Department Head at the Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington, and Deputy Director, Radiation Health at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, the largest shipyard and radiation health program in the US Navy. Burke was assigned as the Military Program Manager, Nuclear Test Personnel Review, at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he completed 4,975 radiogenic cancer compensation cases for the U.S. Justice Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, in support of 493,000 joint atomic veterans. He also deployed to Japan in response to the trifecta of catastrophic events that devastated northeastern Japan during Operation Tomodachi.
Burke served as Director of Operations and Public Affairs Officer for the Naval Medical Research Unit in San Antonio. Following his second tour at AFRRI, he led as the Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Dosimetry Center (NDC), one of the largest dosimetry processing centers in the world. Under his charge, NDC achieved an 80 percent processing time reduction, bringing the average turnaround response for all commands to less than seven days, a historical record. He also directed completion of the Capabilities Development Document for the $82M Navy Occupational Dosimetry System replacement proposal for the aging DT-702 TLD system currently used by the U.S. Navy and received unanimous approval from the Naval Capabilities Board (NCB) at the Pentagon and all NCB stakeholders.
A native of Newark, New Jersey and Garland, Texas, Burke received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Bemidji State University in Minnesota and a master’s degree from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College non-resident program, the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College resident program, and the U.S. Naval War College senior-level College of Naval Warfare resident program.
Burke’s awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal (three awards), Navy Achievement Medal, and various campaign medals. Also, CAPT Burke earned the Navy Strategist subspecialty, qualified as Surface Warrior Medical Department Officer, and earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold). He is a member of the Health Physics Society, the Federal Health Care Executives Institute Alumni Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, US Naval Institute, Naval War College Foundation, and Command and General Staff College Foundation.
“CAPT Burke’s expertise and significant experience at AFRRI and across the radiation sciences community throughout the course of his Navy career position him well to lead the critical AFRRI mission into the future,” said USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson in his announcement about Burke’s selection.
A Change of Director ceremony will take place later this summer.
