Bill LaPlante has been named head of the Strategic
Systems Department at the
Applied Physics Laboratory.
In announcing the appointment, APL Director Rich Roca
said, "Bill brings to this new assignment a record of
thinking independently, innovatively and strategically."
"This is an exciting technical period for the Lab,"
LaPlante said. "The nation's strategic forces are being
realigned, and we're realigning, too, to be in the best
position to use our experience and capabilities to help the
Navy develop, evaluate and analyze new systems and
operational concepts to meet changing requirements in this
new strategic era."
After joining APL in 1985, LaPlante worked in
positions of increasing responsibility in the Strategic
Systems Department for 12 years. From 1998 to 2001 he led
the SSBN Security Program at the Laboratory within the
National Security Technology Department, becoming NSTD
associate department head in March 2001.
LaPlante earned a master's in applied physics from
Johns Hopkins and a doctorate in mechanical engineering
from Catholic University of America, where he teaches
graduate courses in mechanical engineering at night.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, the American Physical Society and the Acoustical
Society of America. During his career he has been named to
several prestigious Navy panels and advisory groups.
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