Carving Your Own Path

Dr. Staci Brown first joined the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as a NNSA Graduate Fellow (NGF) in the Class of 2014-2015 working in the Office of Research & Development supporting multiple initiatives within the Science portfolio. True to the mission of the NGF program, Staci launched her fellowship into a full-time career with the NNSA and helping to foster future leaders and professional development across the technical and policy realm. Prior to joining the NNSA, Staci Brown followed her physics degree from Florida A&M University in 2006 with her master's degree studies in physics, completed in 2009 at Rutgers University. She returned to Florida A&M where she completed a doctorate degree in physics May of 2015. In her doctoral research at Florida A&M, Staci applied high-powered pulsed lasers using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) toward the study of organic materials and isotope-enriched materials in order to develop LIBS as a stand –off detection method for explosives and to determine the relative abundance of enriched materials for non-proliferation applications. Upon completion of her doctoral degree, she joined NNSA as a Federal staff member as the Program Manager for the Dynamic Materials Properties program and provided collaborative support to the Stewardship Science Academic Programs. From 2018 till 2020 she was detailed to the Office of Nuclear Matters at the Department of Defense as the Defense Programs Liaison and the Assistant Staff Director for the Nuclear Weapons Council. In her current capacity, Dr. Brown serves as the senior technical advisor in the Office of Stockpile Management (SM) and is the Acting Division Director for Production Operations within SM.