Dr. Patrick Mason has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2011.  He currently serves as the Department Head for Warfighter Performance at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Arlington, VA.  He is responsible for establishing, managing, evaluating, and maintaining basic research, applied research, and advanced technology development programs to meet the operational needs of the Department of the Navy. Areas of research funded by his Department include: autonomy, biological sciences, cognitive science, human-systems integration, irregular warfare, manpower, medicine related to Naval operations (undersea, surface, aerospace, marine mammals), neuroscience, socio-cultural sciences, training and education, and warfighter performance and resiliency.  Dr. Mason oversees the Navy’s Historically Black College and University/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) program.  Dr. Mason serves as an advisor in these areas of research to the Chief of Naval Research and other leadership in the Department of the Navy and Department of Defense.