Navigator Awards

The Institute’s 12th Navigator Awards ceremony marked the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the Potomac Institute. Past honorees include General Alfred Gray, Jr., former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, (2000); General Keith Alexander, USA, former Director of the National Security Agency, (2006); Elon Musk, CEO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and CEO of Tesla Motors, (2010); Congressman Mike Rogers, former Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (2012); and James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (2012).

The Potomac Institute’s Navigator Awards recognize individuals who have sought bold solutions to national challenges. These leaders – hailing from Congress, the Administration, and the private sector – have striven to improve science and technology policy throughout their careers. They not only work to diagnose the problems of today, but also actively address the demands of the future, allowing our country to operate from a position of confidence, preparedness, and strength. The 2015 Navigator Awardees: The Honorable Mac Thornberry, The Honorable Alan Shaffer, and Dr. David Brin.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies was pleased to host the 11th Navigator Awards Dinner on June 21, 2012, recognizing the achievements of The Honorable James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence; Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Mr. Abe Karem, Founder and President of Karem Aircraft. Click below to watch video of the event.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies was pleased to present the 2012 Navigator Awards on June 21, 2012, at a dinner and ceremony at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC. This year's event was attended by nearly 300 science and technology policy leaders, and awards were given to outstanding achievers in S&T policy within the intelligence community: The Honorable James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence; Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Abe Karem, pioneer in unmanned aviation technology and Founder and President of Karem Aircraft. Click below to watch a video honoring the winners.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that Mr. Abe Karem, founder of Karem Aircraft and a pioneer in the field of aeronautics, has been named a recipient of a 2012 Navigator Award. Mr. Karem and fellow awardees will be honored at a banquet at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on Thursday, June 21. This will be the 11th Navigator Awards event.

Regarding the selection of Mr. Karem for a Navigator Award, former Director of Central Intelligence James Woolsey said, “Abe Karem is an extraordinarily inventive man and one of the most remarkable aeronautical engineers of the 20th century. His successes most famously include the Predator and its predecessor UAVs, Amber, and Gnat 750. He is a pioneer in his field and he is most deserving of this prestigious award.”

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that the Director of National Intelligence, The Honorable James R. Clapper, has been named a recipient of a 2012 Navigator Award. Mr. Clapper and fellow awardees will be honored at a banquet at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on Thursday, June 21. This will be the 11th Navigator Awards event.

Regarding the selection of Mr. Clapper for a Navigator Award, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Chairman and CEO Michael Swetnam said, "DNI Clapper has dedicated his life to the service of his country. His dedication, experience, and leadership are needed at this critical time in our country's history, more than ever." See the announcement on the DNI's Facebook page, here.

Mr. Clapper was sworn in as the fourth Director of National Intelligence on August 9, 2010. As DNI, Mr. Clapper leads the United States Intelligence Community and serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the President.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that US Rep. Mike Rogers (MI-08) has been named a recipient of a 2012 Navigator Award. Rep. Rogers and fellow awardees will be honored at a banquet at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on Thursday, June 21. This will be the 11th Navigator Awards event.

Regarding the selection of Rep. Rogers for a Navigator Award, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Chairman and CEO Michael Swetnam said, "Congressman Mike Rogers is a true leader. As Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he has been committed to reaching across the aisle and bridging political differences to ensure that the interests of our national security come first. His ability to rise above partisan politics and his dedication to service are in the finest tradition of our Navigator Award winners, and we are privileged to honor him this year." See the announcement on Rep. Rogers' Facebook page, here.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that the 11th Navigator Awards will be held on June 21 at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC. The Navigator Awards recognize leading contributors to science and technology policy. Recipients of awards at the Navigator banquet in 2010 were Arden L. Bement, Jr., PhD, former Director of the National Science Foundation; Jeffrey Wadsworth, PhD, President and CEO of the Battelle Memorial Foundation; Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors; and Gerald Edelman, MD, PhD, Director of The Neurosciences Institute, President of Neurosciences Research Foundation, and a Nobel laureate (1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine). Watch our website for announcements of this year's winners!

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that four of the nation's leading innovators in the area of science and technology received Navigator Awards at a banquet at the Willard Hotel, Washington, DC, October 21. The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' Navigator Awards are traditionally presented to members of Congress and to representatives of the executive branch, industry and academia in recognition of their distinguished contributions in the arena of science and technology. The Navigator Award is named as a tribute to those leaders in science and technology who act as pathfinders in the pursuit of knowledge.

This year's awardees are: Arden L. Bement, Jr., PhD, former Director of the National Science Foundation; Jeffrey Wadsworth, PhD, President and CEO of the Battelle Memorial Foundation; Elon Musk, CEO/CTO of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors; and Gerald Edelman, MD, PhD, Director of The Neurosciences Institute, President of Neurosciences Research Foundation, and a Nobel laureate (1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine). See below for bios and photos of this year's winners.

2001 Navigator Award Winners

Legislative Branch Awardee: Senator Jeff Bingaman - United States Senator, New Mexico

Executive Branch Awardee: Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II - President, National Defense University

Private Sector Awardee: Dr. Joseph V. Braddock - Founder, BDM

The Fourth Annual Navigator Awards Ceremony Was Held on Tuesday, September 9, 2003 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel, Washington, D.C.

2003 Navigator Awardees

Legislative Branch Awardee: The Honorable Sherwood L. Boehlert - U.S. Congressman, New York

Executive Branch Awardee: Anthony Tether, Ph.D.- Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Private Sector Awardee: John Rennie - Editor in Chief, Scientific American

The Sixth Annual Navigator Awards were held June 28, 2005 at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

This year's honorees included:

Governor James S. Gilmore III (former Governor of Virginia and current Partner at Kelley, Drye and Warren)

Congressman Peter Hoekstra (Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence)

The Honorable Sean O’Keefe (Chancellor, Louisiana State University and former Administrator, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Lifetime Achievement Award: Professor Edward O. Wilson, Ph.D. (Pellegrino University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University)

The Seventh Annual Navigator Awards were held June 27, 2006 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The 2006 Navigator Honorees were:

Executive Branch: LTG Keith B. Alexander, USA, Director, National Security Agency

Executive Branch: Dr. John Marburger, Science Advisor to the President, and Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Legislative Branch: The Honorable Charles Albert “Dutch” Ruppersberger, III, United States Congressman, Maryland

Lifetime Achievement: Vice Admiral Arthur K. Cebrowski, USN (Ret.)—Posthumous Award

The Eighth Annual Navigator Awards were held June 27, 2007 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The 2007 Navigator Honorees were:

Executive Branch: The Honorable John Young, Jr., Director, Defense Research and Engineering

Executive Branch: The Honorable Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Legislative Branch: The Honorable Jim Moran, United States Congressman, Virginia

The Ninth Annual Navigator Awards were held on July 23, 2008 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

2008 Navigator Honorees:

Legislative Branch: The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV, United States Senator, West Virginia

Executive Branch: The Honorable J. Michael McConnell, Director, National Intelligence

Executive Branch: The Honorable William Jeffrey, Ph.D., Former Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Academic President’s Award: Professor Yonah Alexander, Ph.D., Director, International Center for Terrorism Studies and Senior Fellow

CEO’s Award: Michael Lowe, Director, Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities (CETO)