Doctor David, A Horner

Director of the Information Technology Laboratory / Director of the High Performance Computing Modernization Program U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

Dr. David A. Horner is the Director of the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The ERDC consists of seven laboratories located in four states, with more than 2,100 employees, $1.2 billion in facilities, and a $1 billion annual program. Its research and development (R&D) programs support the Department of Defense (DOD), the Army, USACE and other agencies in military and civilian mission areas.  Principal ERDC R&D areas include Military Engineering, Geospatial Research and Engineering, Civil Works and Water Resources, Environmental Quality and Installations, and Engineered Resilient Systems.

As the ITL Director, Dr. Horner provides leadership in the development and execution of a broad range of R&D and operational programs on behalf of the USACE, the Army, the Department of Defense (DOD), and other federal agencies focused in computational science, information science, information technology, high-performance computing, high-bandwidth communications and data transfer, geographic information systems, software engineering, and scientific visualization. Additionally, the ITL operates and manages the DOD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) one of the five DOD Supercomputing Resource Centers.

Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Horner served as the Director of the HPCMP, which is a multi-Service/Agency program that provides an enabling high-performance computing ecosystem to the DOD Science and Technology, Test and Evaluation, and Acquisition Engineering communities.  The program provides supercomputing solutions, high-speed networking via the Defense Research and Engineering Network, and advanced software development and refactoring to help DOD researchers address the DOD’s and Services’ mission critical priorities.

Dr. Horner began his career at ERDC in 1984 as a civil engineer in the Dam Safety Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, a position he held for two years before transferring to the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL). While at GSL, he served as the Lead Technical Director for the Military Engineering Program where he was promoted to Senior Scientific Technical Manager. He transitioned to ITL in 2015 as the Director of the HPCMP until he was appointed the Director of ITL in May 2018.

He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1983. He then earned his master’s in civil engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1984, and a doctorate in the same from the University of Michigan in 1989.

Dr. Horner is a past recipient of the Department of the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Army Engineer Association’s Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal and the Society of American Military Engineers Wheeler Medal. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Mississippi, and has also authored more than 50 publications, including a report for the Secretary of Defense.