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Brigadier General
John M. Andrew
Permanent Professor 2005–2016
Vice Dean of the Faculty 2008–2010
B.S., United States Air Force Academy
M.S., Harvard University
Ph.D., Harvard University
John Andrew, the Academy’s 79th Permanent Professor, was born in 1954 at Clark Air Base, Philippines. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1976 as a Distinguished Graduate and the Outstanding Graduate in the Operations Research (OR) major. During his 40-year career, he held a variety of scientific analysis jobs. He began as an Operations Analyst, YC-14/15 Test Team, Edwards AFB, CA, 1976–1978. He was next assigned as Lead Analyst, Electronic Systems Division, Air Force Test and Evaluation Center, Kirtland AFB, NM, 1978–1981. He was then sent to Harvard University, where he earned his Master’s (1982) and PhD (1985) degrees in Engineering. His first assignment to the Academy faculty was 1985–1988 as Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, followed by an assignment as a Research Fellow at the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, 1988–1989, where he conducted in-depth studies of manpower and personnel issues. From 1989 to 1993 John was Chief, Officer and Economic Analysis Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff/Personnel, HQ USAF, the Pentagon, Washington, DC, where he supervised five officers responsible for analyzing effects of new personnel policies. From 1993 to 1995 he was a Policy and Issues Analyst, Secretary’s Staff Group, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, where he advised the Secretary on a diverse portfolio of issues. In 1995–1996 John was a student at the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL, during which he participated in the Chief of Staff–directed study, Air Force 2025, and he also co-authored and published Air Force 2025 Operational Analysis (winner of the Koopman Prize for best military OR study of 1996). Next he was Deputy Commander, AF Agency for Modeling and Simulation, Orlando, FL, 1996–1999, where he helped stand-up and direct a 53-person field operating agency. From there John was selected as Head, Department of Operational Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering and Management, AF Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 1999–2002. While there, he deployed for four months to HQ US European Command during Operation ALLIED FORCE (Kosovo air operations). He then returned to the Academy as Senior Military Professor, 2002–2004, before being deployed for six months as Chief, Assessment Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Strategy, Plans, and Assessment), Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad. He returned to the Academy in 2005 as Head, Department of Mathematical Sciences, and later that year, he was confirmed as Permanent Professor. During his tenure, he chaired Admissions Selection Panels and Academic Review Committees, as well as serving for 11 years as Officer Representative for the men’s basketball team. John was also the longest-tenured member and chair of two AF-level senior policy-making committees: the Scientist Development Team (recommended assignments, education, and career development for 1,000 AF military scientists) and the AF Analytic Community Steering Group. He was also Vice Dean, 2008–2010, and Chair, Basic Sciences Division, 2010–2016. John was promoted to brigadier general and retired in 2016.
Upon retirement, the annual award to the outstanding graduate in OR was named in John’s honor. He remains involved with the Academy as President of the Friends of Air Force Basketball booster group.