Dr. Thomas Fu is the Head of the Mission Capable, Persistent and Survivable Naval Platforms Department of the Office of Naval Research (ONR). As department head, Dr. Fu oversees a broad range of S&T programs for naval platforms and undersea weapons, with an annual budget of approximately $500 million per year.

Dr. Fu is also the acting director of the Advanced Naval Platforms Division within the Mission Capable, Persistent and Survivable Naval Platforms Department. The division provides technologically superior capabilities for naval platforms through investments in basic and applied research and advanced technology development programs for advanced power systems, acoustic and non-acoustic signatures, structural reliability and lifecycle management, hydrodynamic performance, advanced propulsors, metamaterials, thermal system management, and platform autonomy and control, as well as the National Naval Responsibility for Naval Engineering.

Dr. Fu has authored over 140 technical publications. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in ocean engineering from Purdue University in 1984; a Master of Science degree in physical oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego in 1988; and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1993. Dr. Fu was a George Washington University Visiting Scholar in 2013 and adjunct faculty member in 2014. He has also been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland and Oregon State University.

In 2018, Dr. Fu was named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and in 2013 the Asian-American Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA. His other awards include a Meritorious Unit Commendation and the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award. Dr. Fu also currently serves as the Navy’s NATO-Applied Vehicle Technology Panel member. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineering (SNAME), Journal of Ship Research.