Richard T. Roca

Richard Roca was the seventh director of APL, serving from 2000 to 2010.

Before his appointment as director, Roca spent more than 30 years at AT&T. He joined Bell Laboratories’ research and development unit in 1966 and quickly made his way up the management chain, serving in roles that included director of strategic planning and vice president.

As the Lab’s director, Roca became aware of a global trend toward unconventional warfare, and he moved to support programs to counter biological, chemical, and nuclear national security threats. He created a chief information officer, an information technology department, and a cyber-focused business area in response to the growing importance of IT infrastructure and cyber warfare defense. He also established business areas—today known at the Lab as mission areas—to help the Lab think and work in a more unified way.

After 9/11 shocked the nation and the world, APL sponsors fast-tracked many of the Lab’s security-related programs, and over the next several years the homeland protection, infocentric operations, and special operations work expanded, and the strategic importance of intelligence and networking capabilities grew. Roca continued to evolve Lab structure and strategy to make sure APL was meeting its sponsors’ needs.

On Roca’s watch, APL helped modify—in a matter of weeks—a sea-based missile system to successfully target and destroy an errant satellite headed toward Earth. This first-ever technical feat, known as Operation Burnt Frost, was highly lauded by the Department of Defense and became an unforgettable event for APL and its director.

Under Roca, APL was named a center of excellence in the field of biotechnology and a major collaborating partner in a Hopkins homeland security center of excellence. He expanded research and education collaborations, revitalized the APL campus and its facilities, and reorganized management and program governance structures to enhance the Lab’s function and effectiveness.

Roca continued to serve the Lab as emeritus director after handing over the reins to his successor, Ralph Semmel, in 2010.

Roca earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in mechanical engineering.