Michael O'Connor

Mike O’Connor serves as the Director of the Sensors & Software Center, leading a team of over 50 engineers, scientists, and technicians dedicated to cutting-edge research and development. His work spans human-machine teaming—including neurophysiological testing and Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality—along with software solutions in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cloud Architectures and Cybersecurity. Under his leadership, the center also pioneers advancements in RF and LiDAR sensing.

With over 30 years of experience, Mike has managed and contributed to advanced research and development projects across prominent organizations such as the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). His expertise lies in advanced sensor processing and human factors engineering, with a deep-rooted background in national and tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems—covering development, collection, communication, and data exploitation.

Research and development activities within the Sensors & Software Center include the following:

• User Interface Design, Usability Evaluation, and Advanced Data Visualization
• Physiological measurement of human performance
• Knowledge Elicitation and Task Analysis
• Augmented/Virtual/Mixed Reality (AR/VR/XR) research
• Novel RF signal, image, and data processing
• Integrated close-in sensing and long-range wide-area surveillance radar
• Software Engineering
• Cloud Architectures
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)
• Advanced Software Architectures

• B.E.E. (Electrical Engineering), University of Dayton, 1993
• Master’s Certificate, Emerging Leader, University of Dayton Center for Leadership and Executive Development, 2011
• CompTIA Network+ Certification, December 2011
• CompTIA Security+ Certification, May 2012
• Master’s Certificate, Cyber Security, University of Dayton, 2012

• McCloskey, M., O’Connor, M., O’Campo, S. (2015). Innovative Contested/Denied Operations (CDO) Environment Analysis Characteristics, Challenges, and Support Concepts Across the Air Force Distributed Common Ground Site Enterprise. (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2015-0025, AFRL/RHXM, March, 2015).
• McCloskey, M., Kancler, D., & O’Connor, M. (2014). A Cognitive Study of Air Force Intelligence Analysis Characteristics, Performance Barriers, and Support Opportunities in A2AD Environments. (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2014-0100, AFRL/RHXM, June, 2014).
• O’Connor, M., Arbuckle, N., Bowers, D., Militello, L. (2013). Unmanned Aerial System Exploitation. In press.
• McCloskey, M., O’Connor, M., Hoffman, R., & Kuperman, G. (2012). An Analyst-Centric Approach to Supporting Integrated Intelligence Production, (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2012-0111, AFRL/RHXM, July, 2012).
• McCloskey, M., O’Connor, M., & Kuperman, G. (2012). A Cognitive Analysis of the Blue Devil Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination Cell. (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2012-0067, AFRL/RHXM, January, 2012).
• McCloskey, M.J., Behymer, K.J., O’Connor, M., Klinger, D.W. & Kuperman, G.G. (2011). A Cognitive Systems Approach to Supporting Air Force Intelligence Analysis. (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2011-0066, AFRL/RHXM, February, 2011).
• O’Connor, M., Pacley, A., Gudorf, D., Reichert, M., Kuperman, G. (2008). Human Systems Technologies for Spectral Data Exploitation, WPAFB, OH: Air Force Research Laboratory Human Effectiveness Directorate. (DTIC Technical Report AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2008-0091, AFRL/RHCS, May, 2008).