HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (04/25/2013)(readMedia)-- On April 19, the Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest at Hampden-Sydney College presented the Patrick Henry Award to Dr. R. Carter Morris, H-SC Class of 1966, to recognize his outstanding career dedicated to public service. The award is named for the patriot Patrick Henry, who was an early trustee of the College.
Morris received his B.S. in physics from Hampden-Sydney College and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Virginia. His field of study was experimental condensed-matter physics.
He currently holds the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Chair of Intelligence Studies in the School of Science and Technology Intelligence at the National Intelligence University in Washington, DC. He joined the National Intelligence University in October 2010.
After receiving his Ph.D., Morris spent two years on the faculty at the University of Virginia before moving to the Physics Department at Florida State University where his research concentrated on exploring the electrical and magnetic properties of materials at low temperatures.
In 1984 Morris joined the CIA in the Office of Research and Development (ORD). He held both senior scientist and management positions concentrating of the development of technology to support human operations and signals intelligence operations. He then moved to the Nonproliferation Center as the Special Assistant to the Director for Research and Development where he was responsible for coordinating government-wide research to provide intelligence on foreign weapons of mass destruction (WMD) activities. He went on to serve as Deputy Director of a Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) group in the Office of Technical Collection that focused on collection of forensic intelligence on WMD activities.
Morris was subsequently detailed from CIA to a number of Intelligence Community (IC) assignments. He served as Deputy Director of the Central MASINT Organization in the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), as Deputy Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Collection, as Director of Information Sharing and Knowledge Management, and later as Chief of Staff in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).