(Retired) Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Defense
B.S. ME 1962, The University of Texas at Austin
M.S. ME 1964,The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. EM 1966,The University of Texas at Austin
Charles E. McQueary, the first in his family to attend college, enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin in the fall of 1958 and continued graduate studies through the award of his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics. During the time at UT, he was fortunate to work with Dr. Lyle G. Clark, his master’s and Ph.D. theses advisor.
In 1966, McQueary began his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories which provided a unique opportunity to work for a premier research and development organization. During his 21 years at Bell, McQueary focused on work for the Department of Defense including Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems, underwater acoustic systems, and fiber optic communication systems. In 1971 he began a two-year assignment of ABM development on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, and in 1973 he began two years of oceanographic research in Wales, United Kingdom. In 1987, McQueary transferred to AT&T in North Carolina to become Vice President, Navy Systems. The business unit was acquired by General Dynamics Corporation in 1997, and McQueary joined GD as President of Advanced Technology Systems, remaining until his retirement in 2002.
McQueary was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the nation’s first Undersecretary of Science and Technology in the Department of Homeland Security, established in 2003. S&T was responsible for leading the effort to use our nation’s scientific and technological resources to help protect the homeland. In 2006, he was appointed by President Bush to be Director, Operational Test and Evaluation for the Department of Defense, and senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Congress on appropriate testing of some 300 major weapons systems.
McQueary retired from the government in 2009 and served five years as a board member of an international corporation. He continues to have an active role in the local community in Greensboro, North Carolina. He served for many years on the UT Engineering Foundation Advisory Committee and as a Board of Trustees Member for the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University.
McQueary is happily married to his wife, Cheryl, for almost 47 years. He is also blessed with a daughter, Joanna, son-in-law Donny and granddaughter, Carley. He is forever grateful for the excellent educational opportunities afforded by his time at UT Austin.
