John R. Clarke

John R. Clarke (born November 20, 1945) is an American scientist, private pilot and author. He is currently the Scientific Director at the United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU). Clarke is recognized as a leading authority on underwater breathing apparatus engineering.

Background Clarke is the youngest of four children; his siblings are now deceased.

In 1969, Clarke volunteered for the United States Army Reserves. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1974 then Captain in 1979. Clarke was honorably discharged in September 1980.

While at Georgia Tech in 1965, Clarke earned his scuba diving certification. He later participated in the NOAA/ Navy Scientist in the Sea program in 1972. He then went to the Navy Dive School in 1980. Clarke has remained an active scuba diver throughout his career.

Clarke received his private pilot license in 1974 and instrument rating in 1978. He currently owns a Piper Arrow and volunteers as a pilot for Angel Flight Southeast.

Education Clarke graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas in 1964. He received a BS degree in applied biology (1969), and an MS degree (1971) from Georgia Tech. His master's thesis studied the impact of pressure on Sacchromyces cerevisiae.

Physiology continued to drive Clarke and in 1976 he completed his Doctor of Philosophy by evaluating changes in physiology and pharmacology in bivalve molluscs hearts at Florida State University (FSU).

Academic career While completing his doctorate at FSU, Clarke worked as instructor and director of development in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences at Thomas County Community College from 1975 to 1976.

While working for the US Navy, Clarke accepted an appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor with Graduate Advisory Status for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences from 1984 to 1990. Elizabeth Jane McCarthy, Rungchai Chaunchaiyakul, Erich C. Frandrup, and Adam J. Smith.

US Navy career In 1979, Clarke joined the team at the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI), now called the Naval Medical Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He was the head of the Respiratory Physiology Branch of the Physiology Division in the Diving Medicine Department. When Clarke left NMRI in 1991, he was the Diving Life Support Equipment Program Director GM-14.

Clarke led a team of researchers, scientists and engineers while at NMRI. The projects included work on diving equipment and physiology that included high frequency ventilation experiments.

From 1983 to 1991, Clark served as a National Research Council mentor for PhD research fellows. This work includes equipment evaluations and physiology experimentation.

Writing Clarke's interest in writing began early. He published his first scientific article at age fifteen. While an undergraduate engineering student, he was paid for two of his articles in the Georgia Tech Engineer.

Max McCoy, author for the Indiana Jones franchise from 1995 on, claimed that Middle Waters was a book he had wished he'd written and would read over and over again. and Florida State University Diving Control Board. Clarke also lectures to the general diving public about issues impacting diver safety.

Awards In 1998, Clarke was selected as a Naval Sea Systems Command Spring 1998 trainee for "Leadership for a Democratic Society" course at the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia.