Rich Scissors grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri. He graduated from University of Missouri with a B.S. in Education specializing in Mathematics in 1973. Rich went on to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics from University of Minnesota in 1979. He then went to work for the Department of Defense as a Cryptomathematician. Rich’s career spanned 37 years. He had a wide range of experience as both a Cryptomathematician and manager in Signals Intelligence, Information Assurance, and Security and Counterintelligence. Rich was a Senior Executive for eight years Senior Technical Leader for an additional seven years.
Some of Rich’s jobs and responsibilities included: SIGINT Foreign Partner Strategist, Cryptanalysis Expenditure Center Manager, Chief Signals & Physical Sciences Center, and Technical liaison on 3-year tour with a foreign partner.
Rich gave back to the DoD community serving on the Mathematics Hiring Advisory Board, Resident Signals Engineering Governing Board, DoD Software Protection Initiative Governing Board, plus five others. He was a Senior Executive mentor for five Senior Technical Development Program participants and a Senior Advocate for the LGBT & Allies Employee Resource Group.