![profile photo of Bill Nichols](https://www.physics.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bill-Nichols-BOV-300x300.jpg)
Bill earned his B.S. in Physics and Astronomy at UW–Madison in 1975 and M.S. in Defense and Strategic Studies at Missouri State University in 2008. He is a former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer and has 40-years of experience in the defense and aerospace industries. In 2020, he retired from The Boeing Company where he was a Technical Director supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Bill has since re-located to Madison and works part-time as an Independent Contractor for MDA.