Captain Bryan Egner is an Instructor in the Department of Physics and Meteorology at the US Air Force Academy. Capt Egner earned his commission through the United States Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He also has both a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).

In his first assignment, at AFIT, Capt Egner developed and characterized a novel radiation detector for enhanced neutron detection with applications in general physics measurements and nuclear security, such as the warhead treaty verification mission, nuclear weapon environment diagnostics, and characterization of unknown devices. After earning his doctorate, Capt Egner served as a Nuclear Event Responder at the Air Force Technical Application Center (AFTAC) where he was the primary Technical Event Field Leader for a multi-agency taskforce charged with collecting nuclear debris ground samples after a CONUS nuclear detonation event. Following this, he served as AFTAC’s Surveillance and Analysis Group Executive Officer streamlining operational communication across the Wing and strategic messaging to Air Force Leadership.

Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala. (2024)

Doctor of Philosophy, Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio (2021)

Master of Science, Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio (2019)

Bachelor of Science, Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa. (2017)

Instructor of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Colo. (2025-present)

Executive Officer, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. (2024-2025)

Nuclear Event Responder, Air Force Technical Applications Center, Patrick AFB, Fla. (2021-2024)

Graduate Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (2017-2021)

Meritorious Service Medal (2025)

Co-Inventor, US Patent 11054535 B2, “Efficient, Dual-particle Directional Detection System Using a Rotating Scatter Mask” (2021)

AFIT’s Alpha Chapter American Nuclear Society Thesis Award (2019) and Chapter Certificate of Distinction Award (2018, 2019, 2020)

AFIT’s Advanced Technical Intelligence Association (ATIA) Outstanding Student Award (2019)

The American Nuclear Society Student Conference, Best Graduate Paper (2018)

The Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering ROTC Student Marshal (2017)

Radiation Detection

Nuclear Weapons Effects

Nuclear Forensics & Security

Radiation Transport Modeling