After receiving his doctorate in Space Science and Astronomy from Rice University, Dr. Behnke worked for Cornell University as a senior scientist at the Arecibo Observatory, the largest radio-radar telescope in the world. In 1982, he left Puerto Rico and began 32 years of work at US National Science Foundation (NSF). Until 2015, during his last 22 years at the NSF. Dr. Behnke led the Geospace Section (programs in aeronomy, magnetospheric physics, solar physics, space weather and geospace facilities). From early 2007 to mid 2008, he was Acting Director of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, an NSF Division awarding more than $200M in grants and cooperative agreements to not only geospace fields, but also to research in climate, weather and atmospheric chemistry. In 2002, for his pioneering work in bringing space weather to the attention of the public, Dr. Behnke was awarded the NOAA Environmental Hero Award. For his accomplishments at NSF, he was awarded (2012) NSF’s Director’s Distinguished Service Award — the highest honor award conferred by the National Science Foundation. In 2014, he was elected Fellow in the American Meteorology Society. Dr. Behnke retired from NSF in 2015 and formed a small scientific consulting company, SciencePrime, LLC which specializes in editing and reviewing proposals. Since 2017, Dr. Behnke has been a member of the UAEREP Scientific Directions Committee (SDC).