He graduated with High Honors from University of Wisconsin–Madison with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with support from a Scott Paper Company scholarship.
From 1968 to 1981, Molander served in numerous government positions in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Department of Defense, and the National Security Council (NSC) staff.
In 1981, Molander left government service and formed Ground Zero, a nonpartisan education project on nuclear war geared to the American public and national and local media.
From 1989 to 2012, Molander was employed as a Senior Research Scientist/Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he developed RAND's “Day After...” strategic planning exercise methodology to major national policy and strategy issues and other studies, leading teams focused on the U.S. response to nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation problems; homeland security challenges (including all aspects of chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear terrorism preparedness); the international security impact of the information technology (IT) revolution; and the terrorism threat to U.S. government continuity of operations.
[3] The Earl and Roger Molander Scholarship Fund is awarded annually to a graduate from a Wisconsin public high school (preferably Marinette High School) to fund a semester of study in a chemical engineering or engineering program.