Dr. Victoria Coleman has been named the latest director of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA, which was established in 1958 as part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), is designed to explore the latest technologies and techniques that might serve in different systems to depend the nation. DARPA has traditionally involved the collaboration of academic, corporate, and government partners and has focused on technological advanced for the military but has also produced advances that have benefited the public.
Dr. Coleman (see figure) takes the reins from the Acting DARPA Director, Dr. Peter Highnam, who will return to his role as Deputy Director of DARPA. Dr. Coleman’s career spans more than 30 years in academic efforts, the private, sector, and in government, including with previous service as the founding chairperson of DARPA’s Microsystems Exploratory Council and membership on the Defense Science Board. Dr. Coleman has an extensive academic background in which she led research at the University of California at Berkeley, at California’s Santa Clara University, and at the University of London.
Michael Kratsios, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, feels that Dr. Coleman will help DARPA build upon its high standards: “During this era of great power competition, DARPA is critical to strengthening the U. S. military’s technological dominance and advancing innovations that benefit our warfighters. We are excited to welcome Dr. Coleman as the new director and look forward to building upon DARPA’s unmatched record of achievement.”