“A Strategic View of Defense Research and Engineering”
Zachary J. Lemnios, Keynote Speaker
Director, Defense Research & Engineering (DDR&E)
Department of Defense
The Honorable Zachary J. Lemnios was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 19, 2009, and sworn in as Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) on July 2, 2009. The DDR&E is the principal staff advisor for research and engineering matters to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) and the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense. In this capacity, Mr. Lemnios serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Department of Defense charged with the development and oversight of DoD technology strategy in concert with the Department’s current and future requirements. The goal of DDR&E is to extend the capabilities of current war fighting systems, develop breakthrough capabilities, hedge against an uncertain future through a set of scientific and engineering options and counter strategic surprise. In cooperation with the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology (DUSD(A&T)), DDR&E also provides advice and assistance in developing policies for rapid technology transition.
Mr. Lemnios is a Principal member, Committee on Technology of the National Science and Technology Council; Advisor, Defense Acquisition Board; Chairman, Radiation Hardened Oversight Council (RHOC); Chairman, Defense Science and Technology Advisory Group (DSTAG); Chairman, Armed Services Biomedical Research Evaluation and Management Committee; Chairman, DoD Combat Feeding Research and Engineering Board (CFREB); and Chairman, DoD Biometrics Executive Committee.
Before assuming this position, Mr. Lemnios was the Chief Technology Officer of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, responsible for coordinating technology strategy across the organization and for establishing and growing external strategic relationships to support current and future Laboratory missions. He also served as Assistant Division Head of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Solid State Division, as a member of the Laboratory's Senior Management Council and as the Co-Chair of the Laboratory's New Technology Initiative (NTI) Board.
Between 2002 and 2005, while at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Mr. Lemnios was Director of the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), and previous to that, the Deputy Director of the Information Processing Technology Office (IPTO). In these positions, he oversaw the development of future research thrusts, analyzed and evaluated program proposals and engagements with commercial, academic organizations and represented DARPA on various national committees.
Mr. Lemnios held various positions within industry at Hughes Aircraft Company, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Ford Microelectronics, Inc. that led to the development and demonstration of advanced microelectronic components. He has served on numerous DoD, industry and academic committees.
Mr. Lemnios received his BSEE from the University of Michigan and his MSEE from Washington University in St. Louis. He has authored over 40 papers, holds 4 patents in advanced GaAs device and MMIC technology and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.
“DARPA/MTO Initiatives in Adaptive RF/Mixed-Signal Microsystems”
Sanjay Raman, Ph.D.
Program Manager
Microsystems Technology Office (MTO)
DARPA
Sanjay Raman has been serving as Program Manager in the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) at DARPA since September 2007. He is on assignment to DARPA from Virginia Tech where he is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His programmatic interests include: silicon-based RF/microwave mm-wave circuits; adaptive, self-correcting mixed-signal circuits; high-speed compound semiconductor devices and circuits; heterogeneous integration; MEMS-enabled filters; and cognitive radio and sensor microsystems. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan in Electrical Engineering in 1998, and his Bachelor's degree in EE from Georgia Tech in 1987. From 1987-1992 he served as a Nuclear trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.
“NASA R&D Opportunities and Needs for Future Mars Missions”
Andrew L. Benjamin, Ph.D.
Avionic Senior Technologist
NASA Johnson Space Center
Earning a BSEE, MSEE, and Ph. D EE, Dr. Andrew Benjamin graduated from Louisiana Tech, Southern Methodist University, and Colorado State University, respectively. After completing his doctoral degree, he joined NASA Johnson Space Center in 1993. Less than two years, he was promoted to head an avionic technology branch. In 2004, he was appointed to lead several Small Business Innovation Research subtopics including EVA radio, cameras, displays, and integrated systems. Recently, he was appointed to lead multi-core processor technology planning and development to close a critical gap for NASA deep space human exploration. Then he was appointed to co-lead game changing communication technologies to accelerate NASA Space Communication and Navigation capabilities as the agency migrates to higher Ka-band communications. He is a frequent NASA speaker at Next- Generation Software Defined Radio Conferences where he promotes the NASA Space Telecommunication Radio Systems (STRS) Standard.
Serving as an avionic advocate on matters concerning agency-wide technology, Dr. Benjamin integrates JSC avionic technologies with other agency centers and manages the EVA avionic technology portfolio for human space exploration. This entails performing strategic technology integration and promoting avionic opportunities across the agency.
His new technology assignment focuses on fostering and leveraging academic partnerships to develop new capabilities to enable NASA to go beyond Low Earth Orbit. As the agency makes a cultural shift towards creativity and innovation, this will stimulate academic excitement and enable disruptive breakthroughs. Three key areas will be pivotal:
- Early –stage innovation,
- Game changing technology, and
- Cross-cutting capability demonstrations.
With the grand challenge to land a human on the asteroid, Dr. Benjamin will be advocating game-changing technologies to make human-rated missions affordable and sustainable. Working with both Exploration Missions and Space Operations Directorate, he will be maturing cutting –edge avionic technologies to propel NASA into a new age of discovery and exploration. Formulating far-sighted avionic technology roadmaps, Dr. Benjamin will leading several new technology initiatives to guide NASA towards fulfilling President Obama’s ambitious vision to send humans deeper into space and on to Mars.
