Aprille Joy Ericsson, a more than three-decade aerospace engineer at NASA, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve in a new assistant secretary position at the Department of Defense, according to the White House.
In July, DOD established three new assistant secretary of defense positions in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to replace the deputy chief technology officer role. The ASDs will focus on science and technology, critical technologies and mission capabilities.
“The establishment of these roles within Research & Engineering better positions our team to execute upon our mission of preserving our nation’s technological edge, now and into the future,” said Heidi Shyu, under secretary of defense for research and engineering and three-time Wash100 Award winner.
If confirmed, Ericsson will bring to DOD expansive experience gained from working at NASA since 1992. She currently serves as new business lead at the space agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center Instrument Systems and Technology Division, where she drives the establishment of government, academe and industry partnerships on research and development efforts.
Her NASA career also includes time as an instrument project manager and an attitude control systems analyst.