Johns Hopkins APL Executives Appointed to Defense Science Board

Two executives at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland — James Miller and David Van Wie — have been appointed to the Defense Science Board (DSB), a federal advisory committee chartered to provide Department of Defense (DoD) leadership with independent advice and recommendations on matters related to strengthening national security.

“The Defense Science Board pulls together distinguished technical leaders from across the community, and we are so fortunate to have James Miller and David Van Wie as members of our new board,” said Eric Evans, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory and chair of the DSB.

The board’s 40 members are appointed to terms of up to four years and are considered eminent authorities in the fields of science, technology and manufacturing; the acquisition process; and other matters of special interest to the DoD.

“Jim and Dave bring a wealth of experience and technical thought leadership on issues that are critically important to the nation,” said APL Director Ralph Semmel. “It is an honor to have these two APL leaders at the table alongside experts from various fields, tackling pressing and complex challenges for the Department of Defense.”

Miller, former undersecretary of defense for policy and an expert in nuclear deterrence, missile defense, cyber conflict and space policy, now serves as APL’s assistant director for policy and analysis. In this role, he leads significant Laboratory initiatives focused on national security and related research and development priorities. In addition to his position at APL, Miller serves on the National Security Council staff, responsible for leading the U.S. in the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) security agreement.

“The DSB has done critical work for the nation for decades, and it is a real privilege to rejoin this incredibly talented team,” said Miller, who also served as a board member from 2014 to 2020.

Van Wie is one of the nation’s foremost experts in hypersonics. He is head of the Laboratory’s Air and Missile Defense Sector, overseeing all work related to an APL mission that traces its roots to the Laboratory’s founding project: the radio proximity fuze. During his 39-year APL career, he has served in a succession of leadership roles with increasing responsibility. He has also played key roles in major studies conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board; and the Defense Science Board.

“It is a great honor to be appointed to the Defense Science Board, which has a long and distinguished history of providing advice to DoD leadership,” Van Wie said. “I look forward to contributing to the Board’s investigations into some of the biggest and most pressing science, technology and engineering challenges facing the Department of Defense.”

Miller and Van Wie were sworn in on March 30 and April 6, respectively.