Mary Miller
Principal Deputy to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
Ms. Mary J. Miller is currently Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)). In April 2016, she joined the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics as the Principal Deputy (PD) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. As the PD, she is responsible for the Department of Defense (DoD) research and development strategies and plans to develop and leverage technologies needed to ensure U.S. technological superiority. She provides leadership and establishes guidance for the development and execution of the DoD Science and Technology (S&T) enterprise as well as lead joint prototyping and experimentation efforts, systems engineering and developmental test policies and procedures with an annual budget in excess of $12 billion. Ms. Miller oversees research efforts at 63 DoD laboratories, warfare centers, and engineering centers, in addition to prototyping, systems engineering, and developmental test efforts for the Department – all focused on delivering next generation capabilities to the U.S. warfighter. She promotes coordination and cooperation across DoD components, between DoD and other federal and non-federal agencies and organizations, and ensures technological exchange with allied and partner nations. Ms. Miller also serves as the U.S. Principal for The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP), an international organization that collaborates in defense scientific and technical information exchange; program harmonization and alignment, and shared research activities between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the U.S.
Prior to her current assignment, she served three years as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology (DASA(R&T)). In that role, she was responsible for policy and oversight of the research and technology programs, which span 16 Laboratories and Research, Development and Engineering Centers, employs nearly 12,000 scientists and engineers and had a yearly budget that exceeded $2.4 billion. Ms. Miller was charged with identifying, developing, and demonstrating technology options that informed and enabled effective and affordable capabilities for Soldiers. She was also responsible for developing an S&T strategy responsive to Army needs- near term (5 years) to far term (more than 20 years). Her S&T portfolio covered basic research through the development and demonstration of components, subsystems, Manufacturing Technology, and technology system prototypes.
Between 2010-2013, Ms. Miller served as the Deputy Program Executive Officer for Soldier, where she was the principal civilian for the Department of the Army responsible for the design, development, procurement, fielding, and sustainment of a portfolio with more than 460 products/systems and a $3 billion budget. Her work encompassed virtually everything a Soldier wears or carries. From 2005-2010, Ms. Miller served as the Director for Technology, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. She was responsible for oversight and coordination of Army’s S&T efforts to transition technology in support of acquisition programs.
Ms. Miller received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Electro-Physics, from George Washington University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee. She was selected in 2005 to the Senior Executive Service and is Defense AcquisitionWorkforce Level III certified in Program Management; Engineering; and Science and Technology Management.