Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has appointed Dr. Eric D. Evans as the chair of the Defense Science Board, and he was sworn-in today.
Dr. Evans is the Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, a multidisciplinary federally funded research and development center that focuses on advanced technology development and system prototyping for national security needs. Throughout his career, Dr. Evans has been involved in research and development related to radar technology, advanced signal processing, and air and missile defense. From 2012 through 2018, he was the Chair of the Board for the National GEM Consortium supporting graduate science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) education for underrepresented minorities. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He holds bachelor's, master's and doctor of philosophy degrees in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University.
As the chair of the DSB, Dr. Evans will lead a group of distinguished members that, through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, provides independent advice and recommendations on matters concerning science, technology, manufacturing, acquisition process, and other topics of special interest to the department in response to specific tasks from the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Dr. Evans has previously served as vice-chair of the DSB, where he co-led several studies, including DSB task forces on improvised explosive devices and on cyber security and reliability in a digital Cloud.
In accepting the appointment as DSB chair, Dr. Evans noted, "I am deeply honored to serve in this role, and I look forward to working closely with DoD senior leadership and the DSB members at a time when science and technology advances are critically important for protecting the U.S. and our allies from new threats."
The DSB is the premier science and technology advisory board within the United States government. The DSB was established in 1956 in response to recommendations from the Hoover Commission. Since its inception, the DSB has advised senior leaders on pressing and complex technology issues facing the department in research, engineering, and manufacturing in combination with strategy, tactics, operational concepts, and other factors. Through addressing the department's most irksome, consequential, and unstructured problems that involve science and technology, the DSB has a rich history of identifying new technologies and applications in many areas that strengthen national security. The DSB has been and will continue to be a valuable resource as the department defends the nation, takes care of our people and succeeds through teamwork. The DoD leadership team looks forward to working with Dr. Evans in his new role as the DSB chair, as well as with the whole board as it begins its work.
Additional information about the Defense Science Board can be found at https://dsb.cto.mil.
