John Main

Dr. John Main is deputy director of the Tactical Technology Office, a role he assumed in July 2023. Prior to this assignment, he was associate vice president of research at George Mason University.

Main has spent much of his career developing new technologies and businesses. He started as an engineering professor teaching and running a research lab developing adaptive optics. That led to a research program funded by DARPA, which led to two terms as a DARPA program manager in the Defense Sciences Office where he created programs in high-speed swimming, diver navigation, improvised weapons, climbing tools, and shape-changing materials. He then served three years as chief scientist in the Research Directorate at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). He has also founded a manufacturing company specializing in medical research instruments and served as chief operating officer of a startup company providing mission rehearsal simulation software.

Main received Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and mathematics from Western Kentucky University and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University.