Program Manager
Microsystems Technology Office
Julian McMorrow, Ph.D., joined DARPA in February 2025 as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). His research interests include expeditionary manufacturing, organic and nanomaterial electronics, radiation hardened electronics, and unconventional computing.
Prior to joining DARPA as a program manager, McMorrow worked as a scientist with Booz Allen Hamilton, where he advised DARPA and other U.S. government clients on research and development programs in advanced microelectronics, with a focus on directed energy.
Education
- Ph.D., Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern University
- M.S., Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- B.S., Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- B.S., Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Ideas under incubation
- Living microsystems for computing, sensing, and control: Recent demos of fungal mycelia interfacing with robots open possibilities for living microsystems over conventional computing for control, communications, and sensing. What are fungi’s limits as control elements? Are interfaces a barrier? Can fungi be trained, grown, and propagated?
- Lunar Manufacturing Infrastructure, Energy Generation and Storage: A lunar economy will require in-situ resource utilization of lunar-abundant materials. What are the challenges and opportunities in isolating and purifying critical elements from regolith? Can these technologies scale for manufacture? Which energy solutions best suit a lunar environment?
- Microelectronics black start: Which technologies enable, or challenges hinder, the rapid black-start reconstitution of a new microelectronics manufacturing capability? Can existing supplies be repurposed while capacity is built? Can a clean-slate capability replace traditional with unconventional microsystems?