Director
Directors Office
Stephen Winchell joined DARPA as its 24th Director in May 2025.
Prior to this appointment, he led the artificial intelligence and autonomy portfolio for the Defense Department’s Strategic Capabilities Office. Previously, he was chief engineer for the Pentagon’s Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team, commonly known as Project Maven.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he later taught as a faculty member in the electrical and computer engineering department. He also served as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy and continues to serve as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He has been a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity and worked with a venture-backed start-up focused on AI security.
He is a rescue SCUBA diver, skydiver, and avid student of military history.
Education
- MBA, University of Virginia
- MS, Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
- MS, Applied Physics, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
- BS, Physics, U.S. Naval Academy
