President Donald Trump has nominated aerospace engineer Joseph Jewell to become the next assistant secretary of defense for science and technology (S&T), according to a notice posted on Congress.gov.
Jewell brings almost 30 years of experience to the role, including decades spent advancing hypersonics research and development in both academia and government.
As noted on his LinkedIn page, Jewell is currently an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University. Prior to that role, Jewell spent two years conducting hypersonics research at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
If confirmed, Jewell would oversee the DoD’s vast S&T enterprise, including emerging technologies, workforce, laboratories, and collaborations with industry and academia. Jewell’s extensive hypersonics experience would be particularly valuable as the Defense Department (DoD) has identified hypersonic research and development as a top priority.
Other key initiatives for the office include FutureG, quantum science, and advanced manufacturing.
Jewell’s nomination was submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 31, though a date for his nomination hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The S&T position at the Pentagon, established in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, was first held by Aprille Ericsson under the Biden administration. The assistant secretary for S&T reports to the undersecretary for research and engineering. President Trump’s nominee for that undersecretary position – former Uber chief business officer Emil Michael is still awaiting Senate confirmation.