Stephen Winchell

Mr. Stephen Winchell became the 24th Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in May 2025. A physicist, AI and autonomy expert, and proven innovator, he brings a rare blend of technical depth, operational experience, and innovation leadership to the Department of Defense’s flagship research organization. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Winchell led the artificial intelligence and autonomy portfolio for the Department of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office, where he oversaw efforts to accelerate the transition of advanced algorithms and autonomous systems into operational use. He previously served as the chief engineer for the Pentagon’s Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team—known as Project Maven—guiding some of the Department’s earliest and most consequential applications of machine learning to national security missions. Mr. Winchell has a broad background across defense science and technology. He served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), worked with a venture-backed start-up focused on AI security, and contributed to national security programs at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. His technical portfolio has spanned submarines and unmanned systems, radar and sonar, advanced sensors and weapons, computer network operations, and biometrics. A 2005 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Mr. Winchell served on active duty as a nuclear-trained submarine officer on the USS Charlotte in the Pacific and later returned to the Academy as a faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. As a Navy Reserve Commander, he has supported U.S. Cyber Command, the Office of Naval Research, and deployed to East Africa in support of counterterrorism operations. He is a native Spanish speaker who grew up in Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Colombia. Mr. Winchell earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the U.S. Naval Academy; a Master of Science in Applied Physics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School; a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University; and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia.