Joseph Jewell was officially sworn in and began his role as the new assistant secretary of defense for science and technology (S&T) Thursday morning, the Pentagon announced.
He was confirmed by the Senate on a 53-43 vote in December. In his role, he will report to the defense undersecretary for research and engineering, a role currently held by Emil Michael.
“The future of our national security lies at the intersection of science and technology, and we will lead from the front. My focus is the comprehensive advancement of our capabilities. We will achieve this by pushing the boundaries in critical areas like hypersonics and biomanufacturing, modernizing our labs, and empowering our people,” Jewell said in a statement posted on X by the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer.
Jewell, an aerospace engineer, was tapped by President Donald Trump in late March 2025 to help oversee the Department of Defense (DOD) – rebranded as the War Department by the Trump administration – S&T enterprise. That includes its emerging technologies, workforce, laboratories, and collaborations with industry and academia.
Jewell has nearly 30 years of experience covering a wide range of S&T-related work. Notably, he spent decades working on hypersonics research and development within academia and government. Prior to his role at DOD’s S&T, he was an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“We will invest in the bold ideas needed to secure the technological dominance that gives our warfighters overwhelming advantage and ensures our nation’s strategy of deterrence,” he added.