Air Force names new chief scientist from DARPA, Silicon Valley

The Air Force has selected Victoria Coleman, former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, as its new chief scientist.

Coleman began her new position last week, Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews confirmed in an email to Inside Defense today. She served as DARPA's director between September 2020 and January 2021.

Coleman has more than 35 years of experience in computer science and technology, according to her biography on the Air Force's website. Prior to DARPA, she was chief executive officer of Atlas AI, a Silicon Valley startup focused on machine learning and software development, and chief technology officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Wikipedia.

Coleman has also been an advisory board member at defense contractors LookingGlass Cyber Solutions and Lockheed Martin, as well as the Defense Science Board.

She takes over as Air Force chief scientist from physicist Richard Joseph, who had been serving in the role since 2018.