Mara Named Head of Force Projection Sector at Johns Hopkins APL

Andrew Mara has been named head of the Force Projection Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.

A widely recognized researcher and leader in defense, national security and related technologies, Mara joined APL in 2023 as the head of the National Security Analysis Department (NSAD), where he led the development of advanced technical capabilities to enable high-impact analyses of strategic challenges. He has championed advances in wargaming and simulations, including innovative deployments of artificial intelligence, to provide the nation’s senior leaders with new advantages.

“Andrew’s proven leadership and deep technical expertise will be critical as the Laboratory addresses urgent national security priorities,” said APL Director Dave Van Wie. “His impressive vision and innovative approaches will propel our teams as they create bold new capabilities to address the complex threats facing our country.”

Before joining APL, Mara served as executive vice president at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), the U.S. Navy’s federally funded research and development center. He spent more than 12 years at the Department of Defense, where he most recently served as deputy director of capability enablers in the Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He was also a member of the Senior Executive Service.

At CAPE, he led teams of engineers, scientists and military service members to provide the secretary of defense with independent assessments of capabilities, risks, operational impacts and costs across critical national defense domains, including strategic systems; nuclear command, control and communications (NC3); missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); cyber; space; and hypersonics. For his contributions, he received a Presidential Rank Award and the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal.

Mara holds bachelor’s degrees in molecular biology and economics from the University of California, San Diego, and a doctorate in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from Yale University.