Johns Hopkins APL Director Emeritus Semmel Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Ralph Semmel, director emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Semmel was recognized for his leadership in generating innovative and disruptive technical advancements in defense, national security, and space exploration.

Election to the NAE honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice, or education. Members are elected by their peers and represent some of the world’s most accomplished engineers from industry, academia, and government. Semmel joins 130 U.S. members and 28 international members in the NAE class of 2026.

“Ralph’s election to the National Academy of Engineering reflects the national impact of his leadership and technical vision,” said APL Director Dave Van Wie, who is also an NAE member. “Throughout his 15 years as APL director, he positioned the Laboratory to tackle some of the nation’s most complex challenges while strengthening our culture of innovation and mission-driven engineering.”

Semmel served as APL director from 2010 until 2025, guiding the Laboratory through a period of strategic transformation. Under his leadership, APL created a strategy-driven approach to innovation that accelerated and enhanced APL’s impact to sponsors in the Department of War, NASA, the Intelligence Community, and other federal agencies. His tenure encompassed game-changing breakthroughs in domains such as air and missile defense, cyber, artificial intelligence and autonomy, hypersonics, space science and engineering, biomedical engineering, undersea systems, special operations, strategic systems, biothreat defense, and materials science.

“I am greatly honored to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering,” said Semmel. “This recognition reflects the expertise and dedication of the incredibly talented people at APL, whose work is defined by technical excellence and a deep commitment to service and advancing national security.”

Semmel joined APL in 1985, holding a range of technical and leadership roles before becoming the Laboratory’s eighth director. He is widely recognized for bridging cutting-edge engineering practices with real-world operational needs and for fostering multidisciplinary collaboration across government, academia, and industry.

“Election to the National Academy of Engineering is the highest professional honor accorded to an engineer in the United States,” said NAE President Tsu-Jae Liu. “It recognizes engineers whose technical achievements and leadership have made a lasting impact.”

Founded in 1964, the NAE provides independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation, offering leadership and insights to address complex challenges. As a member of the Class of 2026, Semmel will be formally inducted at the NAE Annual Meeting this fall.