Peter Highnam, former research director at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, has been named deputy director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
DARPA said Monday Highnam will support the agency’s research projects in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, communications, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, biosecurity and warfighter health.
He succeeds Stefanie Tompkins, who will leave DARPA this month to become vice president for research and technology transfer at the Colorado School of Mines.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence assigned Highnam to his previous role at NGA, where he oversaw the agency’s research organization.
He also worked as the director of ODNI’s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, as well as held senior adviser posts at the National Institutes of Health and at the Department of Health and Human Services‘ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
He initially joined DARPA in 1999 as a program manager under the agency’s electronic warfare and airborne communications programs.
Highnam joined the public sector after he served as a director at diagnostics technology company OXIVA.
