Dr. Sarah Armstrong

Dr. Sarah Armstrong is the Distinguished Engineer for Advanced Hypersonics, a role she assumed in December 2024. With more than 27 years of dedicated service, Dr. Armstrong has established herself as a leading expert in advancing science and technology (S&T) initiatives vital to the Department of Defense's (DoD) hypersonic systems development. Her mission is to connect the warfighter to future hypersonic systems through collaboration and innovation. Dr. Armstrong's extensive experience in managing advanced technology initiatives critical to defense and innovation has been demonstrated through her various leadership positions. Most recently, she served as the Director for the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office Systems Engineering Field Activity (JHTO SEFA), where she led the team that developed a comprehensive roadmap for hypersonic systems, which has been adopted by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to inform and influence investment decisions. This roadmap has played a critical role in guiding the DoD's investments in S&T to address critical gaps and ensure alignment with future system requirements and operational imperatives. Further demonstrating her commitment to rapid innovation, Dr. Armstrong conceptualized and facilitated the Hyper-AMPD! Design Challenge. This initiative challenged nontraditional industry partners to design a low-cost, highly-manufacturable hypersonic system ready for flight testing within a rapid 24-month timeframe. Prior to this role, she held key positions focused on inter-service collaboration to drive system affordability. Dr. Armstrong holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, with a focus on radiation-hardened microelectronics. She began her academic journey at Purdue University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. She has been an active contributor to the national radiation effects community, serving in various capacities on behalf of the Hardened Electronics and Radiation Technology (HEART) Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Radiation Effects Steering Group (RESG).