Meet the Experts Shaping FORGE 2026

Explore our speakers, panelists, technical topics, and program highlights.

  • Featured Speakers
  • Panel Discussions
  • Technical Topics

Featured Speakers

The Honorable Amy E. Henninger, Ph.D., Director, Operational Test & Evaluation

Dr. Amy E. Henninger was sworn in as the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) on March 23, 2026. A Presidential appointee confirmed by the United States Senate, she serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense on operational and live fire test and evaluation of Department of War (DoW) weapon systems. In this position she is responsible for the oversight of all operational test and evaluation executed in the DoW, to include the independent evaluations of select acquisition programs cumulatively valued at over $3 trillion.

An established leader at the intersection of advanced technology and national security, Dr. Henninger’s three-decade career bridges federal service, the defense industrial base, and leading research institutions. Within the DoW, Dr. Henninger previously served as the first Senior Advisor for Software and Cybersecurity to DOT&E, where she was the Pentagon’s final technical authority for assessing these areas on major acquisition programs. Henninger also served as the Army’s Modeling & Simulation Executive, providing leadership for its $10 billion M&S portfolio, and as a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader, where she guided a cross-agency team in developing the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Digital Futures Strategy. Most recently, Dr. Henninger was the Senior Science Advisor for Advanced Computing at the Department of Homeland Security, shaping strategy and leading research in fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Quantum Information Science, and Modeling and Simulation.

Dr. Henninger’s executive capability is further anchored by deep experience within the commercial technology sector and the national security innovation base. She has managed high-growth technology ventures, establishing and leading a successful P&L center for the AI start-up Soar Technology, Inc., where she expanded research operations by 400% under sponsorship DARPA and other government labs. As a Staff Scientist at SAIC, she co-led the development of a distributed virtual training system used to train over 1.5 million soldiers for combat. She later served as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), providing thought leadership and analysis to senior leaders across the national security enterprise.

Dr. Henninger’s operational and executive insights are built upon a strong academic foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering with an emphasis in AI, alongside five other degrees across the mathematical, computing, engineering, social, and management sciences. Blending her deep academic knowledge of advanced technology and analytical skills with practical, hands-on expertise, she is a prolific contributor to the defense technical community. She has authored over 80 publications, taught university courses in computer science and AI, trained with the National Security Agency’s cyber red team, and received numerous awards for her work.

John L. Dargan, Ph.D., Executive Director, Requirements, Engineering, and Acquisition, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security

Dr. John L. Dargan is a member of the Senior Executive Service and serves as the Executive Director for the Requirements, Engineering, and Acquisition (REA) Office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. In this capacity, he directs an $85 million annual budget and leads a 75‑person federal workforce delivering advanced science, engineering, and innovation capabilities in support of S&T and DHS Components. His portfolio includes strategic foresight analysis to anticipate emerging threats and opportunities; operations analysis, mission engineering, standards, and test and evaluation to enable successful research and development and acquisition outcomes; and SAFETY Act implementation to incentivize anti‑terrorism technologies development, qualification, and deployment.

Prior to this role, Dr. Dargan directed the REA Systems Engineering and Standards Division, where he led systems engineering application and standards development for research and development and Component acquisition programs, efficiently transforming customer requirements into operational capabilities and managing technical risk from concept definition through deployment. Dr. Dargan also completed a detail as the S&T Chief of Staff, where he oversaw the operational and organizational needs of the $1 billion, 500‑employee S&T Directorate and served as an S&T adviser to the DHS Secretary and Under Secretary.

Before joining DHS S&T, Dr. Dargan served as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer in a variety of research and development, engineering, test, and acquisition assignments, directing major weapons, communications, and aircraft systems development efforts. He served as Chief Engineer for a revolutionary smart‑weapons system upgrade following Operation Desert Storm and later as an Acquisition Category I Program Manager for an interagency, joint‑service radar and communications system development program. He culminated his USAF career as Chief, Investment Programs Division, Headquarters USAF Congressional Budget Liaison, where he was the principal interface to congressional Appropriations and Budget Committees for flagship programs including the F‑22 and Joint Strike Fighter.

Dr. Dargan earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University. He is DHS Level III‑certified in Systems Engineering and Program Management and holds a United States patent for an innovative system data access approach. He received the Career Communications Group Career Achievement in Government Award and has been recognized through numerous DHS awards, including the Secretary’s Award for Excellence and the Under Secretary’s Award for Science and Technology. Dr. Dargan is also an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, where serves as a research advisor in the Cybersecurity doctoral program and provides course instruction in Cybersecurity Policy and Compliance.

 

Troy A. Asher, Acting Director, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Troy A. Asher is the acting center director at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Appointed to this position in March 2026, he oversees all aspects of management, strategy, and operations at Armstrong, one of the agency’s 10 field centers.
NASA Armstrong is the agency’s lead center for atmospheric flight research, operations, and testing, and continues to accelerate advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and stewardship of Earth.
Armstrong supports the agency by providing flight research and development for NASA aeronautics as well as global flight operations and development for NASA science in support of astrophysics and Earth science. Armstrong supports the agency’s human space flight and space technology efforts through atmospheric flight validation.

CAPT Cameron Mackley, USN, Commander, Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC)

Captain Cameron J. Mackley is the Commander of Defense Information Systems Agency’s Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC). In this position, he acts as the DoD’s Joint Interoperability Certifier and only non-Service Operational Test Agency for Information Technology (IT)/National Security Systems. The JITC provides risk-based Test Evaluation & Certification (TE&C) services, tools, and environments to ensure Joint Warfighting IT capabilities are interoperable and support mission needs.
Prior to this assignment, CAPT Mackley served as the Executive Officer at Naval Network Warfare Command out of Suffolk, VA from July 2023 to April 2026.

He served as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications and Information Systems (N6) for Commander, U.S. SEVENTH Fleet from September 2021 to June 2023.

He served as the Communications Systems Warfare Officer Community Manager for the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Officer Community Management Branch (BUPERS-3) from December 2018 to August 2021. He served as the Security Department Head at Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Yokosuka, Japan from September 2017 to November 2018. Mackley served as the Combat Systems Information Officer aboard USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) in Yokosuka, Japan from July 2016 to August 2017.

He also served as Network Systems Project Manager at Naval Satellite Operations Center from May 2014 to June 2016.
He laterally transferred to the Informational Professional Community in 2009 and served as the Electronics Maintenance Officer aboard USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) in San Diego, California from August 2009 to February 2012.

Mackley’s career began as a Surface Warfare Officer serving aboard USS STEPHEN W GROVES (FFG-29) as the Communications Officer and EKMS Manager from July 2007 to August 2009.

His decorations include the Navy Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2) and various other units, campaign and service awards.

Mackley earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2007. He earned a Master of Science in Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2014.

Panel Discussions

Testing in a Digital Environment

This panel is taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Moderator: Andrew Caldwell, Head Research and Development, Test and Evaluation in Ministry of Defense (MOD’s) Strategic Programmes Directorate

Panelists:
Anna Rubenstein, Ph.D., Director AI and Autonomy Testing, Andruil
To Be Announced
To Be Announced

Test Range Priorities: Urgent Needs & Solutions

Army Test Range Commanders and PMOs/PAEs share the most pressing challenges facing today’s test environments—and the solutions needed to support faster, more effective testing.

This panel is taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Moderator:  James Amato, US Army Test and Evaluation Command, Executive Technical Director

Panelists:
Representative from US Army Yuma Proving Ground
Representative from US Army Dugway Proving Ground

Multidisciplinary System Thinking Across Professional Networks: A Force Multiplier

Complex systems require a holistic systems thinking approach that considers relationships, dependencies, interactions, and emergent behaviors across disciplines and the broader system of systems context. Effective systems thinking depends on integrating diverse expertise from systems engineering, human factors, research, verification and validation, test and evaluation, industry, government, professional associations, and operational communities. This panel will explore how cross disciplinary collaboration, shared language, diverse perspectives, and professional networks can break down silos and serve as force multipliers for developing, assuring, and operating complex systems safely, securely, and effectively.

Moderator:  John Frederick, ITEA Senior Advisory Council and President, Veracity Engineering

Panelists:

Jim Sherman, (AIAA) Aeronautics at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Senior Director

Mica R. Endsley, Ph.D., (HFES) Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, President, SA Technologies

Antonios Kontsos, Ph.D., (DTC) Digital Twin Consortium, Henry M. Rowan Professor at Rowan University’s Mechanical Engineering Department and Director of the Digital Engineering Hub

David Harrsion, (NDIA), National Defense Industrial Association, Project Manager and Test Engineer, Lockheed Martin Space Systems

Jimmie McEver, Ph.D., (INCOSE) International Council of Systems Engineering, Deputy Technical Director, and Program Manager, Cyber Capability Integration and Principal Systems Scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Securing the Mission: Cyber, Cloud, and Data in an AI-Driven World: Trends and Best Practices Across Government and Commercial

Every organization — federal agency, defense contractor, or commercial enterprise — is under pressure to adopt AI. Far fewer have the security, compliance, and infrastructure foundations that make adoption safe, scalable, and sustainable. The gap between ambition and readiness is where programs stall, budgets evaporate, and risk accumulates.
This panel brings leaders from non-defense industries — alongside voices who have worked both sides of the government/commercial line — to examine the three foundations that determine whether AI adoption succeeds: cyber resilience in an era of AI-accelerated threats; cloud architectures that balance scale, sovereignty, and cost; and the data readiness that separates AI programs that deliver from those that disappoint. The focus is trends and best practices: panelists share how their industries develop rapidly, test at scale, and field AI and autonomy — without breaking security or safety.The conversation is deliberately two-way: what government can adopt from commercial speed and scale, and what commercial organizations can learn from government rigor in security and test discipline. Attendees leave with a practical playbook — adoption patterns that work, mistakes to avoid, and a Monday-morning action from every panelist.

Moderator: Bethany Plaza, Enterprise Account Executive in the Advanced Solutions Group at NexusTek

This panel is still taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Office Undersecretary of Defense/Prototyping, Experimentation

This panel is still taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Fireside Chat with U.S Senior T&E Leadership

Abstract:

This fireside chat will convene senior U.S. Senior Test and Evaluation (T&E) leaders for a strategic discussion on the evolving challenges, issues, and opportunities shaping the T&E environment. As agencies pursue modernization, emerging technologies, mission resilience, and accelerated delivery of capabilities, T&E is increasingly called upon to provide timely, credible, and actionable evidence to inform acquisition decisions.  The discussion will explore current environments affecting the T&E enterprise, including rapidly changing mission needs, constrained resources, complex technology, artificial intelligence and autonomy, cybersecurity considerations, workforce development, and the need to balance speed with rigor.  Members will share senior-leader perspectives on how T&E can evolve to support agile development, improve decision confidence, strengthen interagency collaboration, and enhance mission outcomes across the federal landscape.

Moderator: James Amato, US Army Test and Evaluation Command, Executive Technical Director

Panelists:

Paul Murphy, Director of Independent Test & Evaluation/Operational Test Authority, National Security Agency (NSA)

Terry Murphy, Director, Test and Evaluation for Science & Technology, Department of Homeland Security

Karen Saunders, Principal Deputy Director, Director Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E)

Eric Neiderman, Ph.D., Director, William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace and Director of Research, Federal Aviation Administration

International Panel

This panel is still taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Artificial Intelligence

This panel is still taking shape. Check back soon for details.

Moderator: Laura Freeman, Ph.D. Deputy Director, Virginia Tech National Security Institute – invited

Panelists:

Laura Rabbit, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Rapid-Test & Evaluation Cell (R-TEC), DoW Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) – invited 

To Be Announced

Technical Tracks Coming Soon!

Our technical program team is currently reviewing submitted abstracts and shaping the FORGE 2026 program. Technical tracks, presenters, and session details will be announced soon—stay tuned for what’s coming!