Louie Lopez
Director, DoD Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
United States Department of Defense
Mr. Louie Lopez is the Director of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense in Research and Engineering’s (OUSD/R&E), Laboratories and Personnel. Mr. Lopez is responsible for the management and execution of the Department of Defense (DoD) K through Graduate STEM efforts under the National Defense Education Program (NDEP). His responsibilities include the Science Mathematics and Research Transformation (SMART) scholarship, Manufacturing Engineering Education Program, and STEM education and outreach initiatives under the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) cooperative agreement award in collaboration with partners from academia, industry, and other community organizations with a shared mission in STEM. He serves on a variety of Federal interagency working groups as part of the Federal Coordination on STEM Education. He is also responsible for developing policy, strategic direction, and coordination of STEM education activities across the Department to ensure alignment with DoD and Federal STEM Education Strategic plans.
Previously, Mr. Lopez served as the chief of STEM Education and Outreach for the U.S. Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), overseeing STEM efforts across the enterprise, leveraging eight major Army laboratory and engineering centers and its approximately 11,000 scientists and engineers, to engage and support command-wide STEM initiatives. His responsibilities included the technical and fiscal oversight of the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) cooperative agreement award on behalf of the Army science and technology community and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology (DASA R&T). Mr. Lopez also managed the Army, Navy, and Air Force Junior Science & Humanities Symposium high school research competition on behalf of AEOP. In 2017, Mr. Lopez served as the Acting Chief of Human Capital and talent management for CCDC. In 2017-2018, Mr. Lopez also served as the COR on the U.S. Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program support contract at DEVCOM.
Prior to serving in the federal government in 2011, Mr. Lopez worked as Director of a pre-collegiate STEM education program in the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) at the Lyles College of Engineering, at California State University, Fresno from 2006-2011, and previously served as Associate Director for University of California’s MESA Program at California State University, Fullerton from 1998 to 2005. From 1999-2003, Mr. Lopez taught computer science courses at California State University, Fullerton. Mr. Lopez proudly served in the United States Marine Corps.
Mr. Lopez earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, and Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from National University in San Diego, California. Mr. Lopez successfully completed the OPM sponsored Aberdeen Proving Ground Senior Leadership Course as part of COHORT 8 in 2016-2017.
Related Sessions
The Workforce Focus
Thursday, April 20, 2023
8:45 am - 3:15 pm
Track: Symposium Program