Aprille Joy Ericsson, PhD, is an aerospace engineer who served as the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology. Ericsson was the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in mechanical engineering from Howard University, and also the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in engineering at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center. Ericsson started working at NASA while attending graduate school at Howard University, and stayed for more than 30 years, as an engineer, technologist, instrument lead, and project and program manager. The projects she worked on include the James Webb Space Telescope and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. On September 28, 2023, President Biden nominated Ericsson to be assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. She served from March 29, 2024 until January 20, 2025.
