Staff
Dr. Arun Seraphin, Executive Director
Dr. Arun Seraphin is the Executive Director of Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI). He was promoted from his previous position as the Deputy Director of ETI in May 2023. Before joining the ETI team, Dr. Seraphin was a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. His areas of responsibility included acquisition policy, Pentagon management issues, Department of Defense's science and technology programs, information technology systems, technology transition issues, defense laboratories, Small Business Innovation Research program, manufacturing programs, and test and evaluation programs. As such he assisted Senators in their oversight of DOD policies and programs, including in the authorization of budgets, civilian nominations, legislative initiatives, and hearings. He rejoined the committee staff in 2014, after previously serving there between 2001 and 2010. In 2009, he was named one of ten Defense "Staffers to Know" by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.
From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Seraphin served as the Principal Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). During this time, he both led (in an Acting capacity) and served as the deputy director of the OSTP National Security and International Affairs division. His areas of responsibility included developing and implementing White House initiatives and policies in areas including defense research and engineering; weapons of mass destruction; defense manufacturing and industrial base; science, technology, engineering , and mathematics (STEM) education; cybersecurity; and promoting innovation in government research and engineering organizations. He also led interagency groups on small business programs and on improving the quality of the Federal STEM workforce. He was on detail to OSTP from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was the Special Assistant for Policy Initiatives to the Director of DARPA.
Dr. Seraphin has also worked on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research as a professional staff member. He began his work in Congress in the Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman as the 1999-2000 Materials Research Society - Optical Society of America Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. In these positions, he covered both civilian and defense research and development programs.
Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Seraphin worked in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, where his research included work on defense technology transition, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), export controls, technology forecasting, and international research cooperation. His work included detailed technical analyses supporting the DARPA MEMS program, the Army Science and Technology Master Plan, and the Military Critical Technologies Program. In 1996, Dr. Seraphin earned a Ph.D. in Electronic Materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he performed research on silicon nanotechnology. His research focused on the development of novel silicon nanostructures and tailoring their optical properties. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Engineering Science with a concentration in Materials Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Tom Driggers, Research Fellow
Tom Driggers is a Research Fellow participating in the DoD Public-Private Partnership Exchange Program. Tom is a DoD Acquisition Logistician with over 17 years of experience in Acquisition Logistics across various Marine Corps programs (ACAT I - IV/AAP). He was most recently the Product Support Manager for Program Manager Ground Air Task Oriented Radar (PEO Land Systems). Prior to that Tom was the Assistant Program Manager - Logistics for Program Manager Command and Control Systems for 5.5 years. He is a Member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and is DAWIA Level III certified in Logistics. Tom was an ASN(RD&A) SIGMA Program Participant and is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program.
Rebecca Wostenberg, Research Fellow
Rebecca Wostenberg joined the Emerging Technologies Institute as a Research Fellow in 2021. She currently serves as the Chair of the Emerging Technology Supply Chain Study, a multi-year research effort to assess the state of defense emerging technology supply chains and provide policy recommendations for their development, health, and resilience. Before joining ETI, Rebecca served in the Secretary's Action Group (SAG) at the Department of Defense, where she directly supported two Secretaries of Defense on long-term strategic planning, industry outreach, and National Defense Strategy implementation. Prior to joining the SAG, Rebecca worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. She previously worked in the think tank community and on Capitol Hill. Rebecca received a Bachelor of Arts from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Master of Arts from the Institute of World Politics, and also conducted graduate coursework at the University of Oxford.
Jordan Chase, Associate Research Fellow
Wilson Miles, Associate Research Fellow
Jacob Winn, Associate Research Fellow
Jacob Winn is an Associate Research Fellow at ETI. Jacob's research and analysis portfolio includes analyzing the funding of the defense science and technology portfolio, microelectronics modernization issues, and other acquisition and modernization technology policy issues. Previously, he worked on NDIA's Strategy & Policy team. He holds a bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Political Science from George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs
Daniel Park, Executive Assistant
Daniel Park is the Executive Assistant at ETI. In this role, he directly supports the Executive Director. He provides logistical assistance to various projects, including The Emerging Tech Horizons Podcast and Tech 101 Webinar series. Prior to joining ETI, he was the administrative officer for AMIDEAST. He received his bachelor’s degree from Independence University focusing on business administration and property management. He gained experience as a small business owner, running a general contracting company while he was attending college. He served in the United States Marine Corps out of high school before going to college.
