Sunshine Smith-Carroll, PhD.

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Dr. Smith-Carroll is currently performing the duties of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD (A&S)). In this position, she is responsible for managing and analyzing major platforms and weapons capability portfolios across the Department - to include air, surface, cyber, and electronic warfare systems.

Most recently, Dr. Smith-Carroll served as the Director for Surface Warfare supporting the Platforms and Weapons Portfolio Management. In this role, she was the U.S. Department of Defense’s senior leader providing guidance and advocacy for the U.S. development and acquisition of Surface Warfare capabilities and systems.

Dr. Smith-Carroll was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in April of 2022. She served as the Novel Modernization lead and Director for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons programs for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. She was responsible for the coordination and oversight of the development and acquisition plans supporting an annual budget of $4B across Navy and U.S. Marine Corps efforts.

Dr. Smith-Carroll served as the Science and Technology Advisor to the3-star Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems (OPNAV N9). She was responsible for the coordination and oversight of the Science and Technology, Research and Development plan supporting a $9B annual integrated budget applied to surface warfare and the integration across all warfare areas. She was also charged with the policy and process development of the Department of Navy’s Accelerated Acquisition for the rapid development, demonstration, and fielding of warfighter capability. She also led the stand-up of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems Directorate.

In December 2012, Dr. Smith-Carroll was selected to be the first Office of Naval Research Global (ONRG) Science Advisor to 2-star Commander of the Navy Air and Missile Defense Command (NAMDC). Charged with development of the Command’s Science and Technology Strategic Plan, she successfully identified and employed technologies to current deployed Destroyers (DDGs).

Dr. Smith-Carroll was selected in October 2005 as the founding head of the Sensors and Materials Branch consisting of 50 multi-disciplinary research scientists and engineers focused on Sensor Characterization and Analysis, Quantum Processing, Nanotechnology, and Pulse Power. She was accountable for the establishment of organizational structure, operating precepts, strategic planning, and cooperative engagement required to develop future warfighting capability.

Dr. Smith-Carroll is actively involved within the target tracking and sensor fusion community. She has chaired numerous national and international conferences, published over 30 technical papers and 4 publications in the area of target tracking and sensor fusion. Dr. Smith-Carroll also developed a multiple model filter switching logic design that does not employ a Markov Switching Matrix, which was patented under Navy Case No. 84317.

Dr. Smith-Carroll has received a Doctorate of Philosophy from Old Dominion University in Engineering Management, a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Mississippi State University, and a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Mississippi University for Women. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute Leadership in a Democratic Society program.

Dr. Smith-Carroll has received two Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Awards, ASN RDA Civilian of the Month, NSWC Indian Head Excellence Award, and numerous Letters of Commendation. She is also a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and DAWIA certified PM and ENG III.