Catherine Marsh Director Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA)

Dr. Catherine Marsh became director at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity in November 2019, where she is responsible for investing in high-risk/high-payoff research that has the potential to provide our nation with an overwhelming intelligence advantage. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Marsh was the chief scientist for the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology from 2016-2019, where she was responsible for ensuring that leading-edge science and technology underlies current and future mission capabilities. Before that, she was dean of the DS&T’s George Methlie School. From 2013-2015, she served as IARPA's deputy director. Dr. Marsh joined the CIA in 2001 and served in serval capacities to innovate power solutions for the Intelligence Community. While in industry, she led the team that put lithium-ion technology on numerous platforms, including NASA’s MARS exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Dr. Marsh is a director of National Intelligence Fellow and member of the DS&T’s distinguished expert cadre. She holds a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in inorganic and analytic chemistry from Brown University.