MEMS Distinguished Seminar: Laura McGill, "Engineering Challenges and Opportunities in National Security"

Presenter: Laura Mcgill

Thomas Lord Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) Spring 2026 Distinguished Seminar Speaker Series welcomes Laura McGill (Sandia) to present the Distinguished MEMS Seminar, "Engineering Challenges and Opportunities in National Security."

ABSTRACT: In this talk, Laura McGill will discuss the history of Sandia National Laboratories and our ongoing work 'to render exceptional service in the national interest'. She will speak to the technical challenges in national security, the role of the National Laboratories, and the opportunities for engineers to advance U.S. capabilities and the performance of our systems. She will touch on deterrence, hypersonics, systems integration, AI, and the importance of critical thinking.

BIO: As the Director of Sandia National Laboratories, Laura McGill provides leadership and management direction for the premier U.S. engineering laboratory, responsible for a $5+B portfolio of mission critical programs.

Before her appointment as Labs Director on May 1, 2025, Laura served as Deputy Laboratories Director for Nuclear Deterrence and Chief Technology Officer since January 2021. In that role, she was responsible for ensuring the safety, security, reliability, effectiveness and modernization of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Laura has worked in the defense industry for more than four decades.
Before joining Sandia, Laura was deputy vice president of engineering at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business with 30,000 employees. Before that, she was vice president of engineering for Raytheon Missile Systems, leading an organization of 7,800 engineers and scientists. Prior to vice president, Laura was chief engineer for the $2 billion Air Warfare Systems program portfolio, which included Tomahawk cruise missiles, air-to-air combat systems and precision strike weapons. She was previously chief engineer for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile.

In 2019, Laura was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. She is a Lifetime Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and served as president from 2022 to 2024.

Contact

Spaulding, Amy
919-660-5310
amy.spaulding@duke.edu