Speakers

Mr. Jay Dryer serves as the Director of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), where he leads efforts to develop innovative technologies that provide game-changing operational effects and counter emerging threats across all domains.

Prior to SCO, Mr. Dryer held several senior roles at NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, including Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs and Director of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program. In these positions, he oversaw research portfolios, risk management strategies, and the development of next-generation aircraft technologies across subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic domains.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Dryer supported DARPA programs on rotorcraft and autonomous vehicles, including early planning for the DARPA Grand Challenge. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served in the Nuclear Submarine Force and led deep-sea missions involving unmanned vehicles, including the discovery of the U.S.S. Yorktown wreck.

He holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering from MIT.