David Michelson

David is the director of DIU’s autonomy portfolio and has more than 15 years of experience working across the government and private sectors in military, special operations, and program management roles. He works on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) issues such as Blue UAS to rapidly provide cutting edge sUAS technology to warfighters. David also  led DIU’s expansion into ground vehicle autonomy projects. 

Prior to becoming a Portfolio Director, David was a Project Manager at DIU. Before that, David was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army where he served in special operations and conventional units. He held leadership and command roles from the platoon to battalion levels, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment twice. David was also a General Wayne Downing Scholar with the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point while he attained his graduate degree.

David  holds a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics  from the United States Military Academy at West Point.