Speaker Details

Dr. Bhavya Lal is currently a Professor at RAND School of Public Policy and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. She most recently served as NASA's Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, advising the NASA Administrator and senior leadership on a broad spectrum of domestic and international policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments. During her tenure at NASA, she also broke new ground as the first woman to act as the Agency’s Chief Technologist. In the early days of the Biden Administration, she was the highest-ranking Administration appointee at NASA, acting as the Agency’s Chief of Staff. In these roles, Dr. Lal was instrumental in advancing the NASA Moon-to-Mars program, and spearheading initiatives in in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing, planetary defense, space sustainability, space ethics, and space nuclear systems. She also played a pivotal role in formulating critical policies on international collaborations and commercial space ventures.

Before joining NASA, Dr. Lal directed analyses at the Institute for Defense Analyses' (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), where her work on space commercialization, government investment strategies, and economic frameworks for emerging sectors directly shaped U.S. space industrial policy, orbital debris mitigation strategies, and market-driven approaches to national security space programs. She has authored peer-reviewed papers and reports on topics ranging from space nuclear power investment models to asteroid resource economics and private-sector participation in space infrastructure. Her testimonies before Congress and the National Space Council, along with her role as co-author of the 2025 space nuclear strategy report, underscore her continued influence on space policy and economics. She currently chairs the International Astronautical Federation’s Space Economy Committee, and serves in advisory roles at NASA, the National Academies, and domestic and international nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Lal's extensive research and leadership have earned her numerous accolades including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Associate Fellowship at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the AIAA Public Service Award for “lasting and sustained leadership in national space policy and setting the course for NASA’s future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” and induction into the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers. For her teaching, she received RAND’s Edwin E. and Mary T. Huddleson Excellence in Teaching Award.

Her academic credentials include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a second master’s from MIT’s Technology and Policy Program, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration from George Washington University. She is a member of the honor societies for both nuclear engineering and public policy and public administration. 

Mr. Joshua Barnes serves as the Program Manager, Disaster Response Coordination System (DRCS) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Hampton, VA. In his role, he is responsible for coordinating NASA-wide efforts to support disaster-impacted communities with the best available science and products to help improve decision making after disasters. Prior to his role at NASA, he served as the Recovery Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in Washington, DC. In his role as Recovery Director, Mr. Barnes led agency-wide disaster recovery, operational coordination, and the implementation of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience (ODRR) mission. He is a highly experienced emergency management and community development leader with demonstrated success working with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, non-profit, and private sector leaders across the country in deriving solutions to complex problems. Prior to his service at the SBA, he led the Recovery Division in the Department of Health and Human Services, ASPR. There, he led federal recovery activities to improve the short and long-term outcomes with data-driven decision-making for supporting public health, social services, and healthcare system recovery. 

Prior to joining HHS, Mr. Barnes served on the White House National Security Council Staff as the Director for Preparedness Policy. He led, planned, and coordinated the development and implementation of preparedness policies and associated grant programs. Included in those efforts was implementing the National Preparedness policies for the federal government. In addition, he led interagency efforts to integrate better federal community resilience policies and national-level actions in building long-term drought resilience, resulting in a Presidential Memorandum and associated National Action Plan. Previously, Mr. Barnes served as the EDA Disaster Recovery Coordinator and led interagency efforts to coordinate information sharing, technical assistance, and the leverage of resources to support major and catastrophic disasters nationwide. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geographic Sciences from James Madison University and a Master of Public Health from A.T. Still University.

Anne Cheever, Ph.D. is a biotechnology executive and national security leader with over a decade of experience advancing high-impact research, policy, and innovation at the intersection of biotechnology, space, and defense. She is widely recognized for her ability to translate cutting-edge science into operational capability while shaping responsible approaches to emerging and dual-use technologies. 

Dr. Cheever has developed, led, and managed more than $380 million in federal R&D investments, most notably as a Program Manager in the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA, where she conceived and launched the agency’s first biomanufacturing-in-space program. Her work helped validate biotechnology as a viable manufacturing paradigm for space logistics and resilience, while also advancing research in synthetic biology, military medicine, and operational biology. She also catalyzed DARPA’s first cross-office initiative on societal implications in the space domain. 

From 2023 to 2024, Dr. Cheever served at the White House National Security Council as Director for Technology and National Security, coordinating U.S. government policy on critical and emerging technologies with a focus on biotechnology and biomanufacturing. In this role, she advised senior White House leadership and the National Security Adviser, contributing to an Executive Order and new national strategies, and built international partnerships with allies including the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and India.

She currently holds multiple advisory and research roles, including Adjunct Staff Member at RAND, Founder of Vela Scientific, LLC, and advisor to organizations such as Beacon Global Strategies and Rhodium Scientific, where she supports innovation across space, biodefense, and national security. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles at MITRE, Booz Allen Hamilton (supporting DARPA), and the U.S. Department of State, where she was an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow.

Dr. Cheever holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, along with a certificate in business administration. She is known for her strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and commitment to advancing technologies that strengthen U.S. and global security.

Bio coming soon...