Dr. Nicholas Estep, LtCol,, Program Manager

Defense Innovation Unit - DIU

Lt Col Nicholas Estep is an active duty officer in the United States Air Force and technical program
manager in the artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and space portfolios at the Defense
Innovation Unit (DIU). Based out of Silicon Valley CA, DIU is a non-traditional Department of Defense
(DoD) unit focused on rapid insertion of dual-use technologies into DoD mission sets. Currently, he
manages efforts on quantum space sensors, situational awareness of GNSS disruptions, electric
propulsion, and space communications. Prior to DIU, he was assigned to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

Nick has earned a B.S., M.S., and PhD in electrical engineering. He completed his graduate studies in the
Nanophotonics and Metamaterials Group at the University of Texas at Austin, with a research focus on
angular-momentum based magnetless non-reciprocity and negative index metastructures. Nick is a
member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu National Honor Societies in Engineering. Nick and his wife,
Suzanne, are blessed with two spunky daughters, Norah and Julia.