Trent Mills, Ph.D., a retired U.S. Army Colonel, has joined Applied Research Associates (ARA) as Director of Advanced Capabilities Development. Mills will focus on advancing innovation at ARA and lead efforts to transition new technologies to military users.
Mills previously served as Special Assistant to the director of DARPA and as senior strategist for the Director of the Army Staff. He brings experience in operational leadership, academic instruction, and strategic planning. His background in defense technology development is expected to help align ARA’s research with customer needs, including coordination with DARPA and other stakeholders.
“At ARA, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation to solve our nation’s toughest challenges. Dr. Mills’ proven leadership and strategic insight will support our mission to deliver transformative capabilities to our customers,” said Jim Kainz, ARA Senior Vice President, Growth.
In his new role, Mills will oversee projects in autonomous systems, bioscience, energetics, energy, information technology, material science, and advanced sensor technologies.
Mills has worked on aligning government initiatives with innovation in areas such as cyber resilience, artificial intelligence, food security, and soldier welfare. Before joining DARPA, he was commissioned into the Army as a Transportation officer with assignments in Germany, Hungary, and Virginia. He also taught English at West Point before returning as an Army strategist. His operational roles have included planning at U.S. Army Central Command and work with Multinational Forces-Iraq and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
His education includes a B.A. from Gonzaga University, an M.A. from Washington State University, an M.S. from the Naval War College in National Security and Strategy, and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in Rhetorical Theory.
“I’m honored to join ARA at a time when strategic thinking and advanced technologies are more important than ever to national security,” Mills said. “I look forward to working with this exceptional team to accelerate innovation and deliver mission-critical capabilities.”
