Meet Dr. Vanessa Gentzen, the Strategic Systems Programs’ Technical Director and Chief Engineer for Conventional Prompt Strike. Gentzen, a native of northern Virginia, has always had a knack for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Her interest piqued, however, when she took her first physics class in high school.
“I had never felt more inspired,” Gentzen said. “I had so much excitement and curiosity for physics, and later with astrophysics. As a kid, I was a bookworm. I loved to read about planetary sciences and stars. I was one of those kids that when I wasn’t head down in a book, I was looking up at the stars and imagining what was out there.”
Her burning curiosity and connection with space led her to pursue her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. In 2004, she entered the civilian workforce as a student intern in the Advanced Munitions Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Dahlgren Division in Virginia. After graduating in 2006, she attended the University of Maryland, College Park, to continue her education in aerospace engineering and earn her master’s degree.
She describes her master’s degree program at the University of Maryland, one of the nation’s premiere universities for aerospace engineering, as especially demanding.
“I always thought science and engineering came easy to me, but I really had to commit myself there,” she said. “At Maryland – that’s where I started to write publications, do research that I’m proud of, and, overall, that’s where I feel like I really became an engineer.”
After completing her master’s degree, Gentzen began working at NSWC Dahlgren Division full-time. Although she balanced a heavy workload, she maintained a desire to learn more. She enrolled in a doctoral program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk where she attended night classes. Unlike her bachelor’s and master’s degree, Gentzen changed her focus to systems engineering to become a better-rounded engineer. She left the Warfare Center in 2013 to focus on her academic research, dissertation, and to produce several professional publications.
With a decade of experience in research and prototyping, Gentzen was eager to join a program on the more mature end of the engineering life-cycle. Nearing completion of her Ph.D. in systems engineering in 2015, Gentzen rejoined the Navy civilian workforce with the Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) in Washington, D.C. Her interest in SSP stemmed from the Strategic Weapon System and Sea Based Deterrence mission, driving her toward her eventual career shift.
“At the time I was hired, SSP was on the cusp of delivering the Trident II D5 life extension system and I wanted to be a part of maintaining that system, answering fleet needs, and production,” she said.
Gentzen joined SSP as an inertial navigation engineer. In this role, she was part of a team responsible for the next-generation navigation subsystem for the Columbia class ballistic missile submarines currently being built to modernize the platforms that carry the strategic weapons system. The navigation subsystem modernization also supports the United Kingdom’s Dreadnought Program. Under the Polaris Sales Agreement, engineers from the U.S. like Gentzen collaborate with engineers from the U.K. to understand unique requirements, inventory needs, timelines, and more, to facilitate implementation of the equipment onto U.K. Dreadnought-class submarines.
The navigation subsystem modernization also supports the U.K.'s Dreadnought Program as part of the Common Missile Compartment, and is an example of U.S.-U.K. partnership, designing, developing, and producing common shipboard infrastructure, which improves the ease of comingling the D5 missile inventory and sets the stage to improve maintenance system consistency across the two fleets.
Gentzen later spent several years as the Lead Avionics and Flight Test Instrumentation Engineer for the Trident (D5) and Trident Life Extension (D5LE) Fleet Ballistic Missile Programs.
In her next position at SSP, Gentzen was appointed as the command’s Head of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation. In this capacity, she was responsible for establishing research and development priorities and directing investment support to the evolution and maintenance of Strategic Weapon Systems, as well as supporting subsystems, ashore and afloat.
Today, Gentzen serves as the Technical Director and Chief Engineer for SSP’s Conventional Prompt Strike Program (CPS). She is also one of the command’s few Scientific and Professional (ST) members. STs are technical experts in their respective job fields and support Department of Navy organizations like SSP through transfer of knowledge and by providing consistency in technical leadership. Gentzen believes STs contribute to SSP’s technical excellence and have the ability to do more STEM-based work than some other technical leadership positions within the organization.
In her current position with CPS, Gentzen delivered her proudest achievement in her 20 years of federal service.
“SSP changed the world in December 2024,” she said. “For the very first time, through our joint partnership with the Army, we successfully completed an end-to-end demonstration of a conventional hypersonic strike weapon system. Achieving this national milestone alongside my SSP colleagues is my proudest professional accomplishment – it’s the cherry on top of my whole career.”
Gentzen said SSP has been delivering an enduring, credible sea-based deterrent to our nation for generations, and the addition of a conventional hypersonic capability further strengthens this mission and SSP’s legacy of technical excellence.
She praised strong, impactful women in leadership positions in the workplace for supporting her career progression, too. From NSWC Dahlgren to SSP, Gentzen attributes part of her success in STEM to leaders like Kelly Lee (SES), the Director of Plans and Programs at SSP, and Tracy Arnold-Berrios (SES), the Technical Director for SSP.
“Shortly after I started working at SSP, I met Ms. Lee by happenstance in the hallway, and she said ‘hi, I haven’t seen you before, get on my calendar,’” Gentzen said. “She took the time to meet me despite her packed schedule. It was authentic and it showed me she cared.”
Gentzen added that SSP is full of leaders that are approachable, caring, and outstanding performers. In fact, she said she considers herself lucky to have impressive female leaders at the command to learn from and draw inspiration.
She advised anyone interested in pursuing STEM to stay enthusiastic.
Although her initial curiosity in STEM leaned toward the solar system and beyond, Gentzen found her calling in developing space-launch technology that secures the mission of strategic deterrence for the U.S. Navy – one that also plays a critical role in protecting the warfighters.
“Follow your enthusiasm,” she said. “There’s a universe of discovery and opportunity in front of you. Just because you become an adult and working professional doesn’t mean you have to lose your childhood passion and curiosity. Your enthusiasm will take you places you never imagined you could go, so protect it and embrace it.”
As a mother to a four-year-old boy, Gentzen shared that she is enjoying every minute of watching her child develop his own enthusiasm for space and the environment.
Dr. Vanessa Gentzen was awarded the 2011 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers of the Year Award for her significant advancement of the U.S. Navy’s Electromagnetic Railgun and Hypervelocity Projectile programs. In 2024, she was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2025 14:01 |
| Story ID: | 490468 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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