Dr. Mary Redshaw currently serves as Chair of the Defense Strategy, Acquisition and Resourcing Department at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Washington, DC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science; master’s degrees in Aeronautical Engineering, Business Administration, and National Resource Strategy; and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Dr. Redshaw joined the Eisenhower School as the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Chair in July 2013 before accepting a faculty position with National Defense University in December 2014. She has over 25 years acquisition experience, having attained DAWIA Level III certification in three career fields: Program Management; Systems Planning, Research, Development & Engineering (SPRDE); and Test & Evaluation. Additionally she achieved certification through two preeminent international associations as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP). Dr. Redshaw’s acquisition and program management experience spanned assignments in the military, private sector, and civil service.
During her military career, Dr. Redshaw became the first female naval officer to achieve two warfare specialties, first as a Surface Warfare Officer (onboard the USS Lexington) and subsequently as a Naval Flight Officer (as a strategic airborne communications mission commander). She completed her military career as an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer (AEDO) and member of the Navy’s Acquisition Corps, with assignments in Air Test and Evaluation Squadron ONE (VX1) and the Navy Global Positioning System (GPS) Program Office within the Space & Naval Warfare Command. After retiring from active duty, Dr. Redshaw supported or managed acquisition programs for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and the Naval Air Systems Command. She was instrumental in transitioning new technologies into development, achieving major milestones and successful deployment of major automated information systems for national criminal justice and defense healthcare communities as well as GPS user equipment, moving map capabilities, and conventional strike weapons integrated in a variety of military aircraft.
Prior to coming to the Eisenhower School, she taught acquisition, systems engineering, and executive program management courses at DAU for 12 years.