Monique F. Ofori is a program manager at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), providing strategic leadership in research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) technical support services for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). She oversees critical programs for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSDR&E), specifically within the Directorate for Systems Engineering and Architecture.

A recognized expert with over two decades of experience in systems engineering, Ms.Ofori spearheads efforts to modernize DoD weapon systems by advancing modular and open systems architectures. She leads a cross-functional team working closely with the Systems Engineering Research Center, a University Affiliated Research Center with over 20 U.S. universities, tackling key challenges in Software Engineering, Digital Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Autonomous Systems, Cybersecurity, and Trusted Systems.

Throughout her career, Ms. Ofori has taken on multiple roles of increasing responsibility in the defense acquisition and intelligence communities. Her portfolio includes leading projects involving performance engineering of hardware and software systems, requirements management, capability integration across system of systems (SoS), family of systems (FoS), modeling and simulation, and risk management.

An engineer by trade, Ms. Ofori is also an avid proponent of encouraging and empowering youth and young adults to pursue STEM fields of study. She actively volunteers in community STEM programs such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Pre-College Initiative, enriching educational opportunities for middle and high school students. She also plays a vital role in her community by mentoring emerging scientists and engineers and guiding them through academic and professional development as they transition from college to the workforce.

Ms. Ofori holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Clark Atlanta University, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, and a professional engineer degree in engineering management from George Washington University. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Council on Systems Engineering, the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers, the Program Management Institute, the National Women in Defense, and the National Society of Black Engineers.