The Potomac Institute is proud to welcome Dr. Robie Samanta Roy to our Board of Regents. Dr. Samanta Roy is the Chief Operating Officer of Electra.aero, a next-gen aerospace company devoted to sustainable advanced air mobility, headquartered in Northern Virginia.
He most recently was the Vice President of Technology – Government Affairs at Lockheed Martin where he was responsible for supporting corporate engagements with the US Government science and technology community across the United States. Dr. Samanta Roy also served as Lockheed Martin’s first Corporate Vice President for Technology Strategy and Innovation under the Chief Technology Officer where he developed and provided technical intelligence and strategy for the corporation, engaged the global S&T ecosystem outside the corporation, and fostered cross-enterprise innovation.
“I am truly honored to join the ranks of the Potomac Institute’s Board of Regents and contribute to the Institute’s mission of ensuring that the nation’s decision makers are provided with the very best in science and technology policy analysis, insights and advice,” said Dr. Samanta Roy.
Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Dr. Samanta Roy was a professional staff member with the Senate Armed Services Committee with the portfolio of the Department of Defense’s wide spectrum of science and technology-related activities including test and evaluation. He came to that position from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics and was responsible for space and aeronautics activities ranging from human space flight to the Next Generation Air Transportation System. He also served as a Strategic Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office and as a Research Staff Member in the Systems Evaluation Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses.
“We are honored and excited to welcome Dr. Samanta Roy to our Board of Regents,” said General Al Gray, Chairman of the Board of Regents and Board of Directors at Potomac Institute. “Dr. Samanta Roy brings years of expertise in industry and government to our organization. He joins an exceptional group of Regents who we rely on to help our team serve our country for the public good. We look forward to his expertise and insight on the work we will be doing.”
Dr. Samanta Roy earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. He earned a master’s degree in space policy from George Washington University and diplomas from the International Space University and Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.
He is a Fellow and a recent member of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Research Council’s Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. He is on the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee and from 2015-2019 chaired the Industry Relations Committee of the International Astronautical Federation. He is a Reservist in the U.S. Space Force.