Jill M. Hruby is an American

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

and government official. Since July 26, 2021, Hruby has served as

Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security The Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, in the United States Department of Energy, is the Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration's responsibilities include designing, producin ...

and Administrator of the

National Nuclear Security Administration The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and ef ...

, a post subject to

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

confirmation. Jill Hruby made history as the first woman to ever head a U.S. nuclear weapons lab, serving as director of

Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force Bas ...

from 2015-2017.

Early life and education

Jill M. Hruby was born in 1959 in Defiance, Ohio. She is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hruby earned her bachelor’s degree from

Purdue University College of Engineering The Purdue University College of Engineering, established in 2004, is one of eight major academic divisions, or ''colleges'', of Purdue University. Its forerunner began in 1874 with programs in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. The college no ...

and her master’s degree from the

UC Berkeley College of Engineering The University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering, branded as Berkeley Engineering, is the engineering wing of the University of California, Berkeley, a public research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1931, the ...

, both in mechanical engineering.

Career

Hruby joined

as a member of the technical staff in 1983 and retired as the director in 2017. At Sandia, Hruby held roles of increasing management responsibilities with experiences in nuclear weapons systems and component design, nuclear non-proliferation, defense and homeland security technologies and systems, renewable energy, materials science, engineering sciences, and microsystems technology. She was the first woman to lead a national security lab. Since her retirement, she served as the inaugural Sam Nunn Distinguished Fellow at the

Nuclear Threat Initiative The Nuclear Threat Initiative, generally referred to as NTI, is a non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. The American foreign policy think tank was founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and describes itself as a "nonprofi ...

from 2018 to 2019. On April 14, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Hruby to be the

and Administrator of the

. The nomination has been endorsed by

Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when Pr ...

Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-American lawyer, educator, author, political commentator, and politician serving as the 16th United States secretary of energy since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she prev ...

. On April 22, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. On June 16, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the

Senate Armed Services Committee The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for ''Senate Armed Services Committee'') is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Def ...

. On June 10, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee. On July 22, 2021, her nomination was confirmed by a vote of 79–16. She was sworn in on July 26, 2021.

Professional memberships and awards

Hruby has been a member of the Defense Science Board, the National Nuclear Security Administration Defense Programs Advisory Committee, and the National Academy of Science Committee for International Security and Arms Control. In 2016, she received the Suzanne Jenniches Upward Mobility Award from the

Society of Women Engineers The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is an international not-for-profit educational and service organization. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in the United States, the Society of Women Engineers is a major advocate for women in engineering and ...

. In 2017, ''

Business Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German pub ...

'' named her the second most powerful female engineer. She has received the Department of Energy Secretary’s Exceptional Service Award, the National Nuclear Security Administrator’s Distinguished Service Gold Award, and

Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service The Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service is the third highest award and highest honorary award presented by the Secretary of Defense to non-career Federal employees, private citizens, and foreign nationals for ...

. On May 13, 2022, Hruby was awarded an honorary doctorate of engineering by her undergraduate alma mater,

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...

. Hruby was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hruby, Jill Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American engineers 21st-century American women American mechanical engineers American women engineers Biden administration personnel Purdue University College of Engineering alumni UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumni United States Department of Energy officials