Dr. Timothy Shives, MS in IT Management ‘12 and MBA ’12, is a Professor of Practice in the Information Sciences Department at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he teaches cyber operations and information warfare and serves as Academic Associate for the Information Technology Management and Applied Cyber Operations programs. Shives serves as the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) Chair for Cyber Policy and Strategy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (OSD SCO) Chair, and as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
He has more than 20 years of experience as a Marine Corps officer and senior Department of Defense civilian, including roles in cyber operations, information technology and program management. Prior to joining NPS in 2024, he served as Cyber Liaison Officer to NPS with Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet and as a senior manager at the Defense Manpower Data Center.
In addition to his advanced degrees from NPS, Shives holds an EdD in Educational Leadership and an MA from the U.S. Naval War College.
As a proud NPS alumnus, returning to my alma mater was deeply meaningful because of how influential this institution was on my own career and life. I wanted to pay that forward—equipping today’s warfighters, policymakers, and future leaders not only with knowledge but also with the ability to think critically about complex challenges.
Today I serve in three intersecting roles: as the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) Chair for Cyber Policy and Strategy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (OSD SCO) Chair, and as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR). These combined responsibilities allow me to operate at the nexus of academia, federal policy, operational capability development, and military service. They make me a true “pracademic” —where I have been provided the skills and experiences to translate cutting-edge AI and cybersecurity research into solutions for mission problems, while also ensuring that emerging technologies are stress-tested, fielded, and aligned with national strategy.
What excites me most is that NPS is uniquely positioned to educate the next generation of leaders who will implement both the AI Action Plan recently published by the White House and SCO’s mission to close capability gaps identified by combatant commands (COCOMs)—ensuring modernization efforts are not only technologically advanced, but strategically and operationally informed.
The biggest challenge is that legacy networks were never designed for AI’s high-bandwidth, low-latency, east-west traffic patterns. The GAO’s 2025 Weapon Systems Assessment emphasized that new programs must be structured for speed and innovation—yet procurement timelines and siloed systems still slow adoption.
As a result, our service members often work with outdated tools compared to what’s available commercially. That’s where NPS plays a vital role. Through education and partnerships, including Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with industry leaders like NVIDIA, we close that gap. My roles as SCO Chair and as a reservist also ensure that the challenges of operational forces remain front and center, aligning NPS education and research with real-world mission requirements. Together, these efforts accelerate the adoption of secure, innovative technologies for the warfighter.
Education and trust are foundational. Having access to cutting-edge technology is necessary, but developing confidence in those tools is what enables adoption. Right now, there is a lot of fear surrounding AI, particularly regarding how adversaries might use it against us. That fear is misplaced. The U.S. is at the forefront of AI and cyber innovation, and with the right policies, training, and infrastructure, we can stay ahead in this “cyber race.”
Another key lesson is that research must be both innovative and adaptive. Threats evolve rapidly, and our defenses must as well. At NPS, through my roles as ONCD Chair, SCO Chair, and as a reservist, I work with cleared, operationally experienced thought leaders and doers who bridge research, policy, and practice. This ensures that AI-enabled systems are developed, secured, and trusted at a pace that matches the speed of technological change and the needs of those on the front lines.
JIFX is a one-of-a-kind national asset. It provides a low-risk environment where emerging technologies can be tested in realistic scenarios before they are ever fielded operationally. You can’t “try out” a drone or a novel AI system for the first time in combat—there has to be a controlled environment where both students and partners can experiment and learn.
The value for students is twofold. First, many of our students are also operators—they bring their real-world perspective into the testing environment and take lessons back to their units. Second, our students often go on to become policymakers. Experiencing JIFX firsthand gives them a deep understanding of the importance of field experimentation, which informs their decisions later when they are asked to support, fund, or regulate these technologies.
The SCO Chair role strengthens JIFX as many members of the JIFX team have joined my summer class (IW4950) and their role has helped our students better assess SCO projects with OSD and COCOM capability gaps in both the classroom and out in the testing grounds. Finally, from my experience as a Marine Officer having served in both the active and reserve components, I can attest that the students’ military experience also grounds the educational fieldwork in operational realities. In short, JIFX doesn’t just shape technology—it shapes the leaders who will decide how that technology is used.
