Rachel Riley, the new head of the Office of Naval Research , is more than just an alum of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, according to current and former military and defense officials. Indeed, they said, the 33-year-old Rhodes Scholar and former McKinsey consultant may have what it takes to bring urgent reform to the Navy’s top R&D office.

Riley was appointed acting chief of naval research sometime in October after nine months at Health and Human Services. Like DOGE employees across the federal government, she was assigned to HHS with a White House mandate to reduce staff; Politico described her as a “driving force” behind a failed effort to cut 8,000 people . One official told the news site that “No one wanted to work with her anymore,” but another sai

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