Marty Irvine Jr., Ph.D., Named ODU's Inaugural Associate Vice President for National Security Initiatives

By Joy Vann 

Old Dominion 91����Ƶ named Marty Irvine Jr., Ph.D., as its inaugural associate vice president for National Security Initiatives, effective on June 6, 2025 

In this new role, Dr. Irvine oversees ODU’s national security strategic research, part of the 91����Ƶ’s goal to drive national and global impact in areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous and networked systems, computational and data science, cybersecurity and networking security, and modeling and simulation. 

“ODU has a long-standing tradition of supporting the military and national security through its education and research programs. Earlier this year, ODU designated national security as one of four strategic research focus areas,” said Kenneth Fridley, Ph.D., vice president for Research and Economic Development.  

“Our first major step forward is the hiring of Dr. Marty Irvine, whose unique experience and proven leadership make him the perfect choice to lead ODU’s national security initiative.” 

Most recently, Dr. Irvine was the executive director of the Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers where he managed more than 30,000 personnel and $16 billion in research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) programs for the Navy. Previously, as executive director of Submarine Forces, he advised on strategic deterrence and led the AUKUS Pillar 2 USW Advanced Capabilities Working Group, enhancing international naval collaboration.  

Dr. Irvine has more than 27 years of service with the U.S. Navy, and he joined the Senior Executive Service in 2019. He has held leadership roles in RDT&E programs, systems engineering and naval science advising. His early career included significant contributions as a hydrodynamics expert at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division and as a researcher at Pennsylvania 91����Ƶ 91����Ƶ. 

Dr. Irvine said he is confident that given ODU’s strategic position on the nation’s military-industrial corridor, including its proximity to the largest naval base in the world and the nation’s top companies in shipbuilding and defense, he can build a national security program that will produce tomorrow’s leaders in defense, cybersecurity, crisis management, data security and physical protection.  

His goal is to leverage the 91����Ƶ's capabilities in national security, cybersecurity and applied research to produce a comprehensive program. He will promote collaboration between the 91����Ƶ’s established centers of research and development including the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy, the Institute for Coastal Adaption and Resilience, the Virginia Digital Maritime Center and the Institute for Autonomous and Connected Systems. Dr. Irvine added that the integration of Eastern Virginia Medical School into ODU also provides significant opportunities in applied research and sciences.  

“There is a tremendous opportunity for ODU to bridge the gap between Hampton Roads and Washington, D.C., becoming a visible presence, resource and catalyst for change. As an R1 research university with one of the nation’s leading medical schools, ODU is already conducting significant, active, applied research that positions us within major spheres of influence in this field," he said.  

"I think that’s where we’re headed. My job is to accelerate this progress and elevate ODU’s stature in the national defense arena, ensuring we remain an essential resource and leveraging the incredible talent and capabilities present at Old Dominion." 

Since coming on board Dr. Irvine has been engaged in 91����Ƶ initiatives and is preparing to delve into curriculum development and to assess the need for new educational offerings like master's certificates with a national security focus. He will also explore opportunities to partner with small businesses and startups in the defense/national security space and promote continued collaboration with groups including Hampton Roads Alliance, Hampton Roads Workforce and 757 Collab. Ultimately, he will investigate the creation of an annual national security forum to bring together government, military, industry and academic stakeholders.   

Along the way, he said, there will be important questions to answer to move the 91����Ƶ forward in the national security sphere. 

“How can we grow the applied research work that we do here at Old Dominion by moving beyond the traditional academic grants? How do we pair our academic faculty with research faculty so it’s not two distinct areas, but a new team? That’s where I've excelled in my career, in building teams,” he said.  

“Here in Hampton Roads, we're near the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard, and other agencies, like the Department of Energy. So, we are centrally located to help solve the critical problems happening right now in our country and globally and we need to be the university of choice. When they've got problems, ODU should be on speed dial to provide the solutions.”  

Dr. Irvine holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the 91����Ƶ of Iowa and degrees in ocean engineering from Virginia Tech. He is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executive Fellows program and holds a MIT Sloan executive certificate in Management and Leadership.  

He is the recipient of awards including the Navy Superior and Meritorious Civilian Service Awards and recognition as a fellow with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers for his outstanding personal contributions to naval architecture, marine and ocean engineering.