Software Acquisition Go Bag: Pack Light, Measure Right

Technical director Eileen Wrubel heads the Transforming Software Acquisition Policy and Practice Directorate at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). In 22 years at the institute, Wrubel has advised many Department of War (DoW) and federal acquisition programs and organizations at all levels. Before joining the SEI, Wrubel provided software project and program management guidance to firms that specialized in freight carrier network optimization, telecommunications platforms, and content delivery networks. She worked in a U.S. Air Force acquisition program office and served six years in the Air National Guard as a Communications and Information Officer. 

Senior member of the technical staff and electrical engineer Julie B. Cohen is an over-20-year veteran of the SEI, where she supports several programs, including the E-7 project and three line-funded research projects. She has been involved in SEI support for radar systems, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite ground systems software effort, and the Software Acquisition Pathway work with the Office of the Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OSW(A&S)). She was also a major contributor to Veteran's Health Administration support. Before joining the SEI, Cohen was active-duty Air Force for 20 years in engineering and program management.

Senior software acquisition innovation specialist Christina Rhylander helps drive the modernization of software acquisition practices across the DoW. With over 25 years of experience—including roles at the SEI, MITRE, Fearless, and as a DoW civilian—her expertise spans Agile acquisition, digital transformation, program management, and IT modernization. She has supported key initiatives across major platforms, such as KC-135, Navy Shipyard, AWACS, Global Hawk, F-35, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), MQ-9, Cloud One, and AF Enterprise IT as a Service (EITaaS). She was also the co-founder of the Air Force’s software factory, Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN).

Aaron Reffett is a senior member of the technical staff in the CERT Cybersecurity Foundations directorate of the SEI. He develops and operates applications for the analysis of cyber-related data in support of Department of War (DoW) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) missions. He also provides support to DoW program offices transitioning from traditional software development to Agile and DevSecOps methodologies, particularly in the areas of software assurance and cybersecurity. He holds a BS in Computer Science and a BA in Political Science from Virginia Tech.