NobleReach Welcomes Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Director Ralph Semmel and National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler to its Board of Directors

Washington, D.C. – May 8, 2025 — NobleReach™, a nonprofit dedicated to scaling private-public partnerships through talent and innovation in the national interest, is proud to announce the addition of Dr. Ralph Semmel and Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler to its board of directors.

For more than four decades, Semmel has spearheaded the development of breakthrough technologies that have maintained U.S. leadership in next-generation national security and space exploration capabilities. As the director of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for the past 15 years, he leads more than 9,000 staff in innovative research and development projects for the Department of Defense, NASA, the Intelligence Community and other federal agencies.

Tiefenthaler is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Geographic Society, where she leads the organization’s mission-driven work, guiding a global community of National Geographic Explorers — scientists, educators and storytellers — to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Prior to the Society, she spent more than 30 years in higher education, teaching at and leading some of the nation’s premier liberal arts institutions, including Colgate University, Wake Forest University and Colorado College, where she served for nearly a decade.

“Jill and Ralph bring experiences that add unique value to our work to scale America’s talent and innovation infrastructure,” said Arun Gupta, CEO of NobleReach. “They are both exemplars of the leadership we seek to cultivate through our programs, embodying the entrepreneurial mindset and cross-sector acuity required to transcend institutional barriers and drive change.”

In addition to his research and scientific contributions, Semmel has published and presented extensively in the areas of artificial intelligence and large-scale database systems – a testament to his long-standing impact in these emerging technology fields. Tiefenthaler has similarly ushered in a new era of growth and global impact at the National Geographic Society. She launched the organization’s strategic plan to drive significant impact and is leading the launch of National Geographic Museum of Exploration in 2026 — the most significant expansion of the Society’s public space in its 137-year history.

“Jill and Ralph continue to make an enormous impact across the public and private sectors,” said Hon. Lisa Disbrow, Board Chair. “I look forward to working with both of them on initiatives we’re pioneering here at NobleReach to support our nation’s emerging leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers who will help the U.S. stay ahead of its adversaries in technological and scientific innovation.”

“As a life-long educator, it’s always been incredibly meaningful to me to guide talented young people during the most transformative period of their lives,” said Tiefenthaler. “That’s why I’m honored to join the NobleReach community. Their work creates a catalytic spark: building enriching pathways that empower emerging leaders to ideate, innovate and develop technologies and scientific advancements for good — addressing some of today’s most complex challenges.”

“A robust innovation ecosystem depends on close and trusted connections among leaders in industry, the research community and government, along with a shared commitment to our national and economic security,” said Semmel. “There is so much innovation potential within our nation that we can unleash, and it all starts with building and leveraging the right partnerships between universities, local institutions and federal, state and local agencies.”

About NobleReach™️

NobleReach™️ Foundation, a nonprofit based just outside Washington, D.C., has a mission to strengthen the security and prosperity of our nation through talent and innovation. NobleReach brings together the entrepreneurial agility of the private sector, the ideas of academia, and the scale and purpose of the public sector to drive innovation toward solving our nation’s technological challenges by inspiring the next generation of mission-driven changemakers. Our talent initiatives are focused on bridging professionals in tech and entrepreneurship fields with opportunities in government. Our innovation efforts center around NobleReach experts partnering with government research agencies to commercialize cutting-edge research.

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