Julia Rothman

Government Liaison-Space and Defence

Kaitakawaenga KauraunaTuarangi me te Waonga

Julia is responsible for development opportunities for the Robinson Research Institute, focusing on government liaison around the space and defence industries.

For two-decades, Julia has been based in the US, designing and launching space systems for the US Government. Working as a Technical Scientist and Engineer across the defence sector, Julia launched the R&D satellites intended to prove President Reagan’s Star Wars constellation. She also funded a new weather model development and an Antarctic satellite receiver site, which doubled the advance warning time for Category 5 hurricanes after Hurricane Katrina.

Julia returned home to New Zealand in 2018, working for the NZ Defence Force to introduce system engineering capabilities to allow for proactive management of defence equipment. Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role at Wellington UniVentures and works closely with the team at the Robinson Research Institute.

Julia loves the outdoors and since being home has made her way through eight of the Great Walks (just two more to go)!