A question about the world, time to prepare and a few minutes to make a clear case: that was part of Joshua Steinman’s experience as an Extemporaneous Speaking competitor at Cranbrook. He reached the Class B/C/D final at the 2001 MIFA State Finals. His later work has taken him into national security, public policy and technology.
Chicago and the Navy
Steinman studied history at the University of Chicago, where he wrote for the student newspaper, the Maroon. He graduated in 2006 and joined the Navy as an intelligence officer the following year.
His eight years of service included deployments to Iraq and work at the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. As part of the Navy’s Rapid Innovation Cell, he explored emerging technologies and new ways for the service to work with them. He also earned a master’s degree in security studies at Georgetown.
Technology in public service
From 2017 to 2021, Steinman served on the National Security Council staff, eventually as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Cyber. His portfolio included cybersecurity, telecommunications and supply-chain policy.
He has also spoken to midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy and testified before Congress about protecting critical infrastructure.
The systems behind everyday life
In 2021 he co-founded Galvanick, a company focused on industrial cybersecurity. Its work concerns the computers that help operate factories, pipelines and other essential systems.
Steinman’s path is one example of the wide range of fields Michigan speech alumni enter. For an Extemp student interested in technology and public affairs, his biography offers an unusually close look at where those interests can lead.
On record
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