Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), has been appointed director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and vice president of Caltech. Leshin will formally assume her position on May 16, succeeding Michael Watkins, who retired in August 2021, and Lt. Gen. Larry D. James USAF (Ret.), who currently serves as JPL interim director.

WPI is one of the nation’s oldest private STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) universities and is where Leshin has served as president since 2014.

“Laurie Leshin stood out in an exhaustive international search because of her profound commitment to people, her strategic approach to scientific and technological opportunities, her deep appreciation of NASA’s leadership in space exploration and Earth science, her mastery of complex organizations and her ability to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Caltech president Thomas F. Rosenbaum, the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential chair and professor of physics. “We are so pleased to be able to welcome Laurie back to campus and to JPL.”

Leshin is an internationally recognized scientist whose career has spanned academia and senior positions at NASA, and included two White House appointments. She has been lauded for her barrier-breaking leadership in the space industry and in academia as well as for her accomplishments as a distinguished geochemist and space scientist.

“I am both thrilled and humbled to be appointed the director of JPL. Some of the most impactful experiences of my career have taken place on the Caltech campus and at JPL – lessons learned and goals achieved that have shaped me as a leader and a space scientist. The opportunity to return to working closely with so many colleagues across Caltech – at the Lab and on campus – and at NASA is a dream come true,” Leshin said. “I look forward to my work with Caltech and NASA to ensure that JPL continues to drive innovation across the global space ecosystem. I am especially honored to be the first woman to hold the title of director of JPL. I know from personal experience that diverse teams make greater impact, and I will work every day to ensure that JPL is a place where all belong and thrive. We will dare mighty things, together.”