 |
Michael M. Watkins | |
|---|---|
 Watkins in 2012 | |
| 9th Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory | |
| In office July 1, 2016 – August 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Elachi |
| Succeeded by | Larry D. James (interim) Laurie Leshin |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Engineering, Space Science |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Tracking station coordinates and their temporal evolution as determined from laser ranging to the Lageos satellite (1989) |
| Doctoral advisor | Bob E. Schutz |
Michael M. Watkins is an American engineer, scientist, and a Professor of Aerospace and Geophysics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He previously served as the 9th director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and as a vice president of Caltech, which staffs and manages JPL for NASA. His directorial position was effective from July 1, 2016 to August 20, 2021.[1][2]
- ^ "Michael Watkins Named Next JPL Director". California Institute of Technology. May 2, 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "JPL Director Michael Watkins to Return to Academia". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). August 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-09.