Laurie Leshin

Biography

Dr. Laurie Leshin a distinguished space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government and a focus on unleashing organizations to align with their values and make their greatest impact. She is currently the University Professor for Space Futures Arizona State University, where she advises the President and University leadership on opportunities in space exploration, higher education transformation, and the future of the nation’s research enterprise.

Leshin was director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory from mid-2022 to 2025 where she oversaw the successful development and launch of major NASA missions across Earth Science, Planetary Exploration, and Astrophysics. As president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 2014 to 2022, she elevated WPI’s distinctive project-based approach to STEM education and research, and grew the enrollment and endowment to record levels. She earlier served in senior leadership roles in NASA’s science and human spaceflight programs.

Leshin is currently Chair of the Board of FIRST, the largest robotics competition organization in the world, reaching almost one million young people annually. She serves on the Academic Council of the Schmidt Science Fellows Program. She has previously served on numerous non-profit boards including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation (vice-chair), the National Academies’ Government-University-Industry-Philanthropy Research Roundtable (co-chair), the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (chair).

The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 Leshin to honor her contributions to planetary science. Leshin holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from Caltech.