Dr. Melissa G Choi

Melissa Choi was named director of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, effective July 1, 2024. Choi succeeds Eric Evans, who stepped down after 18 years as director.

Choi’s appointment marks a new chapter in Lincoln Laboratory’s storied history working to keep the nation safe and secure. As a federally funded research and development center operated by MIT for the Department of Defense, the laboratory has provided the government an independent perspective on critical science and technology issues of national interest for more than 70 years. Distinctive among national R&D labs, the laboratory specializes in both long-term system development and rapid demonstration of operational prototypes, to protect and defend the nation against advanced threats. In tandem with its role in developing technology for national security, the laboratory’s integral relationship with the MIT campus community enables impactful partnerships on fundamental research, teaching, and workforce development in critical science and technology areas.

Choi has served as assistant director of Lincoln Laboratory since 2019, with oversight of five of the Lab’s nine technical divisions: Biotechnology and Human Systems, Homeland Protection and Air Traffic Control, Cyber Security and Information Sciences, Communication Systems, and ISR and Tactical Systems. Engaging deeply with the needs of the broader defense community, Choi served for six years on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, with a term as vice chair, and was appointed to the DoD’s Threat Reduction Advisory Committee. She is currently a member of the national Defense Science Board’s Permanent Subcommittee on Threat Reduction.

Choi came to Lincoln Laboratory as a technical staff member in 1999, with a doctoral degree in applied mathematics. As she progressed to lead research teams, including the Systems and Analysis Group and then the Active Optical Systems Group, Choi learned the value of pooling expertise from researchers across the laboratory.