JihFen Lei

President
Teledyne FLIR Defense

Dr. JihFen Lei is President of Teledyne FLIR Defense. In her current role, she leads the strategy, innovation, and execution of businesses that drive growth and continuous improvement in the government and defense sectors that serve our global customers.

Prior to her returning to Teledyne in 2021, Dr. Lei performed the duties of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering at the Pentagon and served as the Principal Deputy, Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology, and Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology. In these roles, Dr. Lei led the Department of Defense Science and Technology Enterprise and oversaw the Science and Technology investment, programs, workforce and laboratory infrastructure policy collaborating with International Allies. Earlier in her government career, Dr. Lei led the Research & Technology Directorate at the NASA Glenn Research Center and served within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and NAS Headquarters. Dr. Lei was a senior researcher with the Army Research Laboratory.

Dr. Lei holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Dr. Lei has published over 100 technical publications and is patented in her field​. Her leadership and public service were widely recognized, including the Presidential Rank Medal of Meritorious Senior Executive, the Secretary Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, the NASA Public Service and Leadership Honor Medals, and three R&D 100 Award.

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