• Laurie Leshin is stepping down as director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in June.
• David Gallagher, JPL's current associate director for strategic integration, will replace Leshin.
• Leshin will return to Caltech to focus on research and family.

Laurie Leshin, the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, announced that she will be stepping down from her position in June after serving for more than three years. David Gallagher, the current associate director for strategic integration at JPL, will take over as the new director. Leshin cited her desire to relaunch her research program at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and focus on her family as the primary reasons for her departure.

• What: Laurie Leshin is stepping down as director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). David Gallagher will replace her.
• Who: Laurie Leshin, David Gallagher, NASA, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• When: Leshin will step down in June. Announcement made on May 7.
• Where: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California

Leshin's departure marks the end of a relatively short but impactful tenure at JPL. Her leadership saw the successful launch of several key missions and advancements in scientific discovery. Gallagher's long history at JPL suggests a stable transition and continuity in the lab's direction. Leshin's emphasis on family and research indicates a personal choice to shift priorities after a demanding role.

I am proud of the many things JPL has accomplished over the past three years.

Laurie has made a significant impact on energizing and focusing the lab, guiding it back on track after the Covid-19 pandemic. I wish her great success in this next chapter of her career, and I look forward to a very smooth transition at the lab

leading JPL has been the honor of a lifetime.

Laurie Leshin's departure marks not only a leadership change at JPL but also the end of a significant era defined by both remarkable achievements and considerable challenges. Her tenure, though relatively short, saw the successful launch of missions like Europa Clipper, EMIT, SWOT, Psyche, PREFIRE and SPHEREx, and progress on the NASA-Indian Earth satellite NISAR. Beyond these successes, Leshin navigated complex hurdles, including protecting JPL from regional fires and addressing issues surrounding the Mars Sample Return mission, and workforce layoffs due to budget uncertainties. David Gallagher's appointment as the 11th Director of JPL ensures a degree of continuity, leveraging his 36 years of experience at the laboratory and deep understanding of its unique operations. As JPL moves forward under Gallagher's leadership, the legacy of Leshin's directorship—characterized by scientific advancement, technological innovation, and resilience in the face of adversity—will continue to shape the laboratory's trajectory in space exploration and its contributions to understanding our planet and the universe.