Eric Evans is stepping down as the director of MIT Lincoln Laboratory on July 1, 2024. He has led the lab through 18 years of technology research and development for national advancements, serving as an influential advisor to senior government officials on technology strategy. Following his departure, Evans will adopt the role of fellow in the director’s office and become a senior fellow in the Security Studies Program on the MIT campus.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a federally funded facility, focuses on technology development and transitions capability to government, commercial companies, and industry. Under Evans’ leadership, the lab created new areas of research in cybersecurity, homeland protection, and biotechnology. It also pioneered new programs in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change technology, quantum information science, and energy system resilience.
Evans has been instrumental in strengthening relationships with MIT’s research community, driving diversity initiatives, promoting STEM education, and developing models for technology transfers to small commercial companies. Additionally, Evans has served on the Defense Science Board, contributing to science and technology needs for the Department of Defense, and helping solve unstructured problems.
Throughout his directorship, Evans has also overseen the collaboration of Lincoln Laboratory with MIT’s School of Engineering, resulting in the establishment of the Beaver Works Center at MIT that facilitates collaborative prototyping and tech development. It was this collaboration that also propelled the launch of the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
Evans came to Lincoln Laboratory in 1988, becoming director in 2006. He saw success in his cybersecurity mission, as researchers developed tech to protect defense and civilian cyber networks. He also led efforts to apply biotechnology resources during the Covid-19 pandemic to address issues like medical resource allocation and contact tracing.
On top of technological advancement, Evans has been dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture at the lab, with significant increases in the representation of women and people of color in technical and leadership roles. He additionally backed various initiatives devoted to cultivating student interest in STEM fields, reaching over 100,000 students across the nation.
Evans leaves the laboratory poised to continue its mission through an ongoing investment in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and quantum systems. His successor will inherit a lab undergoing a $300 million microelectronics laboratory and an engineering prototyping facility.
After stepping down, Evans intends to maintain his involvement in the defense community, conducting studies to identify the technology needs of current and future defense systems. He also plans to develop and deliver courses related to technology for national security.
