Wesley L. Harris

Wes Harris is the Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the director of the Lean Sustainment Initiative at MIT. Before his appointment as Associate Provost, Professor Harris served as head of MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 2003 to 2008.

He earned his BS in aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia, and his MA and PhD in aerospace and mechanical sciences at Princeton University, on whose Board of Trustees he later served (2001-2005). From 1972 to 1985, he taught and held several administrative positions at MIT, making seminal contributions to the study of unsteady aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, rarefied gas dynamics, sustainment of capital assets, and chaos in sickle cell disease.

He served as dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut from 1985 to 1990, and as vice president and chief administrative officer of the University of Tennessee Space Institute from 1990 to 1993. As NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics from 1993 to 1995, he was responsible for all programs, facilities, and personnel in aeronautics at NASA.

Wes Harris has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering, the Cosmos Club, and the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. He is also an elected fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Helicopter Society, and the National Technical Association, in recognition of his achievements in engineering, engineering education, management, and advancing cultural diversity.

Connect with Wes via email at weslhar@mit.edu.