Dr. Lorie Grimes-Ledesma – NESC Academy Biography

Lorie Grimes-Ledesma began her career at McDonnell-Douglas Commercial Aircraft Division performing durability and damage tolerance assessments for MD-80, MD-11, and C-17 aircraft structure.  After moving to Boeing Space and Communications Division, she began to work on composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) and participated in the development of new industry standards for composite and metallic pressure vessels.  

Since 2001 she has worked composite and all-metal pressure vessel issues for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  She is currently the lead for the NESC Composite Pressure Vessel Working Group, which is chartered to understand and minimize risk associated with composite pressure vessel use throughout NASA.  

Dr. Grimes-Ledesma received her PhD from UCLA in Materials Science and MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah.  She has BS and BA degrees from Southern Methodist University in Mechanical Engineering and Physics.