Dr. James A. Kenyon

Dr. James A. Kenyon serves as associate administrator for NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate, leading NASA’s work to develop and deliver breakthroughs in aeronautics, space technology and communications, and nuclear power and propulsion. In this role, Kenyon focuses on delivering breakthrough capabilities required by the agency’s missions to benefit the nation.  

Previously, Kenyon served as director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where he was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities required to accomplish the missions assigned to the center and its staff of more than 2,500 civil servants and contractors. Kenyon joined NASA in 2019 as director of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. 

Prior to NASA, Kenyon worked with Pratt & Whitney, where he held key leadership roles in engineering, program management, and business development. Kenyon joined Pratt & Whitney after 17 years as a civilian in the U.S. Department of Defense, including six years in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he was responsible for strategic planning, policy guidance, and management oversight of the department’s aerospace science and technology programs.  

Kenyon is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.