Dr. Marla E. Pérez-Davis is serving as Executive in Residence at the College of Aeronautics and
Engineering (CAE) at Kent State University in Ohio. The short-term collaboration is supporting
two key strategic college wide initiatives, building bridges with diverse and underrepresented
students to pursue STEM careers, and increasing CAE roles in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).
Previously, Dr. Pérez-Davis served as the director of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In this position, she was
responsible for planning, organizing and directing the activities required in accomplishing the
missions assigned to the center. The Glenn staff consists of more than 3,200 civil service and
support contractor employees and has an annual budget of more than $900 million. Some key
milestones completed at Glenn during her tenure include the construction of the new Research
Support Building, testing on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I Moon mission, demonstrated
technologies critical to a new generation of small core engines that will improve fuel efficiency
and enable hybrid electric aviation, and testing for the X-59 QueSST quiet supersonic aircraft.
Prior to becoming the director, Dr. Pérez-Davis served as Glenn’s deputy director.
From 2014 to June 2016, she was deputy director of the Research and Engineering Directorate.
In this position, Pérez-Davis was responsible for leading, planning, coordinating and managing
all phases of Glenn’s research and engineering activities to accomplish NASA missions.
Other key leadership positions Pérez-Davis held at Glenn include director of the Aeronautics
Research Office from 2010 to 2014, where she served as the focal point for aeronautics research
and provided project management, leadership and oversight in support of the Agency’s
aeronautics research mission. Prior to that, she served as chief of the Project Liaison and
Integration Office from 2007 to 2010, where her leadership resulted in streamlined business
processes, improved contract management practices and improved timeliness response to safety
assurance activities. She also served as the chief of the Electrochemistry Branch, where her
leadership resulted in strengthening the energy storage and power competencies in support of
NASA missions.
Pérez-Davis is the recipient of numerous NASA awards including the NASA Outstanding
Leadership Medal and the prestigious Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives. She
was also the recipient of the Great Minds in STEM 2021 HENAAC Engineer of the Year Award;
2022 Case Alumni Association Kicher Meritorious Award; 2022 The University of Toledo
Distinguished Alumna Award; 2015 Crain’s Women of Note; the Top 25 Elite Business Women,
Hispanic Business Magazine; Women of Color Career Achievement; Distinguished Alumni
Award, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez; Women in Aerospace Award for Aerospace
Awareness; Women of Color Technology Award for Career Achievement; and the Hispanic
Engineer National Achievement Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award.
Pérez-Davis, a native of Puerto Rico, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto
Rico; a Master of Science degree from the University of Toledo and a doctoral degree from Case
Western Reserve University in Chemical Engineering.