James A. Evans has been named assistant laboratory director for the Office of Technology and Applications at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory effective Nov. 1, JPL Director Dr. Edward Stone said today.
Evans succeeds Malvin A. Yeater, who is retiring.
Yeater, a JPL employee since 1964, was a network engineering manager for the Deep Space Network, a project manager for networks consolidation of ground networks, and later project manager for the All Source Analysis System (ASAS), a Department of Defense project, before being named assistant laboratory director.
Evans joined JPL in 1980 and became manager the following year of the Photovoltaic Technology Development and Applications Lead Center. He moved to the ASAS project in 1983.
He was named manager of the ASAS project in 1987 and, in 1991, was named manager of JPL's Electronics and Control Division. From 1992 to his most recent appointment was manager of the Astrophysics and Fundamental Physics Preprojects program.
Evans served more than 20 years as an officer in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps, including assignments in various capacities at the Ordnance School, on the senior staff of the Logistical Command in Vietnam and as assistant project manager for development of the Abrams tank.
He retired from the Army in 1978 and prior to joining JPL worked at Cadillac Gage Company in Detroit as manager of program operations.
He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in 1957 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and earned an M.S. in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
Evans also attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Defense Systems Management College in 1974.
He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and the National Defense Preparedness Association.
A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., he currently lives with his wife, Virginia, in Sierra Madre, Calif. They have two grown children.
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