Kristin N. Lorenze is an Assistant Head of the Engineering Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, which is responsible for developing complex prototypes for national security.  The systems incorporate advanced technology and are used as platforms for testing new concepts, as prototypes for demonstrating new capabilities, and as operational systems for addressing military needs. The division maintains expertise in mechanical engineering, fabrication, structural and thermal-fluid analysis, systems engineering, controls and autonomous systems, rapid prototyping, optical engineering, and digital engineering as well as significant infrastructure to enable prototype development and successful technology transfer to industry.  Lorenze is currently leading a nationwide FFRDC-UARC Coalition on Digital Engineering to help accelerate the Air Force Digital Materiel Management initiative.

Lorenze joined Lincoln Laboratory in 2006 as an Associate Staff member in the Mechanical Engineering Group, where she focused on electromechanical design engineering and had oversight of the designer cell and configuration management system. During this time, she served as the Engineering Division Lead for the HSV-1 program. In 2009, she transitioned to the newly formed Program Support Office and served as the Business Program Manager for several optical communications efforts, including the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration and several significant classified programs. She was responsible for developing cost and schedule estimates, guiding all aspects of program execution, and managing the sponsor interface. Lorenze was promoted to Leader of the Program Support Office in 2014, and her role focused on the successful delivery of the Laboratory’s Level 1 prototypes.

In 2018, Lorenze was appointed to a new, senior-level Laboratory position as Head of the Program Management Office. In this role, she significantly expanded the Laboratory’s program management posture to improve program execution Laboratory-wide. These efforts included developing a pool of highly skilled program managers, providing support to an expanded set of critical programs, developing and executing Laboratory program management education and training, and architecting a system of categorization and program management needs for all levels of Laboratory programs.

Lorenze’s commitment to an inclusive environment is reflected in her position on the Laboratory’s Executive Diversity & Inclusion Council.  She is also involved in the Laboratory’s career mentoring programs, oversees a course for Laboratory program managers on prototyping of complex systems, and has held leadership roles in the Laboratory’s Cultivating Leadership Achievement and Success (CLAS) symposium and Carbon Footprint Committee.

Lorenze holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA degree in technical management from Boston College. Prior to joining the Laboratory, she worked at Teradyne as a mechanical design engineer and product lead.