JPL at 90: Caltech, JPL, and What’s Next
Ninety years of extraordinary missions. A conversation about what comes next.
In 1936, a small group of Caltech students and self-taught rocketeers tested a rocket motor in the Arroyo Seco. Their work grew into the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a partnership between campus and Lab that has transformed our understanding of Earth and the universe.
From Explorer 1 and Voyager to the Mars rovers and Europa Clipper, that partnership has made some of humanity’s most ambitious space missions possible. Its impact also reaches into daily life, from the image sensors behind phone cameras to the elevation data used in digital maps.
As JPL marks its 90th anniversary, join three people whose work spans the Lab’s past, present, and future. Former JPL director Charles Elachi, systems engineer Nagin Cox, and chief technologist Shouleh Nikzad will bring perspectives on the leadership behind landmark missions, the engineering that makes them possible, and the technology shaping the next generation of discovery.
Moderated by Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, the conversation will consider how the Caltech–JPL partnership continues to turn scientific questions into missions and what it will take to pursue the next ones.
Open to the Public: Attend Online or In Person at Caltech
This event is open to the public, with the option to attend online or in person on campus. In-person seating is limited, so register early for the opportunity to experience the conversation live.
Already registered for Alumni Weekend? This session is included with your ticket, and no additional registration is needed.
Charles Elachi (MS '69, PhD '71, DAA '21)
Professor of electrical engineering and planetary science, emeritus, Caltech; former director, JPL
Born in Lebanon, Charles Elachi studied physics and engineering in Grenoble, France, before earning his master’s degree and doctorate in electrical sciences at Caltech. He also holds graduate degrees in business administration from USC and geology from UCLA.
Elachi taught at Caltech and held research and management roles at JPL, specializing in remote sensing, before becoming director in May 2001. His tenure encompassed more than 20 missions, including Cassini, Dawn, and Juno, and the successful arrival of Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity on Mars. After retiring as director in June 2016, he became a Caltech professor emeritus, continuing his research, mission involvement, and advocacy for space and Earth science.
Nagin Cox
Senior systems engineer, JPL
Nagin Cox decided as a teenager that she wanted to work at JPL. Born in Bangalore, India, she grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her engineering and leadership roles have spanned Galileo, the Mars Exploration Rovers, Kepler, InSight, Curiosity, Perseverance, Mars Sample Return, Europa Clipper, and MOXIE. She currently serves as a mission lead for Perseverance and a systems engineer for Europa Clipper.
Cox has received NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal and two Exceptional Achievement Medals. As a STEM speaker for the U.S. Department of State, she shares the stories of people behind space missions with audiences worldwide. Before JPL, she served in the U.S. Air Force. She holds engineering degrees from Cornell and the Air Force Institute of Technology and a psychology degree from Cornell.
Shouleh Nikzad (MS '84, PhD '90, DAA '26)
Chief technologist at JPL, senior faculty associate in physics at Caltech, and 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
Shouleh Nikzad is the chief technologist at JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, and a senior faculty associate in physics at Caltech. A JPL Fellow recognized internationally for her work in nanoscale engineering, and for establishing and leading a team in developing ultraviolet detectors and instruments that help JPL and NASA study the universe from cubesats to flagship missions. She has adapted some of those innovations into medical tools. One of these detector inventions resolved a challenge in ultraviolet imaging that had persisted for half a century. Before becoming chief technologist, she led JPL’s Science Division. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2026 and is a 2026 Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.
Casey Dreier
Moderator | Chief of space policy, The Planetary Society
Casey Dreier directs policy and advocacy at The Planetary Society in support of science-driven space exploration. His expertise includes NASA’s budget, the politics of space exploration, and the history and political economy of space development.
Dreier creates datasets for use by journalists, policymakers, and researchers. He maintains dashboards documenting the economic effects of NASA science, compiles historical funding data, and has published peer-reviewed research. His policy analysis earned a SpaceNews Icon Award in 2025.
His commentary and writing appear in major news outlets and publications. He also produces the monthly newsletter The Space Advocate and hosts Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition. Dreier studied physics at Oberlin College, with a concentration in astronomy.