Dr. Jesse Mee is a member of the Scientific and Technical Cadre of Senior Executives, and the Senior Scientist for Radiation Hardening Technologies, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He serves as the principal scientific authority and independent researcher in the field of radiation effects and mitigation technologies. Dr. Mee currently serves in leadership roles at the AFRL Enterprise and National levels, working closely with DoD, national labs and the defense industry base to identify gaps, coordinate investments and facilitate transition of critical rad hard technology into national security space and strategic systems.
Dr. Mee has been leading foundational research, advanced technology development and radiation-effects studies in commercial and rad-hard electronics for over 16 years. He currently serves as the Department of the Air Force member on the Board of Service Executives for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Microelectronics Commons, he leads the DoD Strategic Rad Hard Electronics Council Research and Development Working Group and is an AFRL Senior Scientist responsible for planning and coordination of rad-hard research and development across the lab.
Dr. Mee’s government career began in 2008 at AFRL where he designed and executed radiation tests for advanced RH electronics. Afterward he shifted his attention to reliability issues—specifically the study of negative bias temperature instability and hot-carrier injection failure mechanisms in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors. His primary contribution was in the development of a novel experimental methodology that led to an increased understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the NBTI phenomenon. Dr. Mee then embarked on a multi-year detailed investigation of quantum dot mode locked lasers for high-speed intra-satellite data transmission. He authored several foundational publications including the first to demonstrate greater than 100-degree Celsius operation of a QD MLL, the first to explain puzzling output behavior in a QD MLL at elevated temperature, and a theoretical QD MLL design to produce a narrower pulse shape and increase the potential data rate for communication applications. Dr. Mee later founded the Spacecraft Processing Architectures and Computing Environment Research lab to study optimized pairing of mission application codes with various space computing hardware architectures. The lab has since grown to over 15 scientists and engineers who have collectively produced 27 publications since 2014. Between 2016 and 2023 he planned and directed over $540M in rad hard investments through leadership roles in the AFRL Space Electronics Technologies program. He is author and co-author of more than 40 journal and conference articles, and has served on multiple external advisory boards, independent product teams and RH conference planning/steering committees.
EDUCATION
2009 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, University of New Mexico
2010 Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, with Distinction, University of New Mexico
2013 Doctor of Philosophy, Optoelectronics Engineering, with Distinction, University of New Mexico
2015 New Mexico Leadership Development Program, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Albuquerque, N.M.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. May 2008–November 2010, Engineering, Student Training in Engineering Program, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
2. November 2010–December 2013, Associate Electronics Engineer, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
3. January 2013–December 2018, Research Electronics Engineer, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. November 2016–March 2021, Deputy PM Space Electronic Technologies, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New M.M.
5. January 2019–October 2023, Senior Research Electronics Engineer, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. October 2020–October 2023, Deputy Mission Lead (Acting Mission Lead October 2021–July 2022), Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M
7. March 2021–October 2023, PM Space Electronic Technologies, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. October 2023–present, Senior Scientist for Radiation Hardening Technologies, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
AWARDS AND HONORS
2009 AFRL/RV International Team Award
2010 MS awarded with distinction
2011 AFRL Civilian of the Quarter Award
2013 AFRL nomination for Presidential Early Career Award for S&Es
2013 Ph.D. awarded with distinction
2016 AFRL/RV Innovation Award
2017 AFRL/RV Commanders Cup Junior Individual
2020 IEEE Senior Member
2021 AFRL/RV SE&TM Mid-Career Civilian Engineer
2023 AFRL/RV Senior Leadership Award
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Member, IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPS)
Member, Materials Research Society (MRS)
(Current as of March 2025)