Speaker Bio

Leighton Quon is Deputy Director of Aeronautics at NASA Ames Research Center, where he provides executive oversight of aeronautics research programs and leads operations for major national test and simulation facilities, including the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel and advanced flight simulation environments. He is responsible for integrating aeronautics R&D across the center and coordinating with partners across NASA, industry, academia, and government to advance next-generation aviation systems. With more than 40 years of experience across aerospace and aeronautics in both industry and government, Quon’s background spans guidance, navigation, and control systems, air traffic management, and aviation safety. He previously led the Autonomous Systems and Robotics Technical Area within the Intelligent Systems Division at Ames, advancing work in adaptive systems and human-autonomy integration, and has managed multiple aviation operations and safety programs recognized with federal and agency-level awards. His earlier career includes roles at Lockheed and other aerospace firms, as well as extensive work supporting NASA’s air traffic management and simulation laboratories, with a current focus on validating and safely integrating autonomous and AI-enabled aviation systems within increasingly complex, system-of-systems environments.