LEADERSHIP

Mark Lewis, PhD

Mark Lewis became PARI’s president and CEO in May 2023. A former deputy undersecretary of defense and renowned aerospace researcher, he previously served as executive director of NDIA’s Emerging Technologies Institute. Prior to that, he was director of defense research and engineering in the Pentagon and acting deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. From 2012–2019, Lewis directed the Science and Technology Policy Institute, an FFRDC supporting the White House and federal agencies. He is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, formerly chair of aerospace engineering, and served as the Air Force’s chief scientist from 2004–2008.

Amit H. Varma, PhD

Amit Varma became executive director of the PARI Infrastructure Innovation Lab in 2023. He is a nationally recognized structural engineering expert and directs Purdue’s Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research. Varma has been a Purdue faculty member since 2004, a full professor since 2014 and the Karl H. Kettelhut Professor since 2018. His research on steel-concrete composite structures under seismic, fire, blast and impact loading informs American Institute of Steel Construction design codes used worldwide. Varma holds a B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology, an M.S. from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University.

Gregory Scofield, PhD

Gregory Scofield became director of the PARI Hypersonics Laboratory in November 2024. His work centers on manufacturing and testing high-temperature materials for hypersonic systems, including additive manufacturing for RF window materials, ultra-high-temperature ceramics and joining methods for thermal protection systems. Previously, Scofield spent six years in the gas turbine industry studying ceramic matrix composites and environmental barrier coatings. He holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Purdue University, where he researched chemomechanical behavior of SiC-based ceramic composites.

Patricia Herndon

Patricia Herndon became PARI’s senior director for special projects in 2024, bringing 35 years of defense experience across R&D, acquisition and senior leadership. She held program management roles at Naval Sea Systems Command and led expeditionary warfare efforts at NSWC Crane with an $800 million annual portfolio. Her initiatives spanned autonomy, mission engineering, integrated test environments and AI-enabled sensing. Herndon also has industry experience at Eli Lilly and COMARCO. She holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Purdue University and is DAWIA Level III certified.

Darren Crum, PhD

Darren Crum joined PARI as director of the Microelectronics Lab in March 2024, bringing 30+ years of strategy, innovation and engineering leadership in the U.S. defense sector. He has held senior roles in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, including technical area lead for microelectronics advanced packaging. He previously served in Navy leadership and received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. Crum holds a B.S. in electrical engineering (University of Kentucky), an M.P.A. (Indiana University) and a Ph.D. in organization and management (Capella University).

Allan Gray, PhD

Allan Gray is executive director of the Digital Innovation in Agri-food Systems Lab (DIAL Ventures), which he founded in 2021 to create digital agriculture and food-industry startups. He also holds the Land O’Lakes Chair in food and agribusiness in Purdue’s Agricultural Economics department and directs the Dual M.S./MBA Food and Agribusiness Program. Gray has received numerous industry awards and holds a B.S. in agricultural economics (Tarleton State University) and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics (Texas A&M University).