Michele A. Schuman

Dr. Michele A. Schuman is the assistant head of the Communication Systems Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Schuman joined the Laboratory in 2004 as technical staff in the Advanced Satcom Systems and Operations Group. In her early work, she was part of the team who deployed the Interim Command and Control and Antenna Calibration Facility for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite system, for which she led the verification campaign to ensure that the terminal was performing as expected. Since then, she has served in a wide range of technical roles, ranging from algorithm developer and system analyst to prototype system integration test lead and system architect for a variety of communication systems.

In 2011, Schuman was promoted to assistant leader of the Advanced Satcom Systems and Operations Group, where she established and led the Laboratory's support to the Protected Tactical Waveform series of programs. This effort helped the United States establish an anti-jam communication capability for forward-deployed forces in contested environments. Schuman was promoted to associate leader and leader of the group in 2015 and 2017, respectively. In addition to assuming a larger role overseeing the group's portfolio, Schuman was the lead for assessing and advising teams across the Laboratory on the application of satellite communications to several missions. She was also a key member of the U.S. government team who conducted a pair of high-level analysis of alternatives that defined the next generation of military satellite communications.

In 2019, Schuman transferred to the Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations Group. As group leader, she led a series of very broad communications studies and analysis programs that defined a cohesive multidomain communications strategy for multiple U.S. government customers. In particular, Schuman has focused on defining technologies and architectures for space-to-space communications to enable new space operations.

Schuman is regularly called upon to brief senior U.S. Department of Defense leaders and speak at national communications conferences and workshops. She is also an active mentor to many in the Laboratory community. For her contributions across the Laboratory and to the nation, Schuman received a 2018 Lincoln Laboratory Technical Excellence Award. Schuman received BS degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics and a BA degree in French from the University of Wyoming in 1999, and an MS degree in electrical engineering and a PhD degree in mathematics, both from the University of California, San Diego, in 2004.