Auburn’s Applied Research Institute taps NASA veteran as chief engineer

Larry Leopard hasn't changed his spots — just his spot. 

Leopard, who spent the past 35 years shaping the nation's space exploration capabilities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, was recently named chief engineer for the Auburn University Applied Research Institute (AUARI) in Huntsville, where he'll oversee the institute's technical capabilities and coordination between Huntsville's industrial ecosystem and Auburn’s world-class engineering resources.

Leopard brings to the role an extensive record of leadership and innovation in propulsion systems, systems engineering and integration, and advanced manufacturing. Beginning his career at Martin Marietta before joining NASA, Leopard led multiple divisions and departments within Marshall’s Engineering Directorate before being named Director of Engineering. His teams most recently played pivotal roles in developing the flight software and integrated avionics for NASA’s Space Launch System.

“I’ve spent most of my career managing and developing technical capabilities and applying them to whatever the problem is,” Leopard said. “That’s really what I do at heart — I’m an engineer. And that’s exactly what I’ve been asked to help do here at Auburn.”

Jonathan Pettus, AUARI executive director, describes Leopard's role as both managerial and visionary.

“We're asking Larry to guide the capabilities that the institute already has housed locally,” Pettus said. “But he'll also be expanding them by functioning as a conduit between the university’s main campus talent and resources and Huntsville's defense, aerospace and manufacturing sectors."

It certainly won't be the first bridge Leopard has built between the Rocket City and the Loveliest Village.

At NASA, Leopard worked with numerous universities and research institutions, including Auburn, on projects that advanced additive manufacturing technologies for aerospace applications. Those collaborations helped establish Auburn as a respected leader in the field and strengthened connections between academia and government research.

“After retiring from NASA, I was looking for an environment where I could continue to support innovation and workforce development,” Leopard said. “Auburn was a partner I came to respect for its technical expertise and commitment to advancing U.S. capabilities in aerospace research and engineering. Joining Auburn offered an opportunity to continue contributing to that kind of mission-focused research and education in a public service context.”

Leopard believes connecting Huntsville’s industry demands with multi-disciplinary Auburn initiatives will lead to a new wave of innovation.

“When Auburn really planted its flag in this community with the launch of the institute in 2022, I think it was a really great move,” Leopard said. “The vision that the university’s leadership had to tie the main campus’ research directly into the needs of North Alabama’s growing applied research infrastructure was exactly right. And now, Auburn is making that vision a reality.”