Trena Lilly is a systems engineer and operations research analyst in the Research and Exploratory Development Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL).
With expertise in Systems Engineering and Operations Research for Department of Defense and national security applications, Lilly has led technical teams and supervised technical professionals at APL. She has also collaborated with leaders at highest levels of the U.S. Navy, serving as a scientific liaison officer for the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
Lilly is a fellow of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS), of which she was president from 2011 to 2012. Notably, she was the youngest president of MORS and the first Black woman to serve in the role. She also served on the MORS Board of Directors. She has co-authored several technical articles and received a Black Engineer of the Year Award in 2021 and a Special Recognition award in 2009 as well as a Rising Star in Government and Defense Award in 2001.
In tandem with her technical leadership, Lilly has spearheaded several successful initiatives to foster diversity and inclusion at APL. In addition to serving as a member of the Laboratory’s Women and Minorities Advisory Council and the Fostering Unity and Staff Empowerment Employee Resource Group, she led the establishment of APL’s “Light the FUSE” award for excellence in diversity and inclusion and takes part in community activities through the Laboratory’s STEM Program Management Office.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree in engineering mathematics from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Lilly holds master’s degrees in systems Engineering from George Washington University, and Technical Management from the University of Maryland.
She currently lives in Glenn Dale, MD with her husband and two kids and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.