Jennifer Duchow recently received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award from the Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus for her “exemplary leadership, technical expertise, and unwavering dedication to the Navy mission, as the technical, programmatic, and contractual lead” for the leading edge project.

In the citation, Rothenhaus lauded Duchow's dedication to the work, the team, and the nation. 

For Duchow, the recognition was a huge surprise.

“I was shocked and stunned when I received the award,” she said, noting that she doesn’t feel like she did “anything special.”

“I just do the best job I can with whatever tasking I am given, and it was very gratifying to have the long hours and stressful times appreciated,” Duchow added.

Like many leaders, she sees success as a team sport, and it’s an honor to work with a great team.

“The program was successful not because of me, but because I have been able to work with a great team of people, and together we were able to do great things,” Duchow said. “I have been privileged to work with a lot of great people, and it is all of them, both current and past teammates, who are the reason for this cutting edge technology transitioning.”

Read more in the citation excerpted. 

"Over four years, you successfully guided this immensely complex, multi-decade project involving over 200 personnel, multiple contractors, suppliers, and at least ten government entities, completing the development of critical hardware and achieving numerous scientific and technical firsts.

Your efforts integrated advanced modes, coordinated the Navy and Air Force S&T communities, and established a robust and resilient industrial base capable of producing this transformative technology at scale. This ensured that the Department of Defense can deploy it across future aircraft, avoiding reliance on a single vendor and enabling broad adoption and implementation throughout the aviation industry. Under your leadership, this project transitioned across the "valley of death" into multiple programs of record, revolutionizing aviation technology without the need for a technology deployment agreement.

Your exceptional contributions have established a lasting legacy, ensuring that this groundbreaking innovation will be a foundational element of aircraft moving forward. These achievements reflect great credit upon yourself, the Department of the Navy, and the United States Government."