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Cynthia Panas

A headshot of NSED Space Development Group Lead, mechanical engineer, and LLNL’s Space Science and Security Program project manager Cynthia Panas.
Mechanical Engineer and NSED Space Development Group Lead

Cynthia Panas is the NSED Space Development Group Lead and a mechanical engineer and project manager at LLNL’s Space Science and Security Program (SSSP). She has worked on several flight payload platforms and mentors junior engineers in SSSP as they develop new technologies for spacecraft payloads.  

Previously at LLNL Cynthia supported nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship at NIF, where she led development of the high energy density materials strength platforms. In 2020, she was recognized as a Director’s Science & Technology Award recipient for her work on the NIF High Energy Density Science Campaign supporting the Life Extension Program team.   

Prior to joining the Lab in 2014, Cynthia worked at Nexus Automation as Lead Design Engineer for custom small scale manufacturing lines, and as a product development engineer on commercial products at Vecna Automation and Bose Corporation.   

Cynthia earned both a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. She is the proud mother of two and a member of her daughter’s Scout pack committee. Her family enjoys all things outdoors, from gardening to camping.