Based in Washington, Jen managed Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage from 2013 to January 2024.
Prior to taking on the Executive Editor role, Jen was Aviation Week's Congressional Editor. Jen came to Aviation Week in March 2011 from Politico, where she covered the intersection of defense and politics. She also worked as a reporter and editor for Defense Daily, Inside the Army, The Other Paper and The Columbus Dispatch.
Jen received a Master’s degree in journalism as a Kiplinger Fellow at the Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from the University of Michigan.
The nomination of Michael Huerta as the next FAA administrator may finally advance, now that the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has scheduled a hearing for June 21. Huerta, who has been the acting administrator since December, was deputy under Administrator Randy Babbitt, who resigned after being charged with driving while intoxicated. Those charges were later dismissed.
Whether the U.S. Navy's first demonstration of a biofuel-powered fleet represents a one-off effort or the potential start of a new industry may now rest in the hands of the U.S. Senate. The Navy bought 450,000 gal. of fuel— made from algae or other crops—for about $27 per gallon to power its “Great Green Fleet” in the Rim of the Pacific exercises scheduled to start later this month. But if the defense authorization bill passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee stands, the biofuel-powered fleet will run aground next year.
CYBER BUZZ: The recent revelation that the U.S. may have used cyberworms to infiltrate Iranian centrifuges has Washington abuzz with leak rumors, but also may spur a more public discussion of cyberwarfare. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta described this week how the nation is constantly fending off attacks and needs to move quickly to protect its critical infrastructure from cyber attacks. And now lawmakers are in the process of approving new mandates to draw up offensive cyber strategies and develop rules of engagement.
