I'm here to introduce you to a remarkable group of people—the recipients of the Outstanding Contributor awards. These members of our community reach beyond their official roles, fill in wherever needed, and take exceptional initiative to solve problems.
Our first honoree is a member of the technical staff at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. His name is Rajan Gurjar and he has been praised by his colleagues for his fierce dedication, nimble technical expertise, and his ability to keep one of the world's most advanced laser radar systems on track. This is a highly complex undertaking, but as one colleague said, "Rajan is a stand-out contributor who is deeply invested in projects, and fully committed to helping others, while always avoiding the limelight."
Following the thousand-year flooding event caused by Hurricane Harvey, FEMA urgently called upon Lincoln Laboratory to use its advanced radar systems to help assess the damage. Because of his expertise and exceptional ability to communicate across diverse functional teams, Rajan was chosen to be the technical lead. After just 10 days—10 days of relentless coordination and technical strategy—the mission was accomplished.
According to his colleagues, this was just one of many examples of his extraordinary contributions. Rajan…congratulations.