Michael K. J. Milligan, PhD, P.E., CAE, currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ABET, an ISO 9001 certified, global, nonprofit quality assurance organization of 34 technical and professional societies. Through the accreditation of academic programs, recognition of professional credentials and assessment of student learning, ABET supports excellence in higher education worldwide.

Prior to joining ABET in 2009, Milligan was a systems director at the Aerospace Corporation, leading a team at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developing the next generation environmental satellites for NOAA. Milligan served over 24 years as a career U.S. Air Force officer working in operations, engineering education, international research & development, technology acquisition.

Milligan earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, his M.S.E. from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and his B.S. from Michigan State University — all in electrical engineering. He also earned an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Western New England College, is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado and Maryland, and a Certified Association Executive (CAE). He is also a certified Master Naturalist for the state of Maryland.