Jurczyk Named Head of NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate

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Feb 23, 2015, 04:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Steve Jurczyk as the agency's Associate Administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, effective Monday, March 2. The directorate is responsible for innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use on future NASA missions.

Jurczyk has served as Center Director at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, since April of 2014. An accomplished engineer, he previously served as the deputy center director and in other leadership positions at the center prior to his appointment as center director.

"It's great to have Steve coming aboard to lead the technology and innovation engine of the agency," said Bolden. "Technology drives exploration and under Steve's leadership we'll continue the President's innovation strategy, positioning NASA and the aerospace community on the cutting-edge, pushing the boundaries of the aerospace with the technical rigor our nation expects of its space program"

Langley's current deputy director, Dave Bowles, will serve as acting director.

In May 2003, Jurczyk was named director of Systems Engineering. Before becoming Langley's Deputy Director, he previously served as director of Langley's Research and Technology Directorate.

Jurczyk began his NASA career at Langley in 1988 as an electronics engineer in the Electronic Systems Branch. While on detail to NASA Headquarters, he managed the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and formulated the technology development strategy for the Earth Science Enterprise.

From 1994 to 1997, he was the Instrument Systems Engineer and later the Spacecraft Systems Manager for the Landsat 7 Project at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. He returned to Langley as head of the Electronic Systems Branch in the Aerospace Electronics Systems Division. In 2002, Jurczyk was selected as Deputy Director for Flight Systems in Langley's Systems Engineering organization.

Jurczyk earned bachelor and master of science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1984 and 1986, respectively.

Jurczyk succeeds Michael Gazarik, who left this agency this month to become director of Technology at Ball and Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado.

"Mike's experienced leadership and commitment has been critical to building the strong foundation upon which our Space Technology Mission Directorate now stands," said Bolden. "Through his hard work and vision, he's developed an innovative, cross-cutting organization that creates the new knowledge and capabilities needed to enable our future missions. Mike's proven that technology drives exploration and is a critical component of our journey to Mars. His tireless work and dedication to fostering innovation at NASA will be sorely missed."

For more information about NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech

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SOURCE NASA