WASHINGTON, May 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a nonprofit association of 117 universities chartered to advance space science and technology, today announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees, along with the election of its Board Chair and Vice Chair. The new members bring diverse backgrounds and extensive experience in the space science and technology areas.
Dr. Jeffrey A. Isaacson, President and CEO of Universities Space Research Association noted, “We are thrilled to welcome these talented individuals to our Board of Trustees. Their expertise and insights will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the rapidly changing space science and technology landscape and further our nonprofit mission.”
USRA’s Council of Institutions elected the following three new Board members:
- Dr. Sean Solomon, Columbia University
- Dr. Richard Ambrosi, University of Leicester
- Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
In addition, Gen Lester Lyles, USAF, Ret. was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Dr. Berrien Moore (University of Oklahoma) was elected Vice Chair. Gen Lyles said, “We are confident that the addition of these outstanding leaders to our board will help position us for continued success in the years ahead, and their unique background with diverse experiences will make them an important asset to USRA.”
The new board members’ biographies are listed below
Dr. Sean C. Solomon
Adjunct Senior Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
Dr. Sean Solomon is an Adjunct Senior Research Scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where he served as Director and William B. Ransford Professor of Earth and Planetary Science from 2012 to 2020.
His research has spanned a range of topics in Earth and planetary science. A member of the science teams for the Magellan mission to Venus, the Mars Global Surveyor mission, and the GRAIL mission to the Moon, he was the principal investigator for NASA’s MESSENGER mission, which sent the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury and study the planet’s composition, geology, topography, gravity and magnetic fields, exosphere, magnetosphere, and heliospheric environment.
He has served as member or chair of scientific advisory committees for NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He served on USRA’s Lunar and Planetary Science Council from 1978 to 1980, 1991 to 1993, and 2013 to 2020, the third term as chair.
A former Hertz Fellow, Sloan Research Fellow, and Guggenheim Fellow, he was President of the American Geophysical Union from 1996 to 1998. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the Geological Society of America. He is a recipient of the G. K. Gilbert Award from the Geological Society of America, the Arthur L. Day Prize from the National Academy of Sciences, the Public Service Medal from NASA, the Harry H. Hess Medal from the American Geophysical Union, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the California Institute of Technology. In 2014 he was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama.
Professor Richard Ambrosi
School of Physics and Astronomy
University of Leicester
Prof. Ambrosi is currently the Executive Director of Space Park Leicester, a new £100M flagship space science, innovation, technology center, and collaboration environment. Housing more than 18 space sector companies, University of Leicester staff, and students, Space Park Leicester aims to transform the end-to-end value chain and space lifecycle, address global sustainability challenges, and develop new enabling technologies for space science and exploration.
Over the past 12 years, Prof. Ambrosi has been pioneering the development and testing of the world’s first space nuclear power systems designed to exploit waste heat from the radioisotope Americium-241, a by-product of the UK’s civil nuclear industry. These devices are aimed at enabling the European Space Agency (ESA) and international partners to target a whole range of space missions that are currently not possible due to a reliance on solar-powered spacecraft. Central to this program has been the establishment of international links with European and U.S. partners.
Until very recently (2020), he was Chair of the U.K. Space Agency’s Space Exploration Advisory Committee (SEAC) and a member of the U.K. Space Agency’s Science Program Advisory Committee (SPAC). Prof. Ambrosi still retains a role on the U.K. Space Agency’s Program Management Board for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission (JUICE).
Prof. Ambrosi obtained his Ph.D. from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and has served in scientific leadership positions including Lead for the ExoMars X-ray Diffraction instrument MARS-XRD.
Maj Gen Neil McCasland, USAF, Ret.
Consultant and Former Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory
Dr. Neil McCasland is currently an independent consultant advising a range of industry and government clients on military and national security technology issues. Most recently, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for Applied Technology Associates, Albuquerque, NM, from 2013-2021 leading their technical strategy and engineering staff. Prior to that, Dr. McCasland served as an Air Force Major General and has over 30 years of applied technology leadership in the Air Force and Intelligence Community, ranging from science and technology investment planning to on-orbit space operations.
From 2011 to 2013, he Commanded the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, where he was responsible for managing the Air Force’s $2.2 billion science and technology program. He was also responsible for a global workforce of approximately 10,400 people in the laboratory’s component technology directorates, including the 711th Human Performance Wing and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. As a General Officer he served as the Director of Space Acquisition on the Air Staff, and as the Director of Special Programs on the OSD staff at the Pentagon. He has also served as the Vice Commander of two Centers, the Space and Missile and the Ogden Air Logistics Centers.
Dr. McCasland is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He holds his bachelor’s degree in Astronautical Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and completed the S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Astronautical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Since 2020, Dr. McCasland has chaired the USRA NAMS Science and Technology Council.
The appointments became effective April 19, 2023. The new Trustees join the existing Board, which brings the total number of Trustees to 15.
About USRA
Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities, and conducts other major research and educational programs. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.
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