NASA Names Scolese New Chief Engineer

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin today named Christopher Scolese as the agency’s chief engineer, replacing Rex Geveden who recently was named associate administrator.

As chief engineer Scolese is responsible directly to the administrator for the overall review and technical readiness of all NASA programs. The Office of the Chief Engineer assures that the development efforts and missions operations are being planned and conducted on a sound engineering basis with proper controls and management of technical risks.

Scolese is currently the deputy director of the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Previously he served as deputy associate administrator in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters. In that position he was responsible for the management, direction, and oversight of NASA’s space science flight program, mission studies, technology development, and overall contract management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Scolese’s 20 year NASA career also includes: deputy director of flight programs and projects for Earth Science, project manager for the Terra mission and the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System instrument for Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

Prior to joining NASA, Scolese worked in industry and government.

Scolese served in the U.S. Navy from 1978 to 1983 at the Division of Naval Reactors. He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in electrical engineering and computer science from George Washington University, Washington.

He is the recipient of several honors including the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, Goddard Space Flight Center’s Outstanding Leadership, two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) National Capital Section Young Engineer/Scientist of the Year award. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Scolese is married and has four children.