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The Next NASA Administrator Forum

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Obama will most likely appoint a new NASA Administrator. Who would you like to see as the next NASA Administrator?

- Nominate: Is your candidate not listed? Add your own and follow the syntax to ease in comparison between candidates. Candidates have to fit the following criteria: (1) a person, (2) alive, and (3) either in a space related enterprise or had experience running an organisation with over 1000 staff.

- Comment: Add to the discussion about each candidate, and please be substantive.

- Vote: Made up your mind? Please vote!

**Nominated and don't want to be on the list? Send an e-mail to obamanasa@gmail.com. **

  1. 4,149 votes

    phil plait

    Dr. Phil Plait, aka "The Bad Astronomer", PhD from the University of Virginia, formerly faculty at Sonoma State University, is a well-known skeptic, science education proponent, president of the James Randi Foundation, and author.

  2. 1,142 votes

    Neil deGrass Tyson [BA, MA, PhD]

    Education: BA in Physics, Harvard, MA in Astronomy U. of Texas at Austin
    Ph.D. Astrophysics, Columbia
    Experience: served on NASA Advisory Council, Commission on the Future of the
    United States Aerospace Industry and in 2004 to serve on the President's
    Commission on Implementation of United States... more

  3. 1,048 votes

    Pete Worden [Brig. Gen., BS, PhD]

    Education: BS Physics and Astronomy, U. of Michigan, Ph.D. Astronomy, U. of
    Arizona
    Experience: Commander, 50th Space Wing, Director of Development and
    Transformation, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command,
    Professor of Astronomy, U. of Arizona
    Current Position: Director of NA... more

  4. 1,026 votes

    Tim Huddleston

    Tim is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Aerospace Development Center (NADC). NADC is a unique national nonprofit center that is independent and nonpartisan and promotes future economic growth potentials derived from space and enabled through a true aerospace app... more

  5. 840 votes
  6. 401 votes

    Mike Heney

    Mike Heney has been an active member of the space development and commercialization community for the past 30 years. He has been affiliated with the National Space Society (formerly the L-5 Society) since 1978. In 1993, he worked with SpaceCause to present the initial results from the DC-X progra... more

  7. 397 votes

    Lori Garver [MA, BA]

    Education: MA Science, Technology, and Public Policy, GWU, BA Political
    Science and Economics, Colorado College
    Experience: NASA Associate Administrator, Vice President of DFI Corporate
    Services, Executive Director NSS
    Current Position: Lead, Obama-NASA Presidential Transition Team
    for NASA
    Age:... more

  8. 325 votes

    Rick Tumlinson

    Experience: co-Founder of the Space Frontier Foundation, co-founder of MirCorp, helped pass the Space Settlement Act of 1988, testified before President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Space, and was a founding trustee of the X-Prize

    More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Tumlinson

  9. 325 votes

    Mike Griffin [BS, MS, PhD, MEng, MS, MBA, MEng]

    Education: BS Physics, JHU, MS Aerospace Science, Catholic U. of
    America, PhD Aerospace Engineering, U. Maryland College Park,
    MEng Electrical Engineering, USC, MS Applied Physics, JHU, MBA
    Loyola College in Maryland, MEng Civil Engineering, GWU
    Experience: Strategic Defense Initiative Organizati... more

  10. 310 votes

    Sally Ride [BA, BS, MS, PhD]

    Education: BA English, BS Physics, MS Astrophysics, PhD Astrophysics from
    Stanford.
    Experience: NASA Astronaut (STS-7, STS-41), Physics Professor UCSD
    Current Position: President and CEO of Sally Ride Science
    Age: 57
    Major accomplishments: first American woman in space
    More info: http://en.wikipe... more

  11. 305 votes

    Alan Stern [BS, PhD]

    Education: PhD Astrophysics and Planetary Science from UC Boulder
    Experience: Executive Director Southwest Research Institute, NASA Associate
    Administrator Science Mission Directorate
    Current Position: authored or co-authored over 100 scientific papers
    More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Stern

  12. 205 votes

    Charles Bolden [Maj. Gen., BS, MS]

    Education: BS Electrical Science, United States Naval Academy, MS, Systems
    Management, USC
    Experience: Marine Test pilot, NASA astronaut, NASA Assistant Deputy
    Administrator, Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen (USNA)
    Current Position: retired
    Age: 62
    Major accomplishments: astronaut of 4 shuttle m... more

  13. 196 votes

    Zachary C. Krevor

    Currently a Senior Reliability Engineer for Lockheed Martin, working on Project Orion. Has extensive knowledge of the propulsion and ECLSS subsystems on Orion in addition to general knowledge of the spacecraft as a whole.

    Holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering along with a M.S. in Aerospace... more

  14. 169 votes

    robin matthews

    visionary, enterprise, strategy, communication, leadership

    a.Chef de Cabinet at Libertas

    b. Consultant at Saffron Brand Consultants
    How we see it /

    It’s a new brand world.

    Stimulation, experimentation and transformation.

    Wherever you are – and that’s partly the point – branding’s on the m... more

  15. 138 votes

    John C. Mankins

    John C. Mankins, Star of Discovery Project Earth- Orbital Power Plant- on the Discovery Channel. President of Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LLC is an internationally recognized leader in space systems and technology innovation, and as a highly effective manager of large-scale technolo... more

  16. 138 votes

    Peter Diamandis [BS, PhD, MD]

    Education: BS Aerospace Engineering MIT, Ph.D. Health, Sciences and Technology, MIT, M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
    Experience: CEO of BlastOff! Corporation, Co-founded Space Adventures Ltd, Director and CEO, International Space University, co-founder, Zero Gravity Corporation
    Current Positio... more

  17. 103 votes

    Steve Squyres [BS, PhD]

    Education: BS in Geology, Ph.D. Cornell
    Experience: PI Mars Exploration Rover Mission, co-investigator on 2003 Mars
    Express and 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, member of the NASA
    Advisory Council
    Current Position: Professor of Astronomy at Cornell
    Age: 51
    Major accomplishments: author... more

  18. 103 votes

    Scott Hubbard [BS]

    Education: BS Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt U., graduate studies Solid State and Semiconductor Physics, UC Berkeley
    Experience: Director, NASA Ames Research Center, Director NASA Mars Program, Director Astrobiology Institute, Program Manager, Lunar Prospector, Member Columbia Accident Invest... more

  19. 98 votes

    Andy Ihnatko

  20. 96 votes

    George Whitesides

    Exec Director of NSS, Virgin Galactic Founder, experienced in politics, management, and engineering

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