Michael D. Griffin
| Michael D. Griffin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 11th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
|
In office April 13, 2005 – January 20, 2009 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Shana Dale |
| Preceded by | Frederick D. Gregory (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Scolese (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Douglas Griffin November 1, 1949 Aberdeen, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Johns Hopkins University (BS 1971, MS 1983) Catholic University (MS 1974) University of Maryland, College Park (PhD 1977) University of Southern California (MS 1979) George Washington University (MS 1990) Loyola University, Maryland (MBA 1998) |
Michael Douglas "Mike" Griffin (born November 1, 1949) is an American physicist and aerospace engineer. He served as Administrator of NASA, the U.S. space agency, from April 13, 2005, to January 20, 2009. As NASA Administrator Griffin oversaw such areas as the future of human spaceflight, the fate of the Hubble telescope and NASA's role in understanding climate change. In April 2009 Griffin, who has an academic background, was named eminent scholar and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Griffin had worked at NASA prior to serving as NASA Administrator, including as Associate Administrator for Exploration. When he was nominated as NASA chief, he was head of the Space Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. While he describes himself modestly as a "simple aerospace engineer from a small town", Griffin has held several high-profile political appointments. In 2007 he was included in the TIME 100, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people.
Griffin's appointment as Administrator was associated with a significant shift in the direction of the agency. He began signaling intended changes at his Senate confirmation hearing.
Griffin was born November 1, 1949, in Aberdeen, Maryland. He currently holds seven academic degrees. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1971; a Master of Science in Engineering degree in Aerospace Science from the Catholic University of America in 1974; a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1977; a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1979; a Master of Science degree in Applied Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1983; a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland in 1990; and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University in 1998.
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