EXPERIENCE SUMMARY:

 

Dr. Bluford's record of accomplishments includes over 29 years of experience as a senior level business executive, NASA Astronaut, aerospace technical supervisor, aerospace engineer, computational fluid dynamicist, instructor pilot, and tactical fighter pilot. He is the first African American to fly in space (STS-8, the eighth flight of the Space Shuttle) and the first African American to return to space (STS-61A, the 22nd flight of the Space Shuttle; STS-39; the 40th flight of the Space Shuttle; and STS-53, the 52nd flight of the Space Shuttle).

 

EDUCATION:

 

B.S., aerospace engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, 1964; M.S., with distinction in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, 1974; Ph.D., aerospace engineering, minor in laser physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology, 1978; M.B.A., University of Houston, Clear Lake, 1987.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

NYMA, Inc. (since July 1993). Vice President/General Manager - Responsible for overall management of all Engineering Services Division programs. Responsible for contract management, new business, indirect costs control, personnel, and implementation of company policies and procedures. Dr. Bluford executes his duties through daily technical status meetings with all direct reports, weekly one-on-one schedule reviews, biweekly cost reviews and ad hoc problem solving meetings. Dr. Bluford reports contract costs, technical status, scheduling, and new business program status with the company Chief Operating Officer on a monthly basis.

United States Air Force (1965 - July 1993) ASTRONAUT OFFICE, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (1978 - JULY 1993) NASA Astronaut (1979 - 1993). Astronaut Office expert and point of contact on Space Station Freedom (SSF) operations. Lead astronaut and supervisor of the Space Station Operations Group in the Space Station Support Office of the Flight Crew Operations Directorate. Responsible for developing and coordinating flight crew positions on various Space Station operational and programmatic issues. Evaluate various Space Station systems and element designs, mock ups, simulations, and production equipment in support of SSF development. Payload commander on STS-53, which flew in December, 1992 and on STS-39, which flew in May, 1991. Responsible for payload integration, crew training, operational coordination, and on-orbit operations for these Department of Defense missions. In 1986-1989, Astronaut Office expert and point of contact for all Spacelab missions and all Space Shuttle pallet experiments. Represented the Astronaut Office in mission integration, planning, crew related payload issues, payload definition, and safety-related activities with respect to these payloads. Mission specialist astronaut on STS-61A, which flew in November, 1985. Led both U.S. and European astronauts in conducting 76 on-orbit experiments in materials processing, life sciences, and fluid physics. Also, he served as a mission specialist astronaut and flight engineer on STS-8, which flew in 1983. This was the first Space Shuttle mission with a night launch and night landing. NASA Astronaut Candidate (1978 - 1979). Trained in all aspects of Space Shuttle flight operations, Space Shuttle systems, payload operations and integrations, and NASA administrative and engineering procedures. Received specialized training in astronomy, aerodynamics, geology, meteorology, computer science, guidance and navigation, and flight medicine. Flight qualified as a NASA T-38 pilot. AERODYNAMICS AND AIRFRAME BRANCH, AIR FORCE FLIGHT DYNAMICS LABORATORY, WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE (1975-1978) Branch Chief, Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch (1977 - 1978). Responsible for identifying, planning, coordinating, and directing the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory research and development programs in subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aerodynamics of aircraft. Supervised 38 scientists and engineers, including 10 Air Force officers and managed an annual budget of $5 million in engineering and research contracts. Managed the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory's Trisonic and Vertical Wind Tunnels. Interfaced several critical Air Force aerodynamic technology development programs with other Air Force organizations, the U.S. Navy, NASA, and with foreign countries. Supervised various Air Force engineering projects including those in such areas as airframe-propulsion integration, non-axisymmetric nozzles, forward swept wings, VSTOL, thrust vectoring and thrust reversing, missile aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, and supercritical airfoil design. Deputy for Advanced Concepts, Aeromechanics Division (1975 - 1976). Responsible for identifying, planning and conducting in-house analytical and experimental investigations in the field of aerodynamics. Conducted research in computational fluid dynamics by solving the Navier-Stokes equations for the fluid flow around thin planar delta wings at supersonic and hypersonic speeds. Wrote three technical papers, made several technical presentations, and completed a doctoral dissertation and Ph.D. degree on the research topic. Served as Inspector General of the Aeromechanics Division. AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB, DAYTON, OHIO (1972 - 1974) Graduate Student, Aerospace Engineering. Completed the Master of Science degree program in Aerospace Engineering with distinction. Awarded the Mervin E. Gross Award as class valedictorian. Completed the course work and doctoral examinations for the Ph.D. degree program in Aerospace Engineering. 3630TH FLYING TRAINING WING, SHEPPARD AFB, WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS (1967 - 1972) Wing Executive Support Officer/T-38 Instructor Pilot Instructed American and German students in all flying phases of the T-38 Undergraduate Pilot Training Program. Served as administrative officer and school secretary for the Wing. 12TH TACTICAL FIGHTER WING, CAM RANH BAY, VIETNAM (1966 - 1967) F4C Combat Pilot Flew air superiority, close air support, and combat air patrol in the F4C tactical fighter aircraft. Completed 144 combat missions including 65 missions over North Vietnam.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Presented the Leadership Award of Phi Delta Kappa (1962)

the National Defense Service Medal (1965)

Vietnam Campaign Medal (1967)

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (1967)

Vietnam Service Medal I (1967)

10 Air Force Air Medals (1967)

3 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards (1967, 1970, 1972)

the German Air Force Aviation Badge from the Federal Republic of West Germany (1969)

T-38 Instructor Pilot of the Month (1970)

Air Training Command Outstanding Flight Safety Award (1970)

an Air Force Commendation Medal (1972)

the Air Force Institute of Technology's Mervin E. Gross Award (1974)

Who's Who Among Black Americans 1975-1977

an Air Force Meritorious Service Award (1978)

National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979)

three NASA Group Achievement Awards (1980, 1981 and 1989)

the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award (1983) and Alumni Fellows Award (1986)

USAF Command Pilot Astronaut Wings (1983)

NAACP Image Award (1983)

Who's Who in America (1983)

Pennsylvania's Distinguished Service Medal (1984)

Defense Superior Service Medal

Defense Meritorious Service Medal; the New York City Urban League's Whitney Young Memorial Award

the 1991 Black Engineer of the Year Award

NASA Distinguished Service Medal

NASA Exceptional Service Medal; National Intelligence Medal of Achievement

Legion of Merit

honorary doctorate degrees from Florida A&M University, Texas Southern University, Virginia State University, Morgan State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Tuskegee Institute, Bowie State College, Thomas Jefferson University, Chicago State University, Georgian Court College, and Drexel University.