Personnel News: May 2008 Archives

Daniel Schumacher named director of key NASA Marshall Center office

"Prior to accepting his new position, Schumacher was deputy project manager of Marshall's Lunar Lander Project Office from 2007 to 2008. He led a team of more than 60 civil service and contractor employees and directed an annual technology budget of more than $60 million to develop hardware and integrated systems for crewed moon landings in coming decades."

Editor's note: Please tell me why a guy who runs an overtly engineering/mission oriented activity is suddenly put in charge of a policy office like this? Where is the press release about the person who is replacing him in his previous position?

Editor's 14 May note: Ellen now has an email account at Code AD and is listed in the X.500 directory. Soon all of that Lame Duck goodness will start working its magic at JSC!

Editor's 11 May note: Great news: consumate Bush loyalist and overt politico Ellen Engleman Conners has accepted the position of Director of External Relations at JSC replacing Eileen Hawley.

Ellen Engelman Conners has been at JSC for the past week getting to know her way around and starts full time just after Memorial Day.

Eileen Hawley's last day was last Friday. She will be missed.

Just What JSC PAO Needs - An Overt Bush Politico, previous post

Ronald A. Parise; Astronomer Studied From Space Shuttles, Washington Post

Astronaut-astronomer Ron Parise, 56, dies, Collectspace.com

"An astronomer-turned-astronaut, who flew as a payload specialist onboard NASA's two shuttle missions dedicated to astronomy, Ron Parise, 56, died Friday of a brain tumor after fighting the cancer for three years.

Parise's path to space came as a result of his work at the Computer Science Corporation (CSC), where he helped develop the flight software, electronic system design and mission plan for the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, one of the instruments for NASA's ASTRO payload. In 1984, he was selected by NASA as a payload specialist to fly with the UIT on the STS-61E mission, scheduled for launch in March 1986."

Editor's note: NASA Associate Administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation Scott Pace will be heading to the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University as its new director. The Institute is currently run by John Logsdon. Pace should be in place after Labor Day for the Fall semester.

At PA&E Pace was responsible for providing objective studies and analyses in support of policy, program, and budget decisions by the NASA Administrator. Prior to working at NASA, Pace was the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

BARBARA ANN GREGORY On May 4, 2008 of Annapolis, MD. Beloved wife of Fred Gregory. Also survived by one son, one daughter, four grandchildren, one brother and a host of other relatives and friends.

NASA Internal Memo: Weiler Assumes Official Role As NASA Science Chief

"Administrator Michael Griffin announced Wednesday that Ed Weiler will remain as NASA's associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. Weiler was named interim chief of the directorate March 26."