Guest Lecture: A Distinguished Career in Aerospace and Public Affairs

Dr. Sullivan will be presenting highlights of her long and distinguished career along with her vision of the challenges and opportunities facing the inaugural Neil Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy. A joint appointment from the College of Engineering and John Glenn College of Public Affairs, the chair will be a preeminent scholar or practitioner and embody the leadership qualities of Neil Armstrong and John Glenn. The chair will be a thought leader in aerospace public policy and team builder who will educate the next generation of explorers, pioneers, leaders and innovators in flight and aerospace.

About the Speaker

Dr. Sullivan is currently the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). After receiving her Ph.D. in Geology from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, she started as an astronaut at NASA and was a veteran of three shuttle missions with over 500 hours in space. She was the Chief Scientist for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Sullivan served as a naval reservist and had several active duty assignments, including environmental support of Mediterranean anti-submarine warfare operations. She took part in Operation Desert Storm and received the Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon. She retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain. Dr. Sullivan served as President and CEO of COSI in Columbus and helped oversee the final design and construction of the new $125M facility. She was the Inaugural Director of the Battelle Center for Mathematics & Science Education Policy at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University from 2006-2011, after which She held a number of high-level assignments within NOAA. Dr. Sullivan holds honorary doctorate degrees from eight U.S. universities and serves on numerous distinguished boards and committees.

Hosted by Dr. Mike Benzakein