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<\/a><\/figure>NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Monday Mike Kincaid, associate administrator, Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM), and Alexander MacDonald, chief economist, will retire from the agency.<\/p>\n
Following Kincaid\u2019s departure on Nov. 30, Kris Brown, deputy associate administrator for strategy and integration in OSTEM, will serve as acting associate administrator for that office beginning Dec. 1, and after MacDonald\u2019s departure on Dec. 31, research economist Dr. Akhil Rao from NASA\u2019s Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy will serve as acting chief economist.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to express my sincere gratitude to Mike Kincaid and Alex MacDonald for their service to NASA and our country,\u201d said Nelson. \u201cBoth have been essential members of the NASA team \u2013 Mike since his first days as an intern at Johnson Space Center and Alex in his many roles at the agency.\u00a0I look forward to working with Kris Brown and Dr. Akhil Rao in their acting roles and wish Mike and Alex all the best in retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n
As associate administrator of NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagement, Kincaid led the agency\u2019s efforts to inspire and engage Artemis Generation students and educators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He also chaired NASA\u2019s STEM Board, which assesses the agency\u2019s STEM engagement functions and activities, as well as served as a member of Federal Coordination in STEM, a multiagency committee focused on enhancing STEM education efforts across the federal government. In addition, Kincaid was NASA\u2019s representative on the International Space Education Board, leading global collaboration in space education, sharing best practices, and uniting efforts to foster interest in space, science, and technology among students worldwide.<\/p>\n
Having served at NASA for more than 37 years, Kincaid first joined the agency\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston as an intern in 1987, and eventually led organizations at Johnson in various capacities including, director of education, deputy director of human resources, deputy chief financial officer and director of external relations.\u00a0Kincaid earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from Texas A&M and a master\u2019s degree from University of Houston, Clear Lake.<\/p>\n
MacDonald served as the first chief economist at NASA. He was previously the senior economic advisor in the Office of the Administrator, as well as the founding program executive of NASA\u2019s Emerging Space Office within the Office of the Chief Technologist. MacDonald has made significant contributions to the development of NASA\u2019s Artemis and Moon to Mars strategies, NASA\u2019s strategy for commercial low Earth orbit development, NASA\u2019s Earth Information Center, and served as the program executive for the International Space Station National Laboratory, leading it through significant leadership changes. He also is the author and editor of several NASA reports, including \u201cEmerging Space: The Evolving Landscape of 21st Century American Spaceflight,\u201d \u201cPublic-Private Partnerships for Space Capability Development,\u201d \u201cEconomic Development of Low Earth Orbit,\u201d and NASA\u2019s biennial Economic Impact Report.<\/p>\n
As chief economist, MacDonald has guided NASA\u2019s economic strategy, including increasing engagement with commercial space companies, and influenced the agency\u2019s understanding of space as an engine of economic growth. MacDonald began his career at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in the Mission Design Center, and served at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as an executive staff specialist on commercial space before moving to NASA Headquarters. MacDonald received his bachelor\u2019s degree in economics from Queen\u2019s University in Canada, his master\u2019s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia, and obtained his doctorate on the long-run economic history of American space exploration from the University of Oxford.<\/p>\n
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Meira Bernstein \/ Abbey Donaldson Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Monday Mike Kincaid, associate administrator, Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM), and Alexander MacDonald, chief economist, will retire from the agency. Following Kincaid\u2019s departure on Nov. 30, Kris Brown, deputy associate administrator for strategy and integration in OSTEM, will serve as acting associate administrator for that office beginning Dec. 1, and [\u2026] Continue reading
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meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\/ abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAbbey A. Donaldson <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"