National Institute of Aerospace

Former NASA Associate Administrator Named as Head of New Research Institute

October 25, 2002 - A former NASA associate administrator for aeronautics and space technology has been appointed to head the newly-established National Institute of Aerospace (NIA).

Dr. Robert E. Whitehead, a retired civil servant, has been named the NIAs first president and executive director. He will serve in that capacity until the formal nationwide search for a president has been completed. Whitehead will be the key player in jumpstarting the NIA, the contract for which was awarded late last month.

Im very pleased with this appointment, and look forward to the challenge, Whitehead said. Were to be fully operational by January 1, so weve got a lot to do between now and then. We cant wait to get started.

Whitehead first entered Government service in 1971 after receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and completing a one-year postdoctoral associateship at the NASA Ames Research Center. Dr. Whitehead began his career with the Dept. of Navy as a research engineer in the Aviation Dept. of the David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center at Carderock. He transferred to the Office of Naval Research in 1976 as a Scientific Officer in Applied Aerodynamics, managing university and industry research projects. For the next 13 years, he held a number of positions at ONR, finally as Director, Mechanics Division from 1986 until 1989 when he transferred to NASA Headquarters.

Whitehead began at NASA in the Office of Aeronautics as the Assistant Director for Aeronautics (Rotorcraft). He held a variety of other positions, including Director of the Subsonic Transportation Division, before becoming the Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics in 1994. He was appointed Associate Administrator for Aeronautics in 1995 and Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology in 1997. As Associate Administrator, Whitehead led a Research and Technology Enterprise of over 6,000 civil servants and a similar number of contractors at four research centers with an annual budget of approximately $1.5 Billion.

Retired from Federal service in December 1997, Whitehead most recently consulted part-time in the aerospace community and its professional associations, both on a volunteer and paid basis. He is Chairman of the Science Council for the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts. In 1999, he was Chairman of the Committee on Space Launch Range Safety for the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council (NRC). He was also a member of the Naval Studies Board Committees on Naval Hydromechanics and Aircraft Technology for the NRC. In 2001, Dr. Whitehead was appointed to membership on the NRC Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. He is a consultant to the Institute for Defense Analysis for several DoD technology programs.

During his Federal Service career, Dr. Whitehead was awarded both the Presidential Meritorious and Distinguished Executive Awards. At NASA, Dr. Whitehead was awarded the Agencys Distinguished Service Medal. He holds the rank of Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..