"Leading on the Frontier of Science: Lessons from aCareer in Space"

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Description

About the Speaker

Sandra “Sandy” Magnus is a former NASA astronaut who was selected to the NASA Astronaut Corps in in 1996 shortly after earning her PhD in materials science and engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Originally from Belleville, Il., Magnus earned her BS in physics in 1986 and MS in electrical engineering in 1990 from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Her doctoral research focused on the relationship between the thermochemistry and emission behavior of thermionic cathodes based on the BaO-Sc₂O₃-WO₃ ternary system.

Magnus began her engineering career working on the propulsion system for the A‑12 Avenger II stealth aircraft at McDonnell Douglas before joining NASA and flying on the STS-112 shuttle mission in 2002. In addition, she flew to the International Space Station on STS-126 in November 2008, served as flight engineer and science officer on Expedition 18, and returned home on STS-119 after four and a half months on board. Following her assignment on the station, she served at NASA Headquarters in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Her last duty at NASA, after STS-135, was as the Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. Her work included coordinating with the European Space Agency and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and Brazil. She also gained the reputation of being a talented "orbital chef,” creating space cuisine like mesquite-grilled tuna and spinach dip.  

After leaving NASA in 2012, Magnus became the Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics until 2018 when she was announced as Deputy Director for Engineering within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. She later joined the Space Advisory Board of Virgin Galactic in 2021, providing senior management on the suborbital spaceflight company. In 2022, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Magnus received numerous awards during her career at NASA including the Space Flight Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Exceptional Service Medal, and the 40 at 40 Award (given to former collegiate women athletes to recognize the impact of Title IX). 

About the Discovery Series

The NextGen Precision Health Discovery Series provides learning opportunities for UM System faculty and staff across disciplines, the statewide community and our other partners to learn about the scope of precision health research and identify potential collaborative opportunities. The series consists of monthly lectures geared toward a broad multidisciplinary audience so all can participate and appreciate the spectrum of precision health efforts. 

For questions about this event or any others in the Discovery Series, please reach out to Mackenzie Lynch.