Lesa B. Roe, director of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., today named Dr. Charles E. Harris and John Herrin to senior management positions.

Harris has been selected director of the Research and Technology Directorate. In this position, he will be responsible for the overall management and direction of research and technology endeavors in aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, acoustics, structures, materials and airborne systems in support of the agency's Aeronautics, Exploration Systems, Science and Space Operations missions.

Herrin has been named director of the Exploration and Flight Projects Directorate. In this position, he will be responsible for the overall management and direction of Langley's role in space flight programs, advanced projects and research in support of NASA's Explorations Systems, Space Operations and Science missions.

Harris joined NASA in 1987 as head of the Mechanics of Materials Branch. He was named assistant chief of the Materials Division in 1994 and chief engineer in 1996. In 1997, he was selected as chief technologist for structures and materials and led the NASA Center of Excellence for Structures and Materials at Langley. In 2000, he was named deputy director of the Structures and Materials Competency. In 2002, Harris became the director of the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) Management Office at Langley, responsible for government oversight of the NIA and strategic planning of the Langley-NIA collaborative research program.

Image to left: Dr. Charles E. Harris. Credit: NASA
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Harris recently completed a two-year assignment as a principal engineer with the NASA Engineering and Safety Center where he led the technical resolution of several space shuttle safety issues critical to return to flight. He is currently leading NASA's investigation of the shuttle external tank PAL ramp foam loss in-flight anomaly that occurred during the STS-114 mission.

Harris earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and master's and doctoral degrees in engineering mechanics, all from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. He lives with his wife Sherry in Poquoson, Va. They have three adult children.

Herrin joined Langley in March 2004 as the director of the Project Implementation Office that, in July 2004, became the Flight Projects Office. In this position, he was responsible for the management of all critical space flight projects at Langley.

Image to left: Image to left: John Herrin. Credit: NASA
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Prior to joining NASA, Herrin spent ten years as the director of Strategic Programs for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colo., where he managed the development, deployment, operations and maintenance of major U.S. Air Force space and ground systems. Previously, he was assistant vice president and business area manager for SAIC, where he managed the development of space systems for key national customers. He was co-founder and senor vice president of Systems Research and Development Corporation, providing systems engineering and project management assistance to key Air Force space systems development programs.

Herrin spent 25 years as a Department of Defense civilian in systems engineering and project management for ground and space systems development, deployment and operations.

He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., and has done master's coursework at the University of Maryland in College Park. He lives in Williamsburg, Va., with his wife Tonia and two children, Trevor and Taylor.

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