HAMPTON, Va. -- Lesa B. Roe, director of NASA's Langley Research Center has named Dr. David E. Bowles director of the Exploration and Flight Projects Directorate (EFPD). In this position, he will be responsible for the overall management and direction of Langley's role in space flight projects and development and research in support of NASA's Explorations Systems and Space Operations Mission Directorates.

Image to left: Dr. David E. Bowles. Click image for a high-resolution copy. Credit: NASA

Prior to his promotion, he served as EFPD deputy director charged with identifying new opportunities for the Center and defining implementation strategies to support the Vision for Space Exploration.

A veteran of 27 years, Bowles began his NASA career as a research engineer in Langley's Materials Division studying the environmental effects of advanced composites for aerospace structures.

He transitioned to management, first as assistant chief of the Applied Materials Branch, then assuming leadership roles in program and project management.

In 2004, he was named deputy director and later acting director of the Exploration Systems and Space Operations Technology Directorate.

Bowles earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in engineering mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1978, 1980 and 1990, respectively. He specialized in solid mechanics with an emphasis on advanced composite materials.

The recipient of numerous awards, Bowles received NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2005. He lives in Suffolk, Va., with his wife Michele. They have three children.

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