NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

By: Jim Hodges

Sometime between now and September, John McDonald will brief Virginia's gubernatorial candidates, Bob McDonnell (R) and Creigh Deeds (D), about the state of technology in the commonwealth. To some extent, he'll tie it in to economic development, a term of endearment everywhere these days.

After Tuesday, he has a lot more to talk about.

McDonald, Virginia's deputy secretary of technology, spent the morning at the National Institute of Aerospace and the afternoon at NASA Langley with Lesa Roe, the center director, and came away impressed with both the opportunities and advantages the facilities offer the commonwealth.

John McDonald (right), Virginia's deputy secretary of technology, speaks with Lesa Roe, NASA Langley's center director, and Roger Hathaway, head of the office of education, about the state's effort in science and math instruction. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith

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"Amazing," he said after listening to a talk by Steve Cavanaugh in the Advanced Concepts Lab. "It's amazing the work that's done here, work that most people don't even know about."

McDonald, who was appointed to the office in March after spending 15 years in the private sector, most in the field of Information Technology, marveled at the thought of accomplishing Apollo's trip to the moon 40 years ago, given the state of computing and information processing at the time.

"Now, 40 years later, we can use the information they developed on Apollo to go back," he added.

Like many in an administration that takes its lead from Gov. Timothy Kaine, McDonald is seeking ways to get the message across about science and mathematics education.

"I talked to Roger (Hathaway, who heads up the education effort at Langley) about the things they're doing," McDonald said. "We have too many people who get up, go to McDonald's for breakfast, then come home to play video games and Twitter about it.

"We need to get them interested in science and math."

A question of the state's influence over a federal facility is one often asked, and McDonald didn't back away from answering it.

"Here, we're getting people who teach professors," he said. "We're getting people who teach the teachers in (kindergarten) through 12, teaching them how to go back and teach science and math.

"And we have a facility that's hiring the kids who learn, giving them good jobs regionally. And it's not a business that's going to take those jobs someplace else because of the economy."

It's information McDonald is incorporating into his message to the next person who governs the Commonwealth of Virginia, whoever he may be.

Beginning with the word: "Amazing."


 
NASA Langley Research Center
Managing Editor: Jim Hodges
Executive Editor and Responsible NASA Official: H. Keith Henry
Editor and Curator: Denise Lineberry