Steve Jurczyk

Steve Jurczyk served as NASA’s associate administrator, the agency’s highest-ranking civil servant position from May 2018 to January 2021, and as acting NASA administrator from January 20 to May 3, 2021.

Before that assignment he was the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate since June 2015. In this position he formulated and executed the agency’s space technology programs, focusing on developing and demonstrating transformative technologies for human and robotic exploration of the solar system in partnership with industry and academia.

He previously was director of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Named to this position in May 2014, he headed NASA’s first field Center, which plays a critical role in NASA’s aeronautics research, exploration and science missions. Jurczyk served as Langley’s deputy center director from August 2006 until his appointment as director.

Jurczyk began his NASA career in 1988 at Langley in the Electronic Systems Branch as a design, integration and test engineer developing several space-based Earth remote sensing systems. From 2002 to 2004 Jurczyk was director of engineering, and from 2004 to 2006 he was director of research and technology at Langley, where he led the organization’s contributions to a broad range of research, technology and engineering disciplines in all NASA mission areas.

Jurczyk has received several awards during his NASA career, including two Outstanding Leadership Medals, the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2006, and the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive in 2016—the highest honors attainable for federal government leadership.

Jurczyk is a graduate of the University of Virginia, from which he received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1984 and 1986.  He is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Steve Jurczyk retired from NASA in May 2021.