Dr. Richard A. Wahls 

Rich Wahls is NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP) Mission Integration Manager for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). He is responsible for long-range strategic technical planning, as well as coordination of projects, supporting SFNP across ARMD’s programs and with industry, academia, and national/international government agencies. He supports the objective of delivering validated, high-readiness-level technologies to industry that enable the next generation sustainable subsonic transport aircraft.

Wahls previously served as strategic technical advisor for the Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP), where he provided top-level assistance to AAVP program leadership for long-range strategic technical planning for all AAVP projects. He led the development and integration of strategic roadmaps for ARMD’s vehicle-centric thrusts and Strategic Implementation Plan, leading diverse groups of multi-center and multi-disciplinary teams focused on the development of key concepts and technologies for ARMD. Wahls also represented the United States on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Long-Term Aspirational Goal task group to explore the feasibility of carbon reduction goals for aviation, including options and roadmaps for its realization, as well as on ICAO’s first independent expert review on integrated fuel burn, noise, and emissions goals.

Having joined NASA in 1991, Wahls started as an aerodynamics researcher. He then became technical lead for multiple projects at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, followed by serving as assistant head for the Configuration Aerodynamics Branch. Subsequently, he served as project scientist for ARMD’s Subsonic Fixed Wing project with an overlapping year as planning lead and chief technologist for the Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.

He is a fellow of both the Royal Aeronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and has received numerous awards, including two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals.

Wahls earned a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and doctorate degree, all in Aerospace Engineering, from North Carolina State University.

Downloads

Dr. Rich A. Wahls

Jul 9, 2023

PDF (146.06 KB)