Dr. Robert F. Hodson

Dr. Hodson serves as a NASA Technical Fellow for Avionics and resides at NASA Langley Research Center. In this capacity, he leads the Agency’s most critical avionics challenges, collaborating closely with the Avionics Technical Discipline Team—a network of experts from NASA, other government agencies, industry, and academia.

Since joining NASA in 2002, Dr. Hodson has held pivotal leadership roles, including Chief Engineer for the Space Technology Mission Directorate Game Changing Development Program, Deputy Chief Engineer for NASA Langley, and Chief Engineer for Langley’s Electronics Systems Branch. Throughout his tenure, he has spearheaded technical solutions for high-profile programs such as the Hubble Space Telescope, Orion, the Space Launch System (SLS), the International Space Station, and the Commercial Crew Program (both Boeing and SpaceX spacecrafts). His contributions have been recognized with over 20 awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2011) and the Exceptional Achievement Medal (2025).

Prior to his federal service, Dr. Hodson spent 13 years as an Associate Professor and Director of the Computer Engineering program at Christopher Newport University, conducting research with NASA, the DoD, and the DoE. His industry experience includes serving as a Senior Software Scientist for JDH Technologies and five years as an engineer with General Electric, where he designed hardware and real-time software for F-16 flight and radar simulators.

Dr. Hodson holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Florida State University, a M.S. of Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida, and a dual B.S. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Connecticut.