JPL's New Associate Director Led Successful Mars Exploration

Dr. Firouz M. Naderi, manager of NASA's Mars Exploration Program since April 2000, will broaden his oversight of endeavors to study other parts of the universe, from Earth to distant galaxies, in a new leadership position at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.

JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi has announced that Naderi will become JPL's laboratory's Associate Director for Programs, Project Formulation and Strategy, effective March 7.

Elachi said, "Firouz was called on to lead the Mars Program at JPL five years ago when the program had experienced some setbacks. He helped restructure the program and has led it to some spectacular successes. Now we are putting to a wider purpose the strength that Firouz has shown in strategic planning of the Mars program. In his new role, he will help position JPL to work with the rest of NASA in accomplishing the nation's full vision for space exploration."

In the new position, besides overseeing JPL's broad existing programs, Naderi (right) will be in charge of long-term strategic planning for JPL and will coordinate advance studies, acquisition of new missions, and development of projects early in their life cycle.
The current deputy manager for Mars exploration, Dr. Fuk K. Li, will become manager of that program. Peter C. Theisinger, project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory mission in development, will succeed Li as deputy manager of the Mars Exploration Program. Richard A. Cook, now Theisinger's deputy, will become project manager of the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Two weeks ago, NASA honored Naderi with its highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, citing his "distinguished contribution to space science and exploration."

Naderi joined JPL in 1979 and has held a number of program and project management positions. For four years prior to managing the recent successes of NASA's Mars program, he managed the NASA's Origins Program, an ambitious plan to search for other Earths around other suns. Earlier positions included program manager for space science flight experiments and project manager for the NASA Scatterometer, which monitored winds from Earth orbit. Naderi, who was born in Shiraz, Iran, and moved to the United States 40 years ago, holds three degrees in electrical engineering: a bachelor's from Iowa State University in Ames, and a master's and doctorate from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He lives in Pacific Palisades, CA.

FMI: www.jpl.nasa.gov