Named Chief Operating Officer Of National Space Science And Technology Center

William R. Hicks has been named chief operating officer of the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, AL.

The state-of-the-art NSSTC research facility is a partnership between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and the Alabama Space Science and Technology Alliance, a consortium of seven Alabama research universities.

In his new role, Hicks is the NSSTC's key liaison with NASA, educational institutions and industry. He also is responsible for day-to-day management and operation of the science center, including strategic business planning, safety oversight and supervision of facility resources. He serves as a principal advisor to NSSTC Executive Director Gerald W. Smith, and to the Marshall Center's Science and Technology Directorate.

"Bill Hicks plays a critical role in the work of the NSSTC," said Smith. "His depth of knowledge and insight into the business of research and discovery will improve our ability to conduct science in a broad range of fields -- exploring the unknown and bettering our society, our nation and our planet."

Hicks previously served for four years as deputy business manager for the Marshall Center's former Science Directorate. There, he supervised personnel, facilities and equipment, and other program resources. He has held a number of key positions at the Marshall Center, including research and technology programs manager and business manager for the Microgravity Research Program, which sought new understanding of the effects of gravity on biological, chemical and physical systems; business manager of science payloads for the International Space Station Payloads Projects Office, which plans and oversees all experiments aboard the orbiting research facility; and program and projects budget manager for the Office of the Comptroller, which maintains and audits the organization's business accounts.

A 23-year NASA veteran, Hicks first joined the Agency in 1980 as a program developer, estimating costs for the Marshall Center's role in building the International Space Station.

He spent a year away from NASA in 1986, working for Applied Research Inc., in Huntsville, as deputy project manager supporting the US Strategic Defense Initiative.

Hicks, a Chattanooga, TN, native, earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1980 from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. He received a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 1994 and an Exceptional Service Medal in 2000 -- both recognizing distinguished efforts serving NASA's organization and missions.

The National Space Science and Technology Center unites government, academia and industry to conduct cutting-edge research into seven scientific and engineering disciplines: atmospheric science, optics, biotechnology, information technology, materials science, propulsion and space science.

The Marshall Center provides the NSSTC with Earth science, space science and information technology expertise, and helps the organization foster education of the next generation of American scientists and engineers.

FMI: www.msfc.nasa.gov