Program Leadership

Staff

Chris Muldrow, Smead Director

Carrie Ann Ngai, Smead Program Senior Coordinator

Endowed Chairs

A. Richard Seebass Endowed Chair

The A. Richard Seebass Endowed Professorship was the first endowed professorship in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, established in 2001. It honors the memory of Seebass, who was dean of the College of Engineering from 1981 to 1994, a period of great expansion, and served as chair of the aerospace department from 1994 to 1999. Joe Smead met and befriended Seebass in 1993 as a result of their shared interests in the engineering programs at CU «Ƶ.This position is currently held by Professor Dan Scheeres.

Daniel Scheeres

Daniel Scheeres is a University of Colorado Distinguished Professor, the A. Richard Seebass Chair of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

His research spans astrodynamics and spacecraft navigation to planetary science and celestial mechanics. A primary focus of Scheeres’ work is studying mechanics of small bodies (such as moons and asteroids) with applications to planetary and asteroid missions.

A separate focus of Scheeres' research is in the field of Space Situational Awareness, where his lab studies the dynamics and estimation of orbital debris and active satellites. Scheeres is currently serving as the Radio Science Lead and Co-Investigator for NASA’s OSIRIS REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission.

is named “Scheeres” in recognition of his contributions to the scientific understanding of the dynamical environments of asteroids.

Smead Endowed Chair of Space Technology

Previously held by former dean Robert “Bobby” Braun. The Smead Endowed Chair of Space Technology, which is currently vacant, recognizes leadership, creativity, and technical excellence space research.

Steering Committee

In addition to the Smead Program Leadership, the Steering Committee includes Ann Smead, Michael Byram, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Department Chair for the Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

The Smead Program Steering Committee meets at minimum bi-annually to review the program budget, discuss successes and opportunities, and plan for the future of The Smead Program.