The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) welcomes back Dr. Carl B. Pilcher as NAI Interim Director. Carl will begin his tenure August 11, 2014, and serve on a half-time basis for approximately one year as the selection of a permanent director is completed.

Dr. Pilcher has had careers in both academia and NASA management. Dr. Pilcher retired as Director of the NAI in early 2013, after leading the Institute for more than six years. Prior to directing the Institute he was the Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA Headquarters with overall management responsibility for NASA’s Astrobiology Program.

With bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in chemistry, and holding a faculty position at the Institute for Astronomy (and later the Department of Physics and Astronomy) at the University of Hawaii, he made the transition from academia to government through a mid-career Masters in International Relations from Princeton University. He began his service in government as Science Director in the Office of Exploration at NASA Headquarters. He then moved to NASA’s Office of Space Science and Applications to lead scientific development for the human space exploration program. He subsequently held a number of policy and management positions at NASA Headquarters. He has received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award NASA makes to a government employee, as well as numerous other NASA awards.

His transition to astrobiology was inspired by announcements, in 1995-96, of the first discoveries of planets around other stars and possible evidence of biological activity in the Martian meteorite ALH 84001. With training in microbiology, he assumed responsibility for astronomy-related astrobiology programs, including serving as Program Scientist for NASA’s Kepler mission to discover Earth-size planets around other stars and NASA’s participation in the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. He moved from these responsibilities to overall management responsibility for the astrobiology program in early 2005, and then to his position as NAI Director in September 2006.

You can read Dr. Pilcher’s complete bio at: https://nai.nasa.gov/directory/pilcher-carl/