Former Astronaut to Lead the University of Houston’s STEM Center

Bonnie J. Dunbar, a former astronaut, has been hired as the director of the University STEM Center at the University of Houston. She will also serve as a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the university. The University of Houston has allocated a $30 million fund to attract research faculty in STEM fields.

Before taking on her new assignment, Dr. Dunbar was a consultant on STEM education and space flight technology. Based in the Seattle area, she also served for a time as president and CEO of the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Dr. Dunbar began her career as a systems analyst for Boeing Inc. After working as a research engineer for Rockwell International, she worked for NASA for 27 years and went into space five times. She later held senior management positions at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and NASA headquarters in Washington.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Dunbar earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Washington. She holds a Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Houston.