Five questions for … Don Thomas

Photo by Desirée Myers

Former NASA astronaut leads new academy in Fisher College of Science and Mathematics

The view from Smith Hall may not compare to the view from an orbiting space shuttle, but Don Thomas is thrilled to be on the ground as director of TU’s Willard Hackerman Academy of Science and Mathematics.

Would you tell us a little about yourself?

I earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, my hometown. Then I went to Cornell University for an M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. After seven years at Bell Labs in Princeton, N.J., I moved to Houston as a NASA materials engineer. Two and a half years later—in 1990—NASA selected me for the astronaut program. I had dreamed of going into space since I was 6 years old, and I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to fly in space and achieve one of my childhood dreams.

What’s it like to be a NASA astronaut?

It’s a very challenging and demanding job, but also tremendously fun. I flew four space shuttle missions, three on Columbia and one on Discovery, logging 44 days in space, 600 earth orbits and 20 million miles. I’ve forged a strong connection to places I’ve never been to but have seen from 150 miles up: the summit of Mount Everest, the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon Rainforest. But it’s not all about space travel. When astronauts aren’t training for their own missions, they help support other NASA missions in a variety of capacities. For example, I spent two years in Russia working at the cosmonaut training center, worked as the International Space Station Program Scientist for four years, worked in Mission Control, served on safety-review panels for the agency, and had a wide range of other jobs and experiences on the ground.

How did you land at TU?

A lot of astronauts struggle with what they’re going to do when they leave the space program, but I knew I wanted to go to a university and help the next generation of scientists, engineers and teachers. No one person can get a student through a university, just as no one person can get a space shuttle through a mission—it takes commitment and teamwork. I recognized that everyone at Towson is team-oriented, just as they are at NASA, so I knew it would be an ideal place for me. And I was really impressed with Willard Hackerman’s foresight and generosity in enabling TU to establish the academy in the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics.  I hope to bring my experiences working as an astronaut and scientist to inspire and motivate both students and teachers.

What will you do at the helm of the Hackerman Academy?

I have two main goals: The first is to attract more students to the STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—and to help keep them there. The second involves preparing teachers who will be excited to teach these disciplines in area schools. If teachers are excited about math and science, their students are more likely to choose STEM careers. Right now I’m busy assessing available resources, meeting new colleagues and introducing myself to potential partners in the region. Some networks are already established; others will be created or strengthened. The academy will need a lot of committed presenters, mentors and advisers, both on- and off-campus. It will be a highly collaborative endeavor involving a wide range of faculty, graduate students and undergraduates from across the campus.

So this is exciting, even for a guy who’s been launched into space?

It really is—I am as excited about starting up the Hackerman Academy as I was when I was strapped into the shuttle awaiting my first launch. I’m excited about the new challenges this job will bring, and I’m looking forward to working with the students and faculty here. The need for science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates is already great, and it’s going to increase with the expected influx of BRAC jobs. I think the Hackerman Academy is a very important step in the right direction for the university, the region and the state.

Cover photo courtesy of NASA

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