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NASA Headquarters Responsible Official: Tony Springer
Curator:
SAIC Information Services
www.aeronautics.nasa.gov
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Jaiwon Shin
Deputy Associate Administrator
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters
Jaiwon "Jai" Shin's workday has become a "non-stop 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. kind of
shift," since he moved to NASA Headquarters from the Glenn Research Center in
Cleveland, Ohio, a few months ago. But the new Deputy Associate Administrator
of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate said the opportunity is worth the
long hours.
"I enjoy the job because I've always had a desire to see the big picture and be
able to make whatever contribution I can to NASA's mission at a higher level,"
Shin said. "My work experience helped the transition and I deeply appreciate the
acceptance and support given to me by the folks in the Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorate."
In sharing his management philosophy, Shin used a metaphor comparing an
organization to a pyramid of gears that are all connected. "In this metaphor,
everyone depends on each other. An interesting aspect is even if you spin the
top gear a small amount hundreds of gears at lower levels will spin at a much
greater speed. In other words, as you move up to a higher position, you must
always keep in mind the amount of influence coming with your position. In using
the influence, you must always be thoughtful and caring about the people in the
organization."
Shin made the leap to Washington in July from his post as Chief of the
Aeronautics Projects Office at the Glenn Research Center, bringing 15 years of
NASA experience to his new job. That background included tours as the center's
Deputy Director of Aeronautics, Chief of the Aviation Safety Program Office, and
Deputy Program Manager of the Aviation Safety Program and Airspace Systems
Program.
Shin has come quite a distance, both in miles and career choices, since he was a
young boy in Korea who had always thought he would study medicine. His
decision to take up engineering instead was based on the profession's potential
for saving lives by designing a safer airplane or automobile. "I wanted to do
something that had a wider benefit for people," Shin said. "I just knew at a gut
level that by becoming an engineer I could help a broad range of humankind."
That sense of purpose ultimately led Shin into aeronautics safety, where he has
established a reputation as a world-class expert in aircraft icing. He joined NASA
in 1989 after earning his doctorate in mechanical engineering at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. Shin said his new
appointment demonstrated that NASA is interested in bringing new perspectives
into its top echelon. "It shows that we are not parochial."
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