Murray S. Hirschbein
Assistant Chief Technologist

Dr. Hirschbein joined the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) at NASA Headquarters in November 1996, when the office was first created. He reports directly to the NASA Chief Technologist and supports all activities within the OCT encompassing Agencywide investment strategies for advanced innovative technology; the development of agencywide technology goals and objectives; and oversight of Agency technology policies, programs, processes and capabilities to ensure that NASA technology programs support the Agency's science, exploration and commercial objectives.

Dr. Hirschbein began his career at NASA in 1979 after receiving his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware. His particular areas of study were in dynamics, stability and control of hovering helicopters and large, power producing wind turbines. From 1979 until 1986 he worked at the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, where he conducted and managed research programs in structural mechanics related to large aircraft gas turbine engines. He came to NASA Headquarters in 1986 as a Materials and Structures Program Manager in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. For the next 6 years he developed and led a wide variety of programs in both aeronautics and space technology including computational structural mechanics, large space structures and precision space structures. In 1992 he became the Director of the Planetary Surface Division, responsible for technologies supporting human exploration of space. More recently, before joining the OCT, he was responsible for several areas of spacecraft technology within the Spacecraft Systems Division of the Office of Space Access and Technology.

Dr. Hirschbein received his B.S in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1969. He subsequently began his career at Ford Motor Company before serving 2 years in the military and, afterward, entered graduate school.

March 1998