Lance Bush, Ph.D.
Lance Bush, Ph.D. is President and CEO of Challenger Center, a global nonprofit science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization created by the families of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger 51-L tragedy. With a goal to inspire more students, Dr. Bush has led the growth and expansion of the organization, which has reached 6 million students with its experiential education programs. Challenger Center uses spacethemed role-playing strategies to bring classroom lessons to life and cultivate critical 21st Century skills like teamwork, problem solving, and communication. Challenger Center engages every student in STEM, working to inspire the STEM workforce of the future. Under Dr. Bush’s leadership, Challenger Center was recognized with the National Science Board’s Public Service Award for promoting a public understanding of science and engineering.
Dr. Bush began his career as NASA engineer in group that designed the next generation human space transportation including low earth orbit and lunar vehicles, managed the ISS Commercial Development program, and co-founded and served as the Chairman of the ISS Multilateral Commercialization Group comprised of the five partner space agencies (Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States) and 16 countries. He represented the United States as a delegate to the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and served as the Chief Strategic Officer at Paragon Space Development Corporation, a space vehicle design and build company, including work on the Lockheed Martin Orion and the SpaceX Dragon.
Dr. Bush is a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group, Founder and Board Member of Space Generation Advisory Council; Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Governing Member of International Space University; Advisory Board for Center for Integrated STEM Education; Advisory Council for Innovation Collaboration; Member of the Cosmos Club Previously, Chair of the Board and President of Sea Space Symposium, Board Member of International Space University, Chair of Education for World Space Congress, and VP of Education for American Astronautical Society. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Ph.D. in Technology Policy and Management from the Pennsylvania State University, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University, and Space Studies Program (SSP) from International Space University.