Matthew J. Berry

Matthew J. Berry is the acting branch chief for Science Projects at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Appointed to the position in July 2024, Berry manages operations and missions for a suite of unique and highly modified science aircraft, including the C-20A, ER-2, and Gulfstream IV, in support of NASA’s Earth Science mission. These aircraft support worldwide campaigns devoted to environmental science issues, including tropical storms, solid Earth deformation, ozone loss, and climate change.

Experience

Previously, Berry served as branch chief for Operations Engineering since November 2021 and was responsible for the technical and administrative functions for the branch. Berry worked as the deputy branch chief for Operations Engineering from 2018 to 2021.

Since 2008, Berry has supported a variety of projects as a NASA Armstrong operations engineer. Most recently, he supported the X-57 Maxwell, leading the ground test of the experimental aircraft’s high-voltage systems, which provided key insight to the operation of the vehicle for both ground and future flight operations. Prior to that, Berry was the senior operations engineer for sciences missions from 2015 to 2017; he was assigned to the DC-8 airborne science laboratory in 2013 as lead operations engineer and mission director, assisting the DC-8 team with the completion of more than 20 campaigns and more than 1,000 flight hours; and he was an operations engineer for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft in 2010. While supporting SOFIA, Berry led the integration of the first avionics upgrade of the aircraft for the engine-indicating display system. His electrical engineering background provided expertise to ensure the integration of the system into SOFIA, and he was responsible for the technical drawings, technical assistance with the manufacturer, and configuration of the aircraft system.

Berry originally joined NASA in 2008 as an instrumentation engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He supported the operations team in integration, testing, transportation, and flight test of the Pad Abort-1 launch test vehicle at the White Sands Missile Range.

Honors

In 2018, Berry received the NASA Silver Achievement Medal. He serves as chair of NASA Armstrong’s Black Employee Resource Group, for which he acts as a conduit between the center and agency for modeling inclusion and provided feedback on agency initiatives as they pertain to the African American communities.

Education

Berry earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 2005 from New Mexico State University. In 2016, Berry earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering with a focus on electromagnetics and antenna design of phased array systems, also from New Mexico State University.