Professor Neal Burns selected as NASA Strategic Special Assistant

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe named Dr. Neal Burns to be Special Assistant to the Administrator and acting Chief of Strategic Communications. Professor Burns is Director of the Center for Brand Research at UT Austin.

Burns' chief responsibility will be to develop agency-wide communications strategies to better communicate the Vision for Space Exploration for both internal and external audiences. "I am excited about the addition of Neal to our team and look forward to the perspectives and insight his background brings", said O'Keefe.

Burns' relationship with NASA dates back to 1959, when he directed studies on aviation safety and survival and tested cockpit designs and astronaut mobility for the Mercury and Apollo astronauts. At UT Austin, Burns will continue to direct the development of the Account Planning graduate program as well as the Center for Brand Research.

7/8/2004