Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Writer: Kimberly Draper
news@utsi.edu
The
University of Tennessee Space Institute will present their 14th
Annual Black History Celebration Program on Wednesday, February 4,
at 10:30 am in the UTSI Auditorium. Featured guest speaker, Lewis
Braxton III, Deputy Center Director at the NASA Ames Research Center
in Mountain View, California, will address the theme “Achieving
Growth through Change” and a reception to honor Mr. Braxton will
follow after the program.
Mr. Braxton holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Merced Junior
College, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State
University, Frenso, a Masters in Business Administration from Golden
Gate University, San Francisco, and also received a degree in
General Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Business by
completing the Program for Management Development. He has also
qualified as a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) through
the Association of Government Accountants and maintains the
certification. Braxton is affiliated with the Association of
Government Accountants, San Francisco Bay Area Federal Financial
Managers Council, Blacks in Government, and the Northern California
Harvard Business School Alumni’s.
Lew Braxton began his career with NASA over 30 years ago as a co-op
student accountant trainee at Dryden Flight Research Center in 1975
while earning his B.S. After Braxton graduated from California State
Fresno, he accepted an operating accountant position in the
Financial Management Division at Ames Research Center. Braxton has
served as Branch Chief in several financial branches, as well as
Staff Assistant to the Administrative Directorate at Ames. He became
Chief of the Financial Management Division in 1994, and also served
as Chief of the Resources Management Office, before becoming Chief
Financial Officer in 1998. In February 2004, Braxton became the
Director of Center of Operations, where he was responsible for
planning, directing and coordinating the Center’s management
operations necessary to support aeronautics, information technology
and space research programs. In October 2008, Braxton was confirmed
as the Deputy Center Director at Ames, a position that he had held
in an acting capacity since July of that year. He assists in
directing a center of over 2500 employees (civil service and
contractor), and 1900 acres with facilities that include an
airfield, arcjets, a suite of wind-tunnels, aerosimulators, two of
the fastest supercomputers in the world, and the innovative NASA
Research Park. He also helps oversee Ames’ projects, which include
the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), and the
Kepler mission to search for Earth-like planets.
Lew Braxton has been recognized by NASA for his management and
service excellence, and also received the NASA Group Achievement
Award for his involvement with the Dryden Separation Team in 1996
and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2007. Braxton has
been awarded numerous excellence and service awards from NASA, as
well as being recognized for his contributions to the Ames
African-American Advisory Group.
Mr. Braxton will be accompanied by Mr. Donald James, Education
Director of NASA Ames Research Center.
The celebration program will include special music, presentations,
2009 Presidential Inauguration Reflections by select Tullahoma High
School students, and a reception following the program. The UTSI
Celebration is free and the public is invited to attend. Please
contact UTSI Human Resources at (931) 393-7226 for any questions.
