Space Communicator Award Winners

 

by Marianne Dyson

 

 

2008 Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Neil dGrasse Tyson. Download hi res copy. Photo credit: NASA.

Listen to his acceptance speech on YouTube.

The RNASA Foundation selected astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, PhD, to receive the 2008 Space Communicator Award.

 

Tyson is an astrophysicist and the Frederick P. Rose director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.

 

RNASA Advisor Jeffrey E. Carr said, “Dr. Tyson commands an uncommon grasp of the connections between the human and astrophysical elements of our universe, and our need as humans to explore it. His remarkable ability to bring those connections to life for audiences in ways that are understandable, entertaining and compelling has contributed immeasurably to the public’s understanding of and support for space exploration.”

 

Tyson is the author of eight books that have educated millions of people on space topics. His latest, Death By Black Hole—and Other Cosmic Quandaries (W.W. Norton, New York, 2007), was a New York Times bestseller. He is a contributing essayist for Natural History magazine under the title "Universe," and has become a recognized spokesman for space science through his role as on-camera host for the PBS-NOVA 4-part mini-series "Origins" which aired in September 2004, and its spin-off program NOVA "ScienceNow," a look at the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.

 

As a member of the NASA Advisory Council since 2006, Tyson helps guide the Agency in implementing its vision within its limited budget. He previously served on the nine-member Presidential Commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy that produced the report, A Journey to Inspire, Innovate, and Discover in 2004.

 

In explaining why space is important, Tyson wrote in Parade magazine (August 2007) that “Science and technology are the greatest engines of economic growth the world has ever seen. Without regenerating homegrown interest in these fields, the comfortable lifestyle to which Americans have become accustomed will draw to a rapid close.”

 

Born in New York City the same week NASA was founded, by the time Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, Tyson had already identified the universe as his life's passion. This interest drove him to earn a BA in physics from Harvard in 1980, a MA in astronomy from the University of Texas in 1983, and a PhD in astrophysics from Columbia in 1991. He joined the staff at the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium in 1994, and became director in 1996. In parallel, he served as a visiting research scientist with Princeton from until 2003, when he became a research associate at the Museum. His areas of study include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of the Milky Way.

 

Tyson has received numerous honors and awards, including nine honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. On the lighter side, he was named by People magazine as the Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive in 2000 and holds the record for the most appearances on "The Colbert Report." Chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007, Tyson resides in New York City with his wife and two children.

 

The RNASA Foundation is pleased to recognize Dr. Neil Tyson as one of the world’s most inspirational, influential, and passionate communicators.

2006 Mark Carreau

 

The RNASA Board of Directors recognized Mark Carreau with the 2006 Space Communicator Award. The citation states that Carreau “has distinguished himself for his work ethic, his professional ethics and his skill for communicating complex issues in an understandable, interesting and exciting manner. In doing so, he has contributed greatly to the public’s understanding of and appreciation for the accomplishments of the American space program.”

 

The Space Communicator award was created in 1997 in honor of KTRK, Channel 13 space reporter and long-time RNASA Advisor Stephen Gauvain who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1996. The Award is presented to an individual or team that makes exceptional contributions to the public’s understanding of and appreciation for the value and benefits of space exploration. Previous recipients include William Harwood of CBS, Miles O’Brien of CNN, Elliot Pulham of the Space Foundation, and the NASA-Contractor Communications team that responded so adeptly after the Columbia accident.

 

Mark Carreau has been a daily newspaper reporter for over thirty years. A native of Wichita, Kansas, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1972 where he majored in communication theory and studied pre-medical science courses. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Kansas State University in 1974. After graduation, Texas was his first choice of places to live and work. While he hoped to use his educational background to one day write on medicine and science, he never in his wildest dreams believed he would report on space exploration.

 

Carreau began his career as in Texas in 1974 with the Orange Leader. He moved to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Arlington Bureau in 1977, and joined the Houston Post in 1979 as the City Hall reporter. Carreau joined the Houston Chronicle in 1984.

 

January 28, 1986 was his first day on the space beat, the day of the Challenger tragedy. He compassionately reported about the tragedy and the effect it had on the families, friends and co-workers of the Challenger crew. Through the subsequent investigation, he demonstrated great ability to understand complex, technical issues and convey them to the public.

 

He wrote about Return-to-Flight following both Space Shuttle tragedies, and in between he reported on Shuttle science missions, robotic missions to Mars and other worlds, servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope and construction of the International Space Station. He’s reported from Houston, Washington, Florida, California and other places where the space story continues to unfold.

 

Passionate about space, Carreau works tirelessly and demonstrates a rare compassion that leads him to honestly seek out and report the truth in a way that distinguishes him in his field. He has earned a reputation in the space community as a professional journalist whose honesty and integrity are matched only by his diligence to tell the story, whether it is good news or bad news.

 

Carreau has said that space fascinates him. He invests the time to learn about space, its complex technology and science. In an age of internet postings and blogs, where the term “fair and balanced” is often exaggerated, Mark Carreau abides by true journalistic values. He checks his facts, he seeks answers, he explains both sides of an issue, he is accurate and he is trusted by his peers and by the members of the space community about which he reports, and about which he cares.

 

 

2005 No Award

 

 

2004 NASA/Contractor Communications Team

 

On February 1, 2003, as the nation’s attention and grief focused on the human space flight program, a united team of NASA public affairs officials and contractor public relations professionals assembled rapidly to provide the first words and faces to the world in response to the loss of Columbia and her crew. In an unprecedented spirit of cooperation, the NASA-Contractor Communications Team quickly surmounted organizational boundaries and differences between locations, government agencies and corporate entities to create a communications workforce that was open, responsive and effective in providing the most current and authoritative information to the public.

 

Within minutes after the accident, the NASA-Contractor Communications Team was hit with the first wave of a media onslaught. Within a day, media ranks at the Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers swelled to more than 2,500 accredited media representatives from around the world. The team served as the frontline of the Human Space Flight program, skillfully and honestly balancing the demands of the media and the public’s right to know while preserving the reputation and integrity of the space program.

 

Of the many challenges facing the team, one of the most difficult was in quickly and patiently educating many of the on-scene reporters regarding the highly technical nature of the Space Shuttle program. These efforts played a significant role in ensuring the integrity of the media coverage, and thus the integrity and credibility of the program, by promoting accurate accounts of the information known. The openness and responsiveness of the NASA and industry leadership went a long way in reinforcing NASA’s reputation as an agency open to finding the root cause of the accident, no matter what it may be.

 

Under the constant glare of the cameras and commentators across the country for weeks, the NASA-Contractor team conducted itself professionally at all times, demonstrating clearly the dedication and commitment within the human space flight program. Without exception, the members of the NASA-Contractor team put individual needs aside for the benefit of the team.

 

Behind the cameras, the atmosphere of cooperation was unprecedented as NASA and contractor communicators worked hand-in-hand to research and respond to queries. Contractor team members crossed corporate boundaries to develop coordinated messages that were supportive of the NASA mission. NASA Public Affairs Officers coordinated information across locations to keep program officials at the Johnson Space Center abreast of emerging issues and trends. Across the team, communications professionals provided counsel and support to management and program officials to ensure that the entire human space flight program delivered consistent, coordinated and supportive messages to its many stakeholders.

 

In summary, this team proved itself capable of meeting the most extreme challenges with courage, fortitude, dedication and compassion. Each individual’s efforts presented a human face to the public that represented the Agency long after the cameras left. For this demonstration of integrity, excellence in performance, and commitment to the importance of human space flight, this team was recognized with the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Space Communicator Award.

 

NASA/Contractor Communications Team Members:

 

Allard Beutel, NASA HQ

Bob Jacobs, NASA HQ

Glenn Mahone, NASA HQ

Dan Carpenter, JSC

James Hartsfield, JSC

Eileen Hawley, JSC

Kyle Herring, JSC

Kelly Humphries, JSC

Rob Navias, JSC

Steve Nesbitt, JSC

Bruce Buckingham, KSC

Bill Johnson, KSC

Dave Drachlis, MSFC

June Malone, MSFC

 

Jeff Carr, USA, Houston

Mike Curie, USA, Houston

Kari Fluegel, USA, Florida

Jessica Rye, USA, Florida

Kari Allen, Boeing, Houston

Ed Memi, Boeing, Houston

Jeff Adams, Lockheed-Martin, Maryland

Marion Lanasa, Lockheed-Martin, Michoud

Bill Salvin, Signal Bridge Communications, Illinois

 

 

2003 Elliot Pulham

 

The RNASA Foundation selected Elliot G. Pulham for its Space Communicator Award for his unique and diverse contributions to the public’s awareness and understanding of our nation’s space programs – civil, commercial and military.

            Pulham is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Space Foundation and leads this globally respected non-profit organization in the pursuit of its mission to vigorously advance and support civil, commercial and national security space endeavors and educational excellence.

            One semester short of his degree in Journalism from the University of Hawaii, Pulham was snapped up by an eager employer. “I was in the program and got offers from two Honolulu papers,” he said. Pulham worked a number of newspaper and public relations jobs during what he calls his “very checkered past.” “I’ve done lots of interesting things,” he said. “As a communicator to a broad audience, it helps to have a diversity of experiences to bring reality to your communications.”

            One of Pulham’s most interesting jobs was as Director of Public Affairs for Hawaiian Airlines. “The industry was wild about deregulation, opening new routes every month - this month Guam and next month Frankfort,” he said. “It was the kind of job that was perfect for my younger self.”

            Pulham left his native Hawaii because of the economy and found opportunity in Seattle. “I had worked on a Hawaiian project involving space,” he said. “So instead of going to the Boeing airplane company, I sought out the space group. Those guys were impressed that I even knew they existed,” he joked. “They hired me.”

 

Saving the Station

 

            From 1988 to 1998, Pulham worked for The Boeing Company. He was senior manager of public relations, employee communication and advertising for all space programs. He served as the Director of Corporate Communication for the Boeing Employees Good Neighbor Fund - a united giving campaign that raised $18 million in a single year for health and human service agencies.

            Pulham moved to Huntsville when Boeing was put in charge of the Space Station Work Packages. In 1993, the space station funding survived Congress by only one vote. Kari Allen was head of PR for Boeing in Houston and worked for Pulham. “During the early days of Space Station when hardware was just getting built, Elliot was Boeing Communications director over the program,” Allen said. “He was convinced that if we could tell the general public about the many benefits of ISS science, research and education that they would become true supporters. To that end Elliot led a grassroots, advocacy campaign for ISS that resulted in thousands of letters, mailed from people all over the country, to our Congressional leaders touting the importance of keeping the program sold. Congress overwhelmingly agreed.”

            Jim Keller, Boeing’s lead PR person in Huntsville, also reported to Pulham. “He is just a very creative, energetic, person who is a real visionary for what needs to be done,” Keller said. “He’s very good at strategically looking at different ways to approach something - refreshing, instead of the same-old same-old. You’ve heard the term that there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. Well, Elliot knows them all!” Keller said. “He led the grassroots campaign. We took our program people and hit the road with them, doing editorials, being on TV talk shows, radio shows, and traveling to parts unknown. It was a broad industry team, not just Boeing, but McDonnell Douglas and Rockwell and others,” Keller added.

            The campaign resulted in Space Station passing Congress by a 2 to 1 vote. Pulham’s leadership earned him the coveted Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America - the profession’s highest honor.

            After the campaign, Pulham returned to Seattle. From 1995-97 he was Deputy Chairman, then Chairman, of the Space Awareness Alliance. This coalition of 30 corporations and non-profit organizations conducted national public affairs activities on behalf of America’s space programs. He was a spokesperson at the Kennedy Space Center for the Magellan, Galileo and Ulysses interplanetary missions, among others. “Elliot is a gifted writer and he uses that gift to express his passion about space,” Allen said. “Elliot was (and still is) a true space cadet and a believer that space is indeed our future.”

            Pulham joined The Space Foundation in 1998. He served as Executive Vice President, leading the Space Foundation’s public affairs, customer relations, corporate development, communications and marketing teams before becoming President in 2001.

            As Executive Director of the Space Foundation, Pulham leads a team of space and education professionals providing services to educators and the space industry around the world. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is, “To vigorously advance and support civil, commercial and national security space endeavors and educational excellence.”

            The Foundation’s Vice President for Marketing & Communications, Jim Jannette, met Pulham when Jannette worked for McDonnell Douglas and Pulham was with Boeing. “It was that experience that he gained through his tenure at Boeing that allowed him to really understand space and what it took to be successful,” Jannette said. “He is not only a true leader, but an inspirational one to work with day to day as well. He raises the bar every year on what we are going to be.”

            The Space Foundation’s education program is accredited through 17 universities and colleges, and has touched teachers in 49 states. The Foundation offers an on-site NASA Educational Resource Center that helps educators access and use science, mathematics, and technology instruction products aligned with national standards and appropriate state frameworks. More than 20,000 teachers have learned to use space in their classrooms through graduate courses and national conferences.

           

A Driving Force for Space

 

            Each April the Space Foundation hosts the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, the military space capitol of the world and home to NORAD and Air Force Space Command. Pulham noted recently that, “We are committed to ensuring that this remains the premier space event anywhere in the world.”

            Attendance at the symposiums has grown from 400 to over 4,500 in the past five years. “You can see just by sheer numbers the kind of growth the symposium has experienced under Elliot’s leadership,” Jannette said. “It is the one space meeting that people say, ‘We have to attend that one.’ Under Elliot’s leadership, we’ve been able to attract the very top leadership, nationally and internationally.” New this year was a Communicator’s Workshop to help journalists and public relations managers better cover space events and benefits.

            Throughout his time with the Foundation, Pulham has provided essential leadership in expanding the reach and influence of the Foundation. He was the driving force behind the creation and development of the Foundation’s International Space Symposium and development of the new Masters degree program.

            “I was one of those kids that wrote to NASA for posters during the launching of Gemini and Apollo,” Pulham said. “I particularly remember the exploded-view poster of the Gemini capsule. I was really captivated by that. I never had good math skills and didn’t think that I could work in the space industry. Part of what I’m doing in the Foundation is to develop not only interest in math and science, but also in the creative and artistic areas.”

            Pulham has effectively combined his unique knowledge with his outstanding professional communications skills to bring important issues regarding our industry to national prominence, to enhance the public’s view of the value of space exploration and development, and to inspire academic achievement using the excitement of space. “He is a great mentor and leader for all of us at the Foundation,” Jannette said.

            A resident of Colorado Springs, when he’s not out promoting space, Pulham may be found skiing, motorcycling, hiking or camping in the Colorado Rockies with his wife, Cynthia, and son, William.

 

 

2002 Miles O’Brien

 

 

Miles O'Brien. Download hi res copy. Photo credit: NASA, 2008.

Write-up not available

 

 

1999-2001 No Award

 

 

1998 William Harwood

 

Write-up not available

 

 

 

Return to RNASA Space Communicator page

 

Return to RNASA HOME page

 

Page Last Updated: 5-20-08