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Outstanding Alumni for Excellence in Public ServiceÌý
Over 40 CategoryÌý

Dr. Andrew J. Adams (Andy) is a distinguished leader in national space systems and cybersecurity, with over 35 years of service in the US Air Force (USAF) and NASA. After receiving his BS and MS (Aero/Astro) from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ, Adams was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. ÌýFrom 1993 to 2004, he supported numerous space flight test programs. After graduating from the USAF Test Pilot School, Adams then served as a Test Flight Engineer, culminating in his role as Flight Test Director for the Global Hawk UAV program at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.

After earning his PhD in Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008, he led the Advanced Technology Division at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from 2008 to 2012, rapidly advancing next-generation imaging systems to bolster space-based intelligence capabilities. From 2012 to 2015, Adams served as a liaison between US Strategic Command and the NRO, aligning sophisticated space intelligence efforts with national security priorities. Following his retirement from the Air Force as a Lt. Col., he served as the director of NASA’s Mission Resilience & Protection Program from 2015 to 2025 at Goddard Space Flight Center, where he implemented innovative cybersecurity and counterspace strategies for over 60 NASA missions.Ìý

Adams is now supporting the Aerospace Corporation as a senior advisor on the future space enterprise at the NRO. His foundational contributions during his military service and at NASA underscore his commitment to advancing space system capabilities and protecting our national interests.
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