KNOXVILLE — Angie Bukley, currently the assistant vice president for research at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, has been named the interim associate vice president for UTSI effective May 10.
Angie BukleyShe will fill the role currently held by Donald Daniel, who is retiring at the end of this semester.
“The UT Space Institute has an established history of significant contributions to research, aeronautics and engineering, including nine graduates who have gone on to become NASA astronauts,” said UT President John Petersen. “We are fortunate and grateful to have had a leader of Don Daniel’s caliber bring his vision and energy to the UT Space Institute and establish a momentum that has invigorated the campus and its research outlook.
“I appreciate the willingness of Angie Bukley, another impressive leader and an established scientist from within the UT Space Institute, to serve as interim associate vice president and chief operating officer for the campus,” Petersen added. “As the search process to name the next UT Space Institute chief administrator goes forward, I am confident we will find a leader who will continue the positive momentum for this campus and will further raise research expectations.”
Bukley came to UTSI in June 2007 to head the institute’s research efforts.
“I am looking forward to building on the outstanding work that Dr. Daniel has accomplished during his tenure,” said Bukley. “The UTSI team will continue to enhance our research base, strengthen our connections to Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) and the Air Force Research Laboratory, and extend our outreach programs to the community and in the realm of professional development.”
Bukley noted that enrollment at UTSI has been increasing steadily, and said she will continue to focus on retention.
“Recruitment and retention will play a huge role as we continue to grow our academic programs in support of the world-class research executed daily on our campus,” she said. “Our airborne sciences program, while still in its infancy, has shown tremendous potential and will be an area of emphasis. Dr. Daniel also has significantly improved our connections to the UT system and coordination with the flagship campus in Knoxville and I intend to carry that forward,” said Bukley.
Bukley brought more than 20 years of professional experience in defense and space systems when she joined UTSI. She has worked hard to increase UTSI’s externally funded research base and implement new policies and procedures to facilitate the proposal development and submission process. She successfully has negotiated agreements with the Air Force Institute of Technology and the International Space University, which will substantially enhance both the academic and research efforts ongoing at UTSI.
Before joining UTSI, Bukley was the associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Russ College of Engineering at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, with a specialty in control theory, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Her professional experience includes leadership positions at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and The Aerospace Corporation in Albuquerque, N.M.
Interested in all aspects of space exploration, Dr. Bukley also holds a leadership position with the International Space University (ISU) in Strasbourg, France. She is an ISU faculty member, teaching space systems engineering courses, the chair of the Academic Council and a member of the ISU Board of Trustees. In fact, Bukley and Greg Sedrick, who heads UTSI’s distance education program, are currently working to design a distance education system for ISU based on the successful program at UTSI.
She is an Associate Fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an active member of the American Astronomical Society, International Federation of Automatic Control, the National Space Society, and The American Society for Engineering Education.
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Contact:
Shanna Relford, UTSI (931-393-7319, srelford@utsi.edu)
Jay Mayfield, UT media relations (865-974-9409, jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu)