A world-class space faculty member at America’s Space University will play a leading role in shaping the future of NASA.
Greg Autry, who serves as UCF’s associate provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy, is nationally recognized for his leadership in space research and innovation, including how the space landscape is evolving with the rapid expansion of private flights.
Autry has been nominated by President Trump to become chief financial officer of NASA. Pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he will be responsible for ensuring the financial health of the agency and will oversee all financial management, budget, strategic planning, and performance activities relating to NASA’s programs and operations.
“Our space agency has a long history of excellence in financial management, and I am looking forward to joining the incredible team at NASA,” Autry said. “I have been honored to help move UCF’s incredible space enterprise forward, and I hope to return after my service at NASA.”
Autry, known as UCF’s “space czar,” is a leading researcher on entrepreneurship. Before joining UCF last year, he was director and clinical professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
Autry is a visiting professor at Imperial College London. He also serves as the vice president for space development at the National Space Society and chairs the Business Case sub-committee for NASA’s In Space Production Applications program (InSPA) which sends manufacturing experiments to the International Space Station.
At UCF, Autry has been working to lead the College of Business’ efforts to establish Executive and MBA programs in Space Commercialization while helping the university enhance and expand awareness of its many space programs.
UCF was founded in 1963 to provide talent for the space industry and today continues to be a top provider of talented graduates and research to a space economy expected to grow to more than $1 trillion in the 2030s and triple that by mid-century.
UCF is the nation’s top supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry, according to Aviation Week Network.
“Space is the most important thing to happen in at least half a millennia,” Autry said. “We are charting a new future for humanity, improving the lives of billions, saving our biosphere, making our nation more secure, and creating jobs right now.”
As space travel expands and becomes less exclusive to the wealthiest demographic, it will require more people to be educated and trained in space-specific medicine, business, psychology, science, engineering, even hospitality for cities with launch sites around the world.
“It won’t be long before careers are available for anyone like me who always wanted to be involved in space but couldn’t get into an astronaut program,” Autry says. “This is where the preparation will happen, at UCF, to enter an industry with unlimited potential.”
