Bryan O’Connor

UWF degree and year of graduation:
MS Aeronautical Systems; 1970

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
Because I believed that it would help my career to have an advanced degree, and that it was a great idea to get that degree while going to flight school.

What were your goals as a student?
To get my degree and my wings per plan.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
The modern classrooms and campus.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
Dr. Phoebus who taught flight physiology: he had the best “sea stories”.

What do you do now?
Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
It gave me the academic background that made me competitive for the test pilot program and then later the astronaut program.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
Marine Corps Aviation Association, Society of Experimental Test Pilots and Association of Space Explorers. My hobbies are landscaping, music and photography.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
Alumni magazine

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Persist

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
Flexibility

Visit Bryan’s NASA bio for more information:
http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/oconnor_bio.html

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