John L. Phillips

UWF degree and year of graduation:
Master of Science Aeronautical Systems 1974

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
I was a student pilot with the Navy at the time and was selected to participate in the cooperative master’s degree in aeronautical systems between UWF and the Navy.

What were your goals as a student?
My goal was to get my wings as a Navy aviator and at the same time, complete the master’s degree. Also, my goal as a young kid was to become an astronaut, so this program certainly helped with that ambition.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
My best memory was when the Navy basketball team played UWF’s basketball team on campus. I also enjoyed strolling around the campus. It was a nice break from my military duties.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
I remember Dr. Phoebus who taught aviation physiology. He had a unique approach to teaching and had a crusade going about the importance of physical fitness against obesity.

What do you do now?
I work in the Robotics Branch of the Astronaut office, supporting robotic operations on present and future missions. I serve as a crew advocate and make sure they get the support they need in mission controls.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
The masters program provided me with a systems engineering perspective. I have drawn on my education through my work at Los Alamos where I built and worked with spacecraft hardware. As an astronaut, my education assisted me with systems integration requirements of the job. Everything I learned in the masters program helped me with my NASA career as a flight engineer as well as my non-flight assignments. My two space flights, STS-100 Endeavor in 2001 and Space Shuttle Discovery in 2005 to the International Space Station, both required systems integration knowledge. During these flights, I worked on three different vehicles, the space shuttle, international space station and the Russian Soyuz vehicle.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
Because of my work schedule, my activities with outside organizations are limited and mostly focused on my family. My favorite hobbies include outdoor sports, snow skiing, river rafting, and mountain climbing which are hard to do in the Houston area. So, I bought a kayak and spend time on the bayou.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
I don’t currently. UWF has initiated contact with me. I do receive the alumni newsletter. I never lived on campus, so my time there was limited in scope. However, I do value the education I received while I flew for the Navy.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
Study hard and try to build an international perspective. Because we live in an increasingly global society, technical language and international skills will be a valuable combination.

Visit John’s NASA bio for more information:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/phillips.html

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