Dr. Edward J. Weiler, who has worked almost 33 years as a leader in NASA's science exploration programs, retired from the agency 30 September 2011.

Dr. Weiler most recently served as the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate at agency Headquarters in Washington, directing a variety of research and science programs in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science and astrophysics.

Sharing the excitement of scientific discoveries is an important part of Dr. Weiler's philosophy.

Dr. Weiler was previously the center director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt. Md., a position he held since August 2004. Prior to that, he served as the associate administrator for NASA's Space Science Enterprise (since 1998).

The successes under Dr. Weiler's leadership include NASA's great observatory missions, unprecedented advances in Earth science and extensive exploration of Mars and other planets in our solar system. These advances have rewritten science textbooks and earned enormous support for NASA's science programs from the general public.

Dr. Weiler's leadership also has earned consistent support from the Administration and Congress and has secured an unprecedented level of funding to continue such important space science missions.

Prior to his 1998 appointment as associate administrator of NASA's Space Science Enterprise, Dr. Weiler served as the director of the Astronomical Search for Origins Program at NASA Headquarters. He also served as the chief scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope from 1979 until 1998.

Dr. Weiler joined NASA Headquarters in 1978 as a staff scientist and was promoted to the chief of the Ultraviolet/Visible and Gravitational Astrophysics Division in 1979. Before joining NASA, he was a member of the Princeton University research staff. He joined Princeton in 1976 and was based at Goddard as the director of science operations of the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-3 (COPERNICUS).

Dr. Weiler received his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Northwestern University in 1976. He has published numerous papers in scientific journals. In his role as the Hubble Space Telescope chief scientist, he acted as the prime scientific spokesperson for the program and has appeared on a number of national television programs including "Nightline," "Today," Good Morning America," "60 Minutes," etc. He also is routinely requested as a keynote speaker for a variety of professional and public events.

Dr. Weiler's scientific expertise and commitment to excellence have earned him numerous distinctions over the years. For his lead role in the Hubble science program over the past two decades, Dr. Weiler was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the1994 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. Other awards include the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1991), two additional NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals (2002, 2004), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2000), a second Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive (2002), and the prestigious Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive (1999).

Dr. Weiler was born in Chicago, Ill. in 1949.

Last Updated: 3 January 2013

Meet More People